N.S., federal governments announce $440M child care agreement

A new multi-million dollar agreement between the federal and Nova Scotia governments aims to improve child care affordability, create more spaces for children, and compensate early childhood educators.

According to a Friday news release from the federal government, Nova Scotia’s new three-year plan under the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement will spend more than $440 million on different child care areas.

"Families across our province need and deserve a child care system that provides our youngest Nova Scotians the best start in life through care that is accessible, affordable, inclusive and high-quality,” said Becky Druhan, provincial minister of education and early childhood development, in the release. “The work we are doing across the child care sector in Nova Scotia is transformative for both families and those who work to provide this much needed care.”

The release says the plan will offer:

• more than $285 million to help reach the goal of $10-a-day average child care fees by March 31, 2026
• $52 million to create 9,500 new regulated child care spaces by March 2026 (the release says 3,861 new spaces have been built since December 2023)
• more than $105 million for an early childhood educator compensation framework, including support for the early childhood educator wage grid, and retirement and health benefits
• more than $30 million to implement “an inclusive early learning and child care strategy that focuses on respect for diversity and strives for equity, inclusion and accessibility”
• $23 million to support the Early Learning and Child Care Agreement

According to the release, the federal government is spending $605 million over five years to improve child care for children under the age of six in Nova Scotia.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.