Governments of Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada Announce Early Learning and Child Care Action Plan, More than 10,000 Spaces Now Operating at $10-a-day or Less in the Province
Press Release
August 9, 2024
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 (ELCC) system that will bring fees for regulated child care across the country down to $10-a-day on average by March 2026.
Today, the Honourable Krista Lynn Howell, Minister of Education, and the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Federal Minister of Rural Economic Development, on behalf of the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced a three-year action plan to improve and expand early learning and child care services across the province under the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The plan sets a road map for strengthening and expanding the child care sector in the province and improving access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care for families.
Over the course of the three-year plan, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Early Learning and Child Care Action Plan 2023–2024 to 2025–2026 outlines spending of more than $280 million in five areas:
Affordability
- More than $136 million towards enhancing affordability of regulated child care services for children aged 0–5. These funds help maintain Newfoundland and Labrador’s $10-a-day fee for regulated child care through the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.
Access
- Over $43 million towards continuing the creation of 5,895 new regulated child care spaces by March 2026. This will be done through supporting expansion of the Pre-Kindergarten Program and through working with municipalities, not-for-profit and public child care providers to create new regulated child care spaces.
Quality
- More than $92 million towards ongoing support for the Early Childhood Educator wage grid implemented in April 2023, introducing a medical benefits program for Early Childhood Educators working in regulated child care services that participate in the Operating Grant Program, offering training and bursaries to support educators, and continuing the Quality Enhancement Program.
Inclusion
- More than $3 million to continue supporting the Child Care Capacity Initiative which provides funding to expand child care services for underserviced communities, including rural communities, linguistic minority communities, and Indigenous communities.
Administration
- Approximately $8 million to support the implementation and administration of the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, including building targeted capacity and additional resources to support the implementation of initiatives, and enhanced data collection and reporting.
The ministers also announced the province’s new Non-Standard Hours of Care trial to support more inclusive child care for the province. Beginning in fall 2024, the initiative will provide funding to family child care services to trial up to 13 hours of extended daytime child care or up to 13 hours of overnight child care.
Additionally, Newfoundland and Labrador provided updates on initiatives to support the construction and renovation of over 200 child care spaces for health care workers in St. John’s, Corner Brook, Bonavista, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and Wabush. These initiatives are included in the approximate 1,600 child care spaces currently in development across the province to support the goal of creating 5,895 new child care spaces by March 2026.
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 supporting a strong workforce and growing the economy.
Quotes
“Across the country, demand for affordable, regulated child care spaces is high. Today’s announcement is great news for Newfoundland and Labrador and will help child care providers continue to offer access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care. The Action Plan announced today provides a clear path forward on how we will continue to work with the Province so each child in Canada has the best possible start in life.”
Honourable Jenna Sudds
Federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
“Whether they work nine to five or on shift, whether they live in town or in a small community, it is just fair that parents in Newfoundland and Labrador have equal access to affordable care for their kids. We are going to work to make that possible.”
Honourable Gudie Hutchings
Federal Minister of Rural Economic Development
“There are currently over 10,100 early learning and child care spaces operating at $10-a-day or less in Newfoundland and Labrador, and over 1,600 more spaces in development. Today we released two action plans that will act as our roadmap as we continue to implement innovative solutions like overnight and non-standard hours of care. These are actions and solutions that meet the needs of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.”
Honourable Krista Lynn Howell
Minister of Education
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Learn more
Toward $10-a-day: Early Learning and Child Care
Canada – Newfoundland and Labrador Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2021 to 2025
BACKGROUNDER
Quick facts
- 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 Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Canada is contributing more than $306 million over five years to help improve regulated early learning and child care for children under the age of 6 in the province. This is in addition to more than $41 million announced through the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Early Learning and Child Care Extension Agreement – 2021 to 2025, which includes close to $6.5 million through a one-time investment in 2021-2022 to support the early childhood workforce.
- On May 15, 2024, the Governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador announced the allocation of $13.7 million over four years, with approximately $9.8 million through 2025-2026 in federal funding to the province under the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund.
- Eight provinces and territories are delivering regulated early learning and child care for an average of $10-a-day or less, and the remaining jurisdictions have reduced fees by 50 per cent or more compared to 2019 levels. 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.
- 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 all families affordable child care options, no matter where they live.
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