Nova ScotiaThe Halifax Regional Centre for Education has added more than 500 spaces to its before- and after-school program, but hundreds of kids are still in need of a spot.There are 1,799 students on the waitlist for the Excel programCelina Aalders · CBC News · Posted: Sep 18, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoThe Erker family is in need of after-school child care for their daughter. She’s one of 1,799 students on the waitlist for HRCE’s Excel program. (Submitted by Ruby Erker)The Halifax Regional Centre for Education has added more than 500 spaces to its before- and after-school program, but hundreds of parents are still scrambling to make other child-care arrangements for their kids while hoping to secure a spot. One of these parents is Ruby Erker, whose four-year-old daughter is on the waitlist for the Excel program at LeMarchant-St. Thomas Elementary in Halifax.The mother of three has had to hire a part-time babysitter to look after her youngest when she gets home from school. Erker has also started working from home to help with the transition. “The first week was really stressful,” she said. “The government or the school system is going to have to figure out a way to support the working families.” There’s room for 6,816 students to participate in the fee-based Excel program this year, with 4,909 enrolled across 72 participating schools in the Halifax area, according to Lindsey Bunin, a spokesperson for the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE).Bunin declined an interview request, but told CBC News in an email that there were 1,799 students on the waitlist for Excel as of Wednesday. She said the vast majority of students are in line for after-school spots, while most of the program’s vacancies are for before-school care. She cited staffing shortages as the largest barrier to expanding the program, but said the waitlist will continue to fluctuate throughout the school year as spaces become available. Bunin could not provide waitlist numbers from last school year, but in June 2024, CBC News reported about 1,500 students were waiting for an after-school spot. Kaila Chiasson is hoping to secure spots in the Excel program for her two children. (Craig Paisley/CBC)Cole Harbour resident Kaila Chiasson said her two kids are near the top of the waitlist for after-school care at Caldwell Road Elementary in Dartmouth, and she’s been told there will likely be some movement.In the meantime, she and her children’s father have had to adjust their work hours some days, while Chiasson’s mother drives an hour each way to pick up the kids from school three days per week.”If we don’t find an alternative or if we don’t end up getting a spot, I mean it sounds extreme, but the only option would be for me to drastically cut back my hours, which isn’t really possible in my position,” she said. “So if someone has to leave their career, it’s going to end up being the mom — me — or the woman in most cases.” Chiasson is also on the hunt for alternative after-school care at a licensed daycare facility, but those spaces are few and far between. She said her daughter is on the autism spectrum, and finding somewhere that’s inclusive poses an additional challenge. Provincial care program expandingThe provincial Education Department recently announced it expects to add the Nova Scotia Before and After Program — which operates in addition to the Excel program — in 21 new schools across the province. The Before and After Program already exists in 83 schools, according to a recent news release.The release said there are expected to be 1,200 new before- and after-school spots created for the 2025-26 school year through this program. But this expansion is not the immediate solution that Michael Davis and his family needs. His son is in Primary at Astral Drive Elementary in Dartmouth and is 24th in line for a spot in the Excel program. Davis and his wife, who both work full time, are having to use vacation days and sick leave to ensure their son has someone to come home to after school. “There’s always fear of losing your job trying to accommodate this stuff, and it’s not how it should be. You shouldn’t have to worry about that,” he said.MORE TOP STORIES ABOUT THE AUTHORCelina is a TV, radio and web reporter with CBC Nova Scotia. She holds a master’s degree in journalism and communication. Story ideas are always welcomed at celina.aalders@cbc.ca
After-school care shortage leaves Halifax parents scrambling despite program expansion
