Child Care Funding Update: Nova Scotia—Years One and Two (2021–22 and 2022–23)

Implementation of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreements. Canada’s federal budget for 2021 included a $27 billion commitment to establish a $10-a-day childcare program within five years. Combined with additional funding, a total of $30 billion was committed in years one through five, with a projected annual cost of at least $9.2 billion in year five and later. The federal government then entered into negotiations with each province and territory (negotiating a unique asymmetrical agreement with Quebec, which had a program already) to jointly determine the funding and goals. These negotiations resulted in a “Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement” with each province and territory (which we refer to as “the Agreement” in this brief).Cardus conducted its own costing estimate in 2021 prior to the release of the Agreements, concluding that the federal government had underestimated the cost and complexity of implementing a national childcare program. 1 1 A. Mrozek, P. J. Mitchell, and B. Dijkema, “Look Before You Leap: The Real Costs and Complexities of National Daycare” (Cardus, 2021), https://www.cardus.ca/research/family/reports/look-before-you-leap. Cardus is now studying the funds spent and goals achieved in each province and territory annually. We will issue provincial and territorial reports covering each year of the agreements as data become available.The Agreement with Nova Scotia was signed on July 21, 2021. 2 2 Government of Canada, “Canada–Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement—2021 to 2026,”  July 2021, https://www.canada.ca/en/early-learning-child-care-agreement/agreements-provinces-territories/nova-scotia-canada-wide-2021.html. This brief presents the results for years one and two for Nova Scotia (fiscal years 2021–22, and 2022–23, which is April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, and April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023