Excerpts

A St. John's daycare operator has his sights set on opening another location, but it might not happen anytime soon. 

...

Gentle said it doesn't only benefit young children and their parents, but child care also supports immigration and women in the workforce.

"If the goal is for the province to build non-profit child care, the support really needs to be in place for non-profits to build," said Gentle. 

On the other side of the island in St. George's, a group of child care providers are pushing the government to approve their applications for permits and grants to open a daycare of their own.

The province's 2025 budget included $3.9 million to create more child-care spaces.

Advocate Yolande Pottie-Sherman says it's not enough.

"What we're hearing on the ground is that for each group that's trying to...get a building [renovation], it's costing… around $700,000," she told CBC.

By those figures, the government money would only fully cover five projects.

Pottie-Sherman said that might be one reason why it's taking so long for some projects to get approved. At the same time, she thinks the government needs to step up and provide more money.

...