News Release Archive

COMMUNITY SERVICES--DAY CARE SPACES ALLOCATED
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The Department of Community Services has allocated 50 new
subsidized day care spaces to 24 non-profit, licensed day care
centres across the province.

The allocations, recommended by the Nova Scotia Round Table on
Day Care, were based on a set of criteria which includes
geographic location, the ratio of spaces within each county,
centres serving special populations and the number of spaces a
centre has. As well, the department's own knowledge of the
provision of quality child care was a factor.

Community Services Minister Jim Smith, said subsidized day care
supports both Nova Scotia's social and economic goals. "Adequate,
affordable and quality day care is an investment in our future.
It is extremely important both in terms of the social development
of our children and in terms of supporting the needs of working
families," he said.

There are now 2,250 subsidized day care spaces at 65 non-profit,
licensed day care centres across the province. "One of our
priorities as a government has always been families and children.
We have increased services in this area to reflect this
priority," said Dr. Smith.

In addition to five floating seats that are allocated to special
needs children, the centres receiving the subsidized spaces
include: Boys & Girls Club of Yarmouth Day Care (2); Bridgewater
Day Care Centre (2); The Little People's Place of Shelburne (1);
Lunenburg Day Care Centre (1); Infant/Toddler Day Nursery,
Yarmouth (2); Digby Preschool Co-Op (1); Kingstec Day Care,
Kentville (3); New Minas Children's Centre (4); Kinsmen Day Care
Centre, Sydney Mines (1); La Picasse Petit de Grat (4);
Playschool Day Care, New Waterford (1), Children's Place Day
Care, Antigonish (2); Colchester Community Day Care, Truro (3);
Family Home Child Care of Pictou County (1); Bayer's Westwood Day
Care, Halifax (1); Mount St. Vincent Child Study Centre, Halifax
(2); Northwoodcare Child Care Centre, Halifax (1); Peter Green
Hall Children's Centre, Halifax (1); Point Pleasant Child Care
Centre, Halifax (1); YWCA of Halifax (1); Dartmouth Day Care (2);
East Preston Day Care Centre, Halifax County (2); First Friends
Day Care Society, Sackville (3) and Sackville-Bedford
Developmental Centre (3).

Since 1993, the provincial government has added 150 new
subsidized day care spaces with more promised in the recent
throne speech.

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Contact: Margaret Murphy  902-424-4880

trp                    Apr. 12, 1996 - 10:44 a.m.