New child-care expansion funding programs target Nova Scotia not-for-profits and family homes

HALIFAX, N.S. — Two new child-care programs launched by the Nova Scotia government aim to increase the number of spaces in licensed not-for-profit centres and family homes across the province.

Through the Minor Infrastructure Program, licensed not-for-profit child-care providers, both existing and new, can receive up to $250,000 for minor renovations to add child-care spaces, plus an extra $25,000 for administrative expenses.

The Family Home Start-Up Program, meanwhile, offers up to $7,500 to help individuals open a regulated site through minor home improvements or purchasing materials to meet regulations for early learning and childcare environments.

“We have major infrastructure projects underway, but those take time,” Becky Druhan, minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, said in a news release.

“These new programs will encourage not-for-profit child-care providers to quickly renovate and expand, and will also provide startup costs to encourage and support new family home child-care providers.”

These initiatives are part of the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, aiming to make child care accessible, high-quality, and inclusive for all families.