MONTAGUE, PEI, Dec. 16, 2022 /CNW/ - For too long, families have faced high monthly child care fees, long wait lists and too few high-quality child care options. That is why the Government of Canada is supporting the implementation of a Canada-wide early learning and child care system, giving children the best possible start and making life more affordable for families across Canada.
Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, joined Prince Edward Island's Minister of Education and Lifelong Learning, Natalie Jameson, to announce that fees for licensed child care in Prince Edward Island designated Early Years Centres have been reduced to $20-a-day. The $20-a-day parent fees, combined with provincial subsidies to eligible families and the expansion of the publicly-funded pre-kindergarten program, mean that Prince Edward Island has achieved an average 50% reduction in licensed child care fees, compared to 2019 fees. With this reduction in fees, parents or guardians will see savings of about $170 a month or $2,000 a year. Additional savings will be seen for families eligible for subsidies and/or the expansion of publicly-funded pre-kindergarten.
Prince Edward Island also announced that federal funding would be used to support wage increases for early childhood educators: this will support educators in designated child care centres. Wage increases are key to the recruitment and retention of early childhood educators, who are at the heart of the Canada-wide early learning and child care system and who are critical to the further expansion of child care services in the province.
Building a Canada-wide early learning and child care system that works for families in every region of the country is a key part of the Government of Canada's plan to make life more affordable for families, while also creating good jobs and growing the economy.
"Today's announcement is a key step forward for Prince Edward Island as we strive to make child care more affordable for families. I look forward to our continued progress toward a better future for children and families across the province and the country."
– Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould
"Access to affordable, high-quality, and accessible early learning and child care is so important to Island families. By reducing child care fees, and increasing wages for early childhood educators, we are making important progress in making life more affordable and providing children here in Montague and across the province the best possible start in life."
– Minister of Veterans Affairs and Member of Parliament for Cardigan, Lawrence MacAulay
"Early childhood educators play a vital role in giving our youngest Islanders a strong start in life. We want to recognize the tremendous work happening in this sector and elevate the status of early childhood professionals in PEI. Raising children can be expensive. Reducing child care fees will make life more affordable for families and give parents the option of returning to work."
– Prince Edward Island's Minister of Education and Lifelong Learning, Natalie Jameson
- As part of Budget 2021, the Government of Canada made a transformative investment of more than $27 billion over five years to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system with provinces and territories. Combined with other investments, including in Indigenous early learning and child care, up to $30 billion over five years will be provided in support of early learning and child care.
- As part of the agreement with Prince Edward Island, the Government of Canada is investing nearly $121.3 million over five years to help improve regulated early learning and child care for children under the age of 6 in the province.
- All of Canada's provinces and territories have already seen reductions in child care fees. The goal is that all families in Canada will have access to regulated early learning and child care for an average cost of $10 a day by March 2026.
- On November 17, 2022, Nunavut became the first jurisdiction to achieve $10-a-day child care under the Canada-wide system. Quebec and the Yukon had both achieved $10-a-day, or less, through their existing early learning and child care systems, before the Canada-wide agreements were established.
Toward $10-a-Day: Early Learning and Child Care
Canada–Prince Edward Island Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2021 to 2026
SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada
Mohammad Hussain, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]
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