Nova Scotia

Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement

The Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement was signed on July 13, 2021. 

On August 17, 2021, the Progressive Conservatives won a majority in a general election. The new government said they would continue with the previous Liberal government child care agreement with the federal government.

The Agreement and Action Plan are available online [1].

Federal press release

Nova Scotian families to benefit from early learning and child care agreement [2]
Office of the Prime Minister of Canada, 13 July 2021

Provincial press release

Federal-provincial agreement will transform child care, reduce costs for families [3]
Nova Scotia Premier’s Office, 13 July 2021

Canada-Nova Scotia early learning and child care agreement [4]
Government of Nova Scotia, 13 July 2021

Updates and next steps

Nova Scotia child care transformation: Information for families [5]
Government of Nova Scotia, 1 June 2022

More Nova Scotia families will have access to licensed early learning and child care [6]
Government of Nova Scotia, 1 June 2022

Province creates team to advise on child care transformation [7]
Government of Nova Scotia, 20 May 2022

Province provides stable funding to child-care centres, additional one-time grant [8]
Government of Nova Scotia, 18 February 2022

Child care that cares for everyone [9]
Government of Nova Scotia, 18 February 2022

Nova Scotia families to save hundreds each month in child care fees [10]
Office of the Prime Minister of Canada, 14 January 2022 

Province moves to reduce child-care fees by 25 per cent [11]
Government of Nova Scotia, 14 January 2022

Province moves ahead on Canada-wide early learning and child-care system [12]
Government of Nova Scotia, 15 October 2021

Excellence in early childhood education: Nova Scotia’s workforce strategy for early childhood educators [13]
Government of Nova Scotia, 13 July 2021

Community responses 

Nova Scotia child care system building must stay on track [14]
Child Care Now - Nova Scotia, 10 May 2022

Advocates in Nova Scotia call for proper compensation and benefits for early childhood educators [15]
Child Care Now, 16 March 2022

National child care advocacy group weighs in on Province's daycare plan [16]
CBC Radio - Information Morning, 20 January 2022

Child Care Now Nova Scotia reacts to results of the provincial election [17]
Child Care Now Nova Scotia, 23 August 2021

On the right track: Reflections on the federal-provincial bilateral agreement on early learning and child care in Nova Scotia [18]
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Nova Scotia, 14 July 2021

Government of Canada’s child care agreement with Nova Scotia [19]
Child Care Now, 13 July 2021

Child Care Now N.S. reacts to the monumentally significant agreement [20]
Child Care Now - Nova Scotia, 13 July 2021

Media coverage

Note: Media coverage is listed from most recent to oldest.

Compensation package for early childhood educators expected to be ready by this fall [21]
CBC News, 26 April 2022

Des garderies réduisent leurs services à cause d’un manque de personnel en N.-É. [22]
Le Progrès de Coaticook, 26 April 2022

Some Nova Scotia daycares reducing services to deal with labour shortages [23]
The Globe and Mail, 26 April 2022

Child-care fees in Nova Scotia to drop by 25 per cent Friday [24]
CBC News, 31 March 2022

Halifax daycare closing due to government plans for sector, says owner [25]
CBC News, 11 March 2022

More funding on the way for child care centres as the province moves towards $10 a day child care [26]
Halifax Examiner , 18 February 2022

Private child-care operators seeking clarity about future role in N.S. systems [27]
Saltwire, 13 February 2022

Nova Scotia’s shift to publicly funded early learning and child care won’t be easy, but it’s critical [28]
The Conversation, 25 January 2022

National child care advocacy group weighs in on Province's daycare plan [16]
CBC Radio - Information Morning, 20 January 2022

Nova Scotia's private daycares facing tough decisions [29]
CBC News, 17 January 2022

Nova Scotia child-care fees to be reduced ahead of schedule [30]
CBC News, 14 January 2022

With a Liberal government returning to Ottawa, N.S. premier expects child-care deal to stand [31]
CBC News, 21 September 2021

Fate of Nova Scotia's $10-a-day child-care deal hinges on federal election [32]
CBC News, 5 September 2021

Child-care program will create hundreds of new jobs — but who will staff them? [33]
CBC News, 16 July 2021

Thinking out loud with Sheldon MacLeod: An expert perspective on the childcare announcement [34]
Saltwire, 15 July 2021

N.S. child-care fees to drop to $10 a day by 2026 under new $605M deal [35]
CBC News, 13 July 2021

N.S. becomes second province to sign on to federal Liberals’ child care subsidy plan [36]
The Star, 13 July 2021

Ottawa and Nova Scotia sign child-care agreement [37]
iPolitics, 13 July 2021

Trudeau calls NS child care funding key to 'a feminist recovery' from COVID  [38]
The Coast, 13 July 2021

Advocacy and policy tools

Nova Scotia’s plan to transform early learning and child care in the province [39]
Child Care Now, 19 January 2022

Child Care Now - Nova Scotia public consultation submission [40]
Child Care Now - Nova Scotia, 28 June 2021

Open letter: Recommendations for building an early learning and child care system in Nova Scotia [41]
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - Nova Scotia, 25 June 2021

Other Early Learning and Child Care Bilateral Agreements

Canada – Nova Scotia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2017-2020 [42]

Canada – Nova Scotia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2020-2021 [43]