Progress

Way Forward Commitment:

Access to quality and affordable child care is a pressing issue for many families in this province. Quality early learning and child care sets the stage for life-long learning, provides children with a solid foundation for acquiring skills, and supports more holistic mental, emotional and physical growth. Further, parents who can access affordable and quality child care services are better able to avail of employment, training and educational opportunities.

Our government will increase access to more affordable child care by adding 180 licensed child care spaces to the Operating Grant Program in 2018-19. We will also introduce two programs that support quality child care. The Quality Improvement Program will allow any regulated child care centre to consult with a dedicated child care quality consultant. Based on these consultations, the Quality Enhancement Grant Program will help child care centres participating in the Operating Grant Program address the cost of improving services.

What We’ve Accomplished:

• In December 2017, the Provincial and Federal Governments signed a three-year bilateral agreement on early learning and child care.
  • The agreement allocated just over $22 million, over three years, to Newfoundland and Labrador for early learning and child care investments.
  • The funding assists in the development and implementation of innovative approaches to address early learning and child care challenges through subsidies, grants, bursaries and professional learning opportunities.
• As of April 2018, the additional 180 space target for the Operating Grant Program was achieved. Under the Operating Grant Program, there has been an increase of approximately 1,000 more affordable child care spaces province-wide. The Program now includes 65 per cent of child care centres.
• Under the Child Care Capacity Initiative, we have:
  • Provided $905,000 in funding for the Early Childhood Development Association in Happy Valley-Goose Bay to support the construction of a child care centre with a total capacity of 92 affordable spaces for both child care and afterschool programs.
  • Provided $195,922 for Labrador West Child Care Centre to create 36 new preschool child care spaces, increasing the centre’s capacity to 93 children.
  • Provided $305,235 in funding, for the Growing Our Future Child Care Cooperative project in Channel-Port aux Basques to develop a new 38-space child care centre for infant, toddler and pre-school children.
• The Capital Renovation Grant Program assisted regulated child care service providers in making improvements to meet requirements under the new Child Care Act and Regulations, which were implemented in July 2017. These improvements include the addition of commercial grade outdoor play equipment or completion of renovations to a child care building. The final date for submissions of applications was December 31, 2018.
• As of April 2019, $6.5 million in Capital Renovation Grants were allocated to 59 child care service providers.

News Releases:

Provincial and Federal Governments Sign Bilateral Agreement on Early Learning and Child Care

Premier Ball Announces Funding for Child Care Initiative in Happy Valley-Goose Bay

Capital Renovation Grants Assist Child Care Providers in Making Quality Improvements