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Construction is underway on a new child-care centre in Halifax designed to support kids with disabilities and complex medical needs, but the project may not proceed as planned after the province denied additional funding requests.
The YWCA Halifax is in the process of renovating an 11,000-square-foot building in Bayers Lake, which the organization intends to turn into its first fully accessible and inclusive daycare, slated to open in 2027.
The group has received $2.9 million in funding from the provincial Department of Education under the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.
But requests for an additional $900,000 from the Department of Health and Wellness and $500,000 from the Department of Opportunities and Social Development were recently denied, according to YWCA Halifax executive director Miia Suokonautio.
Suokonautio said this money is needed to staff nurses, physical therapists, speech pathologists, resource co-ordinators and other professionals who are equipped to work with kids with complex needs.
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Filling a gap
CBC News has previously reported on a lack of inclusive child-care spaces in Nova Scotia.
In March 2024, one of the province’s few inclusive and accessible daycare facilities had more than 500 families on its waitlist.
Some parents have reported being asked to remove their children from a centre because they did not have the resources or staff to support their disabilities.
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