Prince Edward Island to achieve $10-a-day regulated child care two years ahead of national target

Over half of all provinces and territories now have $10-a-day or less child care for families

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE, Dec. 15, 2023 /CNW/ - Families across Canada know that affordable child care is not a luxury—it is a necessity. That is why the Government of Canada is working with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners to implement a Canada-wide early learning and child care system that will bring fees for regulated child care across the country down to $10-a-day on average by March 2026.

Today, Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Lawrence MacAulay,

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Member of Parliament for Cardigan, joined Natalie Jameson, Prince Edward Island's Minister of Education and Early Years, to announce that Prince Edward Island will achieve $10-a-day child care fees in Early Years Centres and licensed Family Home Centres under the Canada-wide early learning and child care system, effective January 1, 2024—two years ahead of the national target.

Through a combination of funding provided under the Canada-Prince Edward Island Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and provincial funding, Prince Edward Island will reduce fees to a flat-rate of $10-a-day for Early Years Centres and licensed Family Home Centres. Provincial subsidy and support programs will continue, covering fees for many Island families. This means families in Prince Edward Island could save up to $4,170 a year for each child in an early years centre or licensed family home centre compared to 2019 fees. 

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, supporting a strong workforce and growing the economy. All provinces and territories have already seen significant reductions in child care fees, with over half now offering regulated child care for an average $10-a-day or less.

To ensure more families can access affordable, high-quality, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care, the federal government will continue to work with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners to create more spaces and support the early learning and child care workforce, which is the cornerstone of the Canada-wide early learning and child care system.

Quotes

"With over half of the provinces and territories now offering regulated child care for an average of $10-a-day or less, we are making life more affordable for families, and quality education more accessible to children across the country. This transformative milestone is significant for families in Prince Edward Island who could be saving up to $4,170 per child every year. I look forward to continuing to work with the province to support the early childhood educator workforce and build an inclusive system so every family has access to high-quality, affordable, flexible child care."
– Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Jenna Sudds

"Accessing affordable, quality child care is so important for parents and families. By reducing the cost of early learning and child care, we empower parents to participate in the workforce, while providing young children with the early learning opportunities they need. This approach not only supports families but contributes to the long-term social and economic well-being of our province."
– Minister of Education and Early Years for Prince Edward Island, Natalie Jameson

"In July 2021, we announced plans to bring $10-a-day child care to PEI, and now we're set to reach that goal in January – two years ahead of schedule. This program is already making a real difference for Island families, and we'll keep working to make life more affordable for folks right across the province."
– Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Member of Parliament for Cardigan, Lawrence MacAulay

Quick Facts

• Prince Edward Island signed its Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement on July 27, 2021.
• 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, which includes about $3.6 million through a one-time investment in 2021–2022 to support the early childhood workforce.
• This is in addition to the over $16 million announced through the Canada-Prince Edward Island Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2021 to 2025.
• PEI joins Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Yukon in offering child care for $10-a-day or less. Quebec and Yukon both reached this milestone before the Canada-wide early learning and child care system was created.
• In December 2022, PEI announced it had achieved an average 50% reduction in licensed child care fees, compared to 2019 fees. With this reduction in fees, parents or guardians were saving up to $2,000 a year.
• 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 Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system, the Government of Canada aims to create approximately 250,000 new child care spaces across the country by March 2026 to give families affordable child care options, no matter where they live.

Associated Links

Toward $10-a-day: Early Learning and Child Care
Canada–Prince Edward Island Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2021 to 2026

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

Media enquiries, please contact: Soraya Lemur, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Jenna Sudds, [email protected]; Media Relations Office: Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]