Budget Bulletin: Early Childhood Development Initiative

COMMUNITY SERVICES--Budget Bulletin: Early Childhood Development Initiative

Children and their families in Nova Scotia have benefited from improved child care and early childhood development programs since the launch of the federal-provincial-territorial Early Childhood Development (ECD) Initiative in September 2000.

The ECD Initative was launched to support early childhood development among children across the country. The federal contribution under the ECD Initative has augmented and enhanced existing early childhood programs in Nova Scotia.

In 2004-05, support will continue for programs that encourage healthy childhood development and quality child care, including support for children with disabilities, parent education, enhanced home visiting programs for new parents and work with Family Resource Centres and other partners.

In addition, accelerated federal funding will also allow a $1.3 million increase to support low-income families, through an increase in the child-care subsidy. These subsidies enable families to access quality child care while pursuing further education, maintaining employment or entering the workforce. The department is conducting a child-care subsidy review to examine how subsidies are allocated and to determine the best way to support quality child care across the province.

In May 2001, Nova Scotia introduced Our Children...Today's Investment, Tomorrow's Promise, a document that outlines the vision for a system of early childhood development. Created in consultation with the early childhood sector, the vision paper outlined the key priorities for Nova Scotia's ECD Initative and guided the province in strengthening the existing programs and investing new resources.

The framework that evolved from the vision paper focuses on four principles:

• enhanced home visiting;
• stabilization and enhancement of child care;
• enhanced parenting and family support;
• enhanced community engagement and infrastructure support.

Following this vision, $40 million has been invested to date in the Early Childhood Development Initiative. Between 2000 and 2006, the ECD Initative will invest $65 million toward services for children in Nova Scotia. These investments include funding to increase salaries, equipment grants, new programs for children with special needs, resources centres, and additional subsidized child care seats.

NOTE: For further 2004-05 budget information, see the Department of Finance website at www.gov.ns.ca/finance .