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Day Care Act Day Care Regulations Early Childhood Development Initiative Annual Report 2003-04 Early Childhood Development Initiative Annual Report 2002-03 Quality Inclusive Child Care

Early Childhood Development Services

Early Childhood Development Services (ECDS) is dedicated to offering programs that support the family unit and foster healthy child development between the ages of 3 months and 12 years.

In accordance with the Nova Scotia Day Care Act and Regulations, Early Childhood Development Services is responsible for the licensing of child care centres and family day care agencies.

This responsibility also includes:

• Monitoring of child care facilities
• Development and implementation of policy and standards for child care facilities
• Approval of new early childhood education training programs and early childhood staff’s training levels
• Review and audit of selected child care programs to ensure quality assurance
• Promotion of awareness, among parents and the community, of quality childcare choices.

Early Childhood Development Services supports parents who require child care while attending education / training programs or when working, by helping to pay the child care fees for children enrolled in full day licensed child care facilities.

This Child Care Subsidy program provides approximately 2,750 subsidized child care spaces across the province.

Early Childhood Development Services also:

• Provides funding supports to Early Intervention programs
• Coordinates and funds the Child Care Stabilization Grant
• Coordinates the Supported Child Care program and associated funding to child care facilities
• Coordinates a range of other programs associated with the Early Childhood Development Initiative and the Multi-lateral Framework on Early Learning and Child Care.