Child care is not just a social policy-it is an economic policy, too. Access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care will grow the economy, allow more women to enter the workforce and help give every Canadian child the best start in life. While reducing child care fees is important, it is just one part of the equation. That is why the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia are working together to increase the number of licensed child care spaces available in the province.
Today, Karina Gould, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, joined Becky Druhan, Nova Scotia's Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, at East Preston Day Care to announce that 1,500 new licensed child care spaces will be created across Nova Scotia by December 31, 2022. The focus will be on creating spaces in areas of the province with limited access to child care services.
The ministers also noted that, as of January 1, families in Nova Scotia with children in licensed child care are benefiting from a 25% reduction in fees, and that they will receive an additional 25% reduction by the end of 2022.
As part of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Canada is investing $605 million over five years to help improve regulated early learning and child care for children.
Building a child care system that works for Canadians in every region of the country is a key part of the plan to make life more affordable for families while creating good jobs and growing the economy. As part of the Canada-wide early learning and child care agreements, the Government of Canada aims to create approximately 250,000 new child care spaces across the country by March 2026 to give families affordable child care options, no matter where they live. These new licensed spaces will be created predominantly among not-for-profit, public and family-based child care providers.
This plan is already making life more affordable for families. Nearly all of Canada's provinces and territories, including Nova Scotia, have already seen reductions in child care fees, and, by the end of 2022, average fees for regulated early learning and child care spaces will be cut in half across the country.
