New Child-Care Spaces on South Shore

Families looking for child care along the South Shore will see 129 new and opening spaces in licensed centres and family homes thanks to provincial and federal funding.

The YMCA of Southwest Nova Scotia Child Care Centre in Bridgewater is undergoing renovations and will be opening eight new infant spaces this summer. Through the Years Day Care and Community Centre in Hubbards has already opened 16 new spaces for toddlers and preschoolers, and two new family homes with Family Matters Home Child Care Agency have also opened in Lunenburg County, adding 16 spaces.

Other planned expansions in the area and their expected openings include:

• Lunenburg Day Care Centre – eight new infant spaces; summer
• Centre de la Petite Enfance de la Rive-Sud, Cookville – 17 new spaces (12 toddler, five preschool); summer
• Queens Day Care, Liverpool: 64 new spaces (six toddler, 58 preschool); winter.

“Greater access to child care is good news for South Shore families,” said Becky Druhan, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. “We are committed to expanding spaces and ensuring families have access to high-quality, affordable child care when and where they need it.”

The investment in these expansions is about $2.7 million, through the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement 2021-2026.

Quotes:

“These new child-care spaces will help ensure families on the South Shore have increased access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care. This is a win for families in Nova Scotia and will give South Shore children the best possible start in life.”

– Karina Gould, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

“The expansion of infant spaces at the YMCA in Bridgewater will make a real difference for families in this community. There is a significant need for infant care in rural communities across Nova Scotia, including the South Shore. The YMCA is committed to delivering high-quality, accessible child care and serving the needs of families. We look forward to working in partnership with the government to continue to develop solutions for a child-care system that is accessible, affordable and inclusive.”

– Yvonne Smith, CEO, YMCA of Southwest Nova Scotia

Quick Facts:

• 120 before and after school spaces for school-age children were added in South Shore schools last year to provide a seamless day of care for young children; planning is underway for hundreds more spaces across the province
• in 2022, Nova Scotia reduced parent fees for child care by 50 per cent on average and is on track to achieve $10 a day on average by 2026
• 1,500 new centre-based and family home child-care spaces are being created across the province
• Nova Scotia has increased its investment in early learning and child care by $83 million, for a total investment of $277 million in 2023
• through the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement 2021-2026, the Government of Canada is contributing $605 million over five years for early learning and child care in the province

Additional Resources:

More information on early learning and child care is available at: https://childcarenovascotia.ca/

To receive regular updates about child care in Nova Scotia via newsletter: https://childcarenovascotia.ca/latest-news

NOTE: This release was updated April 26, 2023, with the addition of the agency that opened family home child-care spaces in Lunenburg County.