Community Conversations on Early Learning and Child Care Transformation
The Province is hosting a series of community conversations to hear from parents and primary caregivers of children who are enrolled in early learning and child care or will be in the future.
Nova Scotia is transforming the delivery of child care through the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The intent is to build a high-quality system that is affordable, inclusive and accessible.
“While big strides are being made, like reducing fees, improving wages and benefits for early childhood educators and increasing the number of spaces, we know there’s more work to do,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Becky Druhan. “We want Nova Scotians to be a part of this important and historic transformation in early learning and child care. We know they have great ideas and we want to hear them.”
In-person evening sessions will take place throughout the province in October and will be family-friendly events. Conversations will be specific to early learning and child care involving children from infants to four years in licensed child-care centres and family homes, as well as children aged four to 12 in before and after school care. It does not include items related to the public school system.
Registration for the in-person community conversations is open to 30 people per session so that meaningful discussions can take place and all voices are heard. Parents and primary caregivers can register starting Monday, September 18, at noon. An online survey for public feedback will be available from September 18 at noon until midnight on October 25.
This is the first phase of consultation. The second phase, starting in early 2024, will involve early childhood educators, child-care operators and other partners.
The goal of the full consultation plan is to listen and learn from the diverse range of people who are invested in Nova Scotia’s children. Conversations will be summarized and shared in a public report in 2024.
Quick Facts:
- 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
- Nova Scotia has increased its investment in early learning and child care by $83 million, for a total investment of $277 million in 2023-24
- 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:
A complete list of dates and locations for in-person sessions, and information on how to register and how to participate in the survey and online exchange of ideas is available at: https://childcarenovascotia.ca/public-engagement
More information on early learning and child care is available at: https://childcarenovascotia.ca/
More information about the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement is available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/early-learning-child-care-agreement/agreements-provinces-territories/nova-scotia-canada-wide-2021.html
To receive regular updates about child care in Nova Scotia via newsletter: https://childcarenovascotia.ca/latest-news
NOTE: The information about in-person sessions was corrected on September 13, 2023.