December 15, 2023 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Employment and Social Development Canada
Families across Canada know that affordable child care is not a luxury-it is a necessity. That is why the Government of Canada is working with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners to implement a Canada-wide early learning and child care system that will bring fees for regulated child care across the country down to $10-a-day on average by March 2026.
Today, Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Lawrence MacAulay,
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Member of Parliament for Cardigan, joined Natalie Jameson, Prince Edward Island's Minister of Education and Early Years, to announce that Prince Edward Island will achieve $10-a-day child care fees in Early Years Centres and licensed Family Home Centres under the Canada-wide early learning and child care system, effective January 1, 2024-two years ahead of the national target.
Through a combination of funding provided under the Canada-Prince Edward Island Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and provincial funding, Prince Edward Island will reduce fees to a flat-rate of $10-a-day for Early Years Centres and licensed Family Home Centres. Provincial subsidy and support programs will continue, covering fees for many Island families. This means families in Prince Edward Island could save up to $4,170 a year for each child in an early years centre or licensed family home centre compared to 2019 fees.
Building a Canada-wide early learning and child care system that works for families in every region of the country is a key part of the Government of Canada's plan to make life more affordable for families, supporting a strong workforce and growing the economy. All provinces and territories have already seen significant reductions in child care fees, with over half now offering regulated child care for an average $10-a-day or less.
To ensure more families can access affordable, high-quality, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care, the federal government will continue to work with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners to create more spaces and support the early learning and child care workforce, which is the cornerstone of the Canada-wide early learning and child care system.
