Ottawa, Nova Scotia funding wage hikes, new benefits for early childhood educators
HALIFAX, N.S. — Early childhood educators and other licensed child-care staff will be seeing wage increases as well as health and pension benefit packages as part of $111 million in joint government funding.
Funding will be used to boost hourly wages from anywhere between $3.14 to $4.24 and will take effect on April 1, 2024. The province estimates wages will sit between $22.91 to $28.78 per hour for ECE’s Level 1, 2 and 3, and up to $34.54 for ECE’s in leadership roles.
The phased-in approach begins with adopting an Employee and Family Assistance Program, available beginning Jan. 1, 2024.
Employers will begin enrolling in group benefits and pension plans by May 2024 with a goal to achieve full employee enrollment by the end of the same year, including pension contributions funded by the province retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024.
The province is contributing $75.7 million to the program, with $35.3 million being handled by the federal government.
