EXCERPTS
Parents and guardians with children in designated and licensed early years centers (EYCs) across the province will see child care fees reduced to $25 on January 1, 2022. This is one of the milestones to achieving an average of $10/day early learning and child care in the province. PEI is on track to meet this target by the end of 2024 at designated EYCs.
Fees will be reduced to $25 per day from the current fees of $27 to $34 per day, representing daily savings of $2 to $9 for families. Over the course of a year, savings from this fee reduction ranges from nearly $500 to nearly $2,400, depending on the fees parents are paying today. Savings will increase with additional reductions in parent fees planned for later 2022 at designated EYCs.
“Child care is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Reducing child care fees will make life more affordable for families and give parents the option of staying at home or returning to work. This is also a positive step forward in the reduction of poverty in our province. However, reducing fees is only one part of our broader plan, which includes capital funding for more early learning and child care spaces, higher wages and incentives for early childhood educators to attract and retain them as the system expands, and workforce development continues.” - Education and Lifelong Learning Minister Natalie Jameson
“Our government’s goal is to ensure that in five years, all families in Canada, no matter where they live, will have access to regulated early learning and child care for an average of $10 a day,” Canada’s Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the Honourable Karina Gould, said. “This is a meaningful step toward achieving that goal and families in Prince Edward Island will see a tangible difference in their child care fees. This is good news for families and children across the province.”
Reducing child care fees to $25/day in January 2022 at EYCs will enhance affordability for families. The fee reduction at designated centers is subsidized through the Canada-Prince Edward Island Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, and will be made available to reduce and stabilize parents’ monthly fees. Designated centres will automatically receive the subsidy, which they in turn will apply to their fee structure; parents do not need to apply.
Additionally, licensed non-designated centres will receive provincial funding to support reducing parent fees to $25/day starting January 1, 2022.
The Province announced seven new EYC designations in early December 2021 and plans to announce up to 5 additional designations before March 31st, 2022.
The Government of Canada is making a transformative investment to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system in partnership with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners. This includes a historic federal investment of over $121 million for Prince Edward Island, including a one time investment of about $3.6 million in 2021-22 to support Prince Edward Island’s early childhood workforce.
The goal is to bring fees for regulated child care down to $10 per day on average across Canada within the next five years. By the end of 2022, the Government of Canada is aiming to reduce average fees for regulated early learning and child care by 50 per cent to make care more affordable for families. Funding dedicated to the early childhood workforce supports initiatives that focus on recruitment, retention, and professional development.