Province, Federal Government Invest in Child Care for Colchester, Inverness Counties

Families in Colchester and Inverness counties will soon have more options for child care as new spaces become available with provincial and federal support.

The Lower Onslow Preschool Association in Masstown, Colchester County, is creating 52 spaces for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, while the East Coast Early Learning Association in Margaree, Inverness County, is creating 14 toddler and preschool spaces.

“Nova Scotians need better access to child care, and that’s what our government is delivering,” said Brendan Maguire, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. “Investments in child care support our communities by helping families participate in the workforce and grow Nova Scotia's economy.”

These projects are funded through the Department’s Minor Infrastructure Program:

• the Lower Onslow Preschool Association received $771,000 and is expected to have the new spaces open next spring
• the East Coast Early Learning Association received $393,000 and is expected to have the new spaces open in the fall.

The projects are part of provincial and federal efforts to expand access to child care, supported through the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

Quotes:

“High-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care means less pressure on families and more choice for parents. Adding to the over 7,000 child-care spaces already announced in the province, these 66 new child-care spaces will help reduce costs for those in Colchester and Inverness. These are generational investments in families, our economy and the future of our children.”
— Patty Hajdu, federal Minister of Jobs and Families

Quick Facts:

• since 2021, more than 7,300 new child-care spaces have been announced across the province
• Nova Scotia has signed a five-year extension to the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and the Canada-Nova Scotia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, worth more than $1 billion total
• the extended agreements will be in place until March 31, 2031, ensuring continued funding to sustain and build upon the transformative progress to date

Additional Resources:

More information about child care in Nova Scotia and creating new spaces is at: https://www.childcarenovascotia.ca/

Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement: https://www.canada.ca/en/early-learning-child-care-agreement/agreements-provinces-territories/nova-scotia-canada-wide-2021.html

Other than cropping, Province of Nova Scotia photos are not to be altered in any way.