Registration Set to Open for First Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Locations in Newfoundland and Labrador

  • Education

September 1, 2022

As part of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s ongoing commitment to create approximately 3,100 new regulated Pre-Kindergarten early learning and child care spaces by 2025-26, waitlist registration will open for the first Pre-Kindergarten pilot locations on September 8, 2022:

  • East Point Elementary, St. John’s;
  • Elizabeth Park Elementary, Paradise;
  • Elwood Elementary, Deer Lake;
  • Gander Academy, Gander; and
  • Peacock Primary School, Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

YMCA of Newfoundland and Labrador (YMCA-NL), which was chosen as the not-for-profit operator for all 35 Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Locations, will open waitlist registration at www.ymcanl.com/pre-kindergarten-program beginning at 9:00 a.m. NDT on September 8. More details regarding the waitlist registration can be found below.

Pre-Kindergarten locations will open in phases. These initial five locations are anticipated to open before the end of November, 2022. Second phase locations are targeted for opening between December, 2022 and early 2023. While global supply chain shortages continue to impact project schedules in all sectors, all parties continue to work toward the goal of opening all 35 pilot locations by March 31, 2023. These pilot locations will account for approximately 600 new regulated early learning and child care spaces.

The Federal-Provincial Early Learning and Child Care Action Plan is increasing access to regulated child care through the creation of approximately 6,000 spaces by 2025-26, as well as improving affordability, inclusivity and the quality of early learning and child care programming in Newfoundland and Labrador. This plan is made possible by federal investments in the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system. These include $306 million for the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, a one-time investment of nearly $6.5 million in 2021-22 to support the early childhood workforce, as well as over $34 million for the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Early Learning and Child Care Extension Agreement.

Newfoundland and Labrador was one of the first provinces to make child care more affordable for families by introducing $25 per day regulated child care in January 2021. That work has continued through the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, which has further reduced the cost for regulated child care to $15 per day in 2022 and with a scheduled reduction to $10 per day in 2023.

Quotes
“This is an important milestone for our Pre-Kindergarten pilot program. These first locations will create additional child care spaces in five areas with significant need, and are just the beginning of significant growth in child care availability province wide through this program. I want to thank YMCA-NL for their diligence in getting this program off-the ground in just three short months, and I look forward to the opening of the remaining pilot locations in the months to come.”
Honourable John Haggie
Minister of Education

“Access to high-quality child care gives children the chance to turn their natural curiosity into a lifelong love of learning. It builds the intellectual foundation for their future success. Today’s announcement marks a major step forward for many children in this province, and is a testament to the excellent partnership between the Governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Honourable Karina Gould
Canada’s Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Government of Canada

“YMCA-NL has appreciated the work of the Provincial Government and the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District to get the Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Program to the point where we can now begin the waitlist registration process. While this is an important milestone, a pilot project is also about learning, and we expect to learn a great deal that will help us in future phases as we work to open the five Phase one sites across the province. We also look forward to the upcoming wage grid in January to help with the recruitment of Early Childhood Educators.”
Jason Brown
CEO, YMCA-NL

-30-

Learn more
Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Set to Create Approximately 600 Regulated Early Learning Spaces in 2022-23

YMCA-NL to Act as Not-For-Profit Operator of Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Locations

$10 a day child care for families in Newfoundland and Labrador

Toward $10-a-Day: Early Learning and Child Care

Follow us on Twitter @GovNL and @EDU_GovNL

Like us on Facebook

Media contacts
Nancy Hollett
Education
709-729-1906, 327-7878
nancyhollett@gov.nl.ca

Mohammad Hussain
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould
Mohammad.a.hussain@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Michelle Northover
YMCA of Newfoundland and Labrador
709-691-6610
Michelle.northover@nl.ymca.ca

BACKGROUNDER

Waitlist Registration Details for Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Program
Waitlist registration for the five “phase one” pilot locations will occur at ymcanl.com/pre-kindergarten-program. To register for the waitlist, you can select the link for your location and follow the instructions.

Waitlist registration will open at 9:00 a.m. Newfoundland Daylight Savings Time (NDT) on Thursday, September 8, 2022. All registrants will be placed on the waitlist according to their chosen school location. Successful applicants will be chosen from the waitlist once spaces are confirmed until all spaces are filled.

Priority will be given to those applicants who apply who reside within the catchment area for the school location. The NLESD Bus Planner can be used to identify the catchment area for your home address.

Anyone with questions about the waitlist application process is encouraged to email pre-k@nl.ymca.ca.

2022 09 01 1:25 pm