More Subsidized Child Care Seats

Fifty new subsidized child care seats, including five seats for children with special needs, were announced today by Community Services Minister Peter Christie.

"We continue to support parents in Nova Scotia by providing quality child care spaces," said Mr. Christie. "More subsidized seats are added every year as part of the government's overall effort to support families."

The minister receives advice on the allocation of subsidized child care seats from the Nova Scotia Round Table on Child Care. This ministerial advisory group comprises parents, child care teachers and operators and members of the community.

Studies indicate children who participate in quality child care go on to have greater success in school, are less likely to drop out and are less likely to be unemployed. Quality child care gives children valuable skills they carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Subsidized seats also provide options for low-income parents who are employed, looking for work or participating in training.

"We know many parents need help in raising their children and this is part of a larger effort to strengthen and expand our existing programs that help people become self-reliant," said Mr. Christie.

The total number of subsidized seats that have been allocated in Nova Scotia is about 2,500. There are currently about 10,000 licensed child care spaces in 365 centre-based child care programs across the province. These spaces serve about 11,800 children either full time or part time. The annual cost to the province for a single subsidized child care seat is approximately $5,000.

Centres being allocated spaces are:
Lunenburg Day Care, Lunenburg -- 2 spaces Boys and Girls Club of Yarmouth, Yarmouth -- 2 spaces Windsor Day-Care Centre, Windsor -- 1 space Southwest Regional School Board CCS, Yarmouth -- 3 spaces Pleasant Point Day Care Association, Lockeport -- 1 space Strait Area Educational Recreation Centre Day Care, Port Hawksbury -- 2 spaces Isle Madame Day Care Association, D'Escousse -- 3 spaces Garderie Petit Poussin Day Care, Cheticamp -- 3 spaces Northwood Child Care Centre, Halifax -- 2 spaces Bayers Westwood Day Care, Halifax -- 1 space Shearwater Children's Centre, CFB Shearwater -- 3 spaces First Friends Day Care Society, Lower Sackville -- 2 spaces Needham Preschool, Halifax -- 2 spaces Mt. St. Vincent Child Study Centre, Halifax -- 1 space YWCA of Halifax , Halifax -- 2 spaces YMCA Purdy's Wharf, Halifax -- 2 spaces YMCA South Park, Halifax -- 3 spaces YMCA Dartmouth, Dartmouth -- 2 spaces Colchester YMCA, Truro -- 4 spaces Near to Me Day Care, Truro -- 1 space Cumberland YMCA Child Care, Amherst -- 3 spaces

The five subsidized child care spaces for children with special needs are portable and not allocated to any specific child care centre.

More subsidized child care spaces will be announced early next month as part of government's commitment to develop a portability pilot project. Portable child care seats follow the child in the event a family has to relocate within the province.