'It's the families who are going to pay': Some N.S. operators say the push for $10/day daycare could backfire
Some private daycare operators in Nova Scotia say parents could end up paying a lot more for their services unless the province amends an agreement with Ottawa for $10 a day childcare.
As CTV News reported Monday, operators say the few options they've been presented would either mean going out of business or losing government subsidies.
"We are encouraging the premier to make this right," said Lisa Beddow, president and CEO of the FFL Group of Companies, which operates about 420 daycare spaces in several locations.
The Rankin Government originally signed on to the Federal Childcare Program shortly before the 2021 summer election.
Details on the $10/day daycare goal have been sorted out individually with each province, including New Brunswick, which pledged $53 million as its share shortly before Christmas.
Nova Scotia operators say they were stunned last week to learn they were limited to three options for participating in the program: stay private, become non-profit, or opt out and lose their subsidies.
Beddow says the first two options will amount to pennies on the dollar.
"It's about two per cent of our investment is what we've been offered. And, if we decide to go non-profit, which is Option B, it's about four per cent," said Beddow, who says she's been leading a group of about 194 private operators in the fight.
As it stands, many are leaning towards staying private, and raising their rates to make-up for lost revenue.
Beddow predicts this will make $10/day daycare hard to find.
"It's the families who are going to pay," she said.
Understandably, the $10 goal is popular with parents.
"When I heard $10 a day, I told my mom I was never moving back to the states," said Dana Jackson, a young Halifax mother who's originally from Connecticut.
With a 16-month-old daughter in daycare, and a new baby due in less than a month, Jackson worries about the bigger picture, and keeping the exceptional care her daughter gets now.
"The quality, if that went down, I think I would be super unhappy with our provider for sure," said Jackson.
In a late afternoon statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development said government is still working on the file, but made no promises to amend the deal.
"Our commitment to families is to provide affordable, accessible, inclusive and high quality childcare, and we will continue to work towards that commitment through the NS-Canada Wide Agreement," said spokesperson Lynette Macleod via email.
"We recognize the sector’s expertise, knowledge and passion for providing quality childcare. That is why we issued an Expression of Interest in October and used the valuable feedback to inform options for businesses under the new system. In December, businesses were offered $15,000 to access professional services to help them make decisions that are in their best interest. Ultimately, this is the beginning of the conversation. We recognize there is a lot of information to process and we will work hand-in-hand with licensed for-profit childcare providers to ensure a smooth transition so that they understand what these changes mean for their business and how they can ultimately become part of the new Canada-Wide Child Care system."
Unconfirmed reports suggest the issue is on the agenda for Wednesday's cabinet meeting.
Operators say, if it's not, there will be a lot of rough water ahead for government, and ultimately parents, who depend on their services.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.