Child-care spaces remain tight on P.E.I. despite government initiatives

Child-care workers on P.E.I. are being paid better. Daycare operators can accept more children, and are able to access grants and low-interest loans to expand or become licensed.And most parents are paying only $10 a day per child.

So there is evidence the federal and provincial governments are trying to address the problems within Prince Edward Island's child-care sector.

"We have lots of initiatives underway and lots more we're exploring," said Sonya Hooper, the assistant deputy minister for P.E.I.'s Department of Education and Early Years, who spoke at a legislative committee meeting on Tuesday.

Still, the province's records show about 2,000P.E.I. children are waiting for a licensed child-care spot, she said.

That leaves Wendy Foote and other daycare operators saying they have to tell sobbing parents on the other end of the phone line thatthere are still no spots available.

"Our wait list is over 200 and we get calls every day," said the owner and operator of Appleseed Childcare in Montague. "It's only going to get worse now that it's $10 a day, because everyone's going to want it."

As of Dec. 31, 2023, child-care centres on P.E.I. are allowed to expand from a maximum of 80 spaces to 125, provided they meet the staffing and square-footage requirements.

That seems like it should be great news for people like Foote. She was excited when the province first announced the program months ago, and hoped she could expand from her current 63 spaces to 125.

But she said her business simply can't afford the construction bills.

"We have the contractor, we don't have the money. So it's not only crushing us, it's crushing the 200 parents that are on the waitlist."

The province did introduce a pilot project offeringlow-interest loansfor early years centres, from a $7-million fund that offers help through Finance P.E.I. at a three per cent interest rate

Operators are also able to apply for a capital grant covering up to 20 per cent of expansion project costs, to a maximum of $200,000.

Nicolle Ford, the owner and operator of Super Stars Daycare in Charlottetown, would also like to expand and take in more kids.

For her, the problem is finding the land to expand, not necessarily the money.

"I think it is important with the immigration across Canada, with more people coming, I think that we need to keep up to the demand We have to be able to provide quality child care for them, too.

"So it's just going to be just like our health-care system. It's going to crash."

There are families that can't find spaces in a licensed early years centre and we are creating initiatives to try and expand spaces to open new facilities. Sonya Hooper

Hooper said about 300 child-care centres have applied for grants so far and 80 projects have been approved.

More will be coming online in the next 18 months, she said.

"[We] absolutely 100 per cent understand that there are families that can't find spaces in a licensed early years centre and we are creating initiatives to try and expand spaces to open new facilities," Hooper said.

"We hope that this continuous intake of EYC designation will create interest for folks wanting to open new centres."