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Excerpt: "Government will make child care more affordable for families while improving wages for early childhood educators. "We know that investing in early childhood education now will provide a direct, immediate benefit for Nova Scotia children, which is why we committed $6.6 million to begin implementing this plan," said Karen Casey, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development."

Excerpt: "Starting on July 1, families with an income of $25,000 or less will be eligible for the maximum subsidy, up from $20,800. About 700 families currently receiving a partial subsidy will be eligible for the maximum. This change will attract about 1,200 new families into the program. Families with an income of more than $25,000 up to $70,000 will be eligible for a partial subsidy."

This report presents the findings of Year 2 of the four-year evaluation of the Nova Scotia Early Years Centre initiative, led by an evaluation team from Dalhousie University, research Power Incorporated, and Mount Saint Vincent University) and funded by the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation. Key lessons learned and issues for further consideration are provided to support continuous program improvements at the local and provincial levels of the system.

Excerpt: "In 2017-18, the department will introduce play-based pre-primary programming in a number of schools across Nova Scotia. This program will be available to 4 year olds the year before they enter school and will provide them with access to high-quality early learning programs based on Nova Scotia's first ever Early Learning Curriculum Framework."

Excerpt: Excerpt: "Forty-three locations across the province have been selected to offer pre-primary programming to four-year-olds this fall. “For the first time, Nova Scotia families will have access to a free pre-primary program for four-year-olds,” said Zach Churchill, Minister, Education and Early Childhood Development. “This investment will support the futures of our youngest Nova Scotians and save their families thousands of dollars in child care costs.”

Excerpt: "The action plan identifies key priority areas for investment, over three years, aligning with the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework. They are: Making child care more accessible for Nova Scotian families. Targets for the creation of new child care spaces include but are not limited to; 15 new regulated child care centres in communities that demonstrate need; 500 new regulated spaces; half to be in rural and/or vulnerable communities; 35 percent increase in the number of family home day care sites, with 50 percent of those spaces designated for infant care."

Excerpt: "The province will add 130 new pre-primary classes this fall, in 87 school communities across Nova Scotia."

Excerpt: "$17.6 million to add about 130 new pre-primary classes, as part of a plan to have it available across the province; $15.5 million (federal funding) to add up to 1,000 new regulated child care spaces and to expand the subsidy to make child care more accessible, affordable, and inclusive."

Excerpt: "Creating more opportunities for Nova Scotians who want to pursue a career in early childhood education will strengthen and develop the workforce and help meet the needs of families with young children. Government is working with the Nova Scotia Community College to create 135 new seats in the early childhood education program over the next three years. The total investment is $1.45 million."

Excerpt: "The amendments will: give the department more authority over inspections conducted by family home daycare agencies; change the title of the act from the Day Care Act to the Early Learning and Child Care Act; remove or revise outdated language, terms and definitions."

Excerpt: "In September 2017, government launched the first pre-primary program for four-year-olds. This is a free, play-based program that provides all children an opportunity, regardless of their socio-economic situation. It provides parents with an option, and it has been well received across the province. Currently, more than 3,000 four-year-olds and their families are accessing the program in 185 pre-primary classes. With an additional $10.2 million this year, the rollout will continue, and by September 2020, we anticipate that every four-year-old in Nova Scotia will have access to a free, pre-primary, early learning opportunity. Early childhood educators are at the heart of quality child care. To expand services in both child care centres and in pre-primary classroom settings, we are dependent on a well-trained workforce."

Excerpt: "The expansion of pre-primary will save families thousands of dollars in child care costs and create more opportunities for early childhood educators in Nova Scotia. About 224 more early childhood educators will be needed to support the new classrooms. More than 400 early childhood educators will be employed by the program next year."