Drop in Nova Scotia child care fees ahead of schedule under national program

Parents in the province will receive a 25 per cent drop in fees, retroactive to Jan. 1

CITYnews halifax \ Canadian Press

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HALIFAX — Parents in Nova Scotia will see a drop in their child care fees ahead of schedule under the federal government’s national early learning and child care agreement.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Tim Houston made the announcement today during a virtual news conference.

The agreement, first announced in July, would have reduced child care fees by 50 per cent by the end of 2022, but Trudeau and Houston said today that parents in the province will receive a 25 per cent drop in fees, retroactive to Jan. 1.

The goal of the agreement is to create an average of $10-a-day child care spaces across the province by March 2026.

Trudeau and Houston say the early cut in fees will save parents an average of $200 a month for a toddler in care.

Houston says parents can expect a further drop in fees closer to the end of the year, when the full 50 per cent reduction will enter into effect.

The federal govenment has signed child care deals with every province except Ontario to bring down the cost of child care for children under six years old, over a five-year period.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2022.

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

The Canadian Press