Nova Scotia unlikely to meet $10-a-day child care targets, report concludes

Article contentThe report found that Halifax, at $24 per day, ranks as the sixth most expensive city in the country for median per-day infant child care fees as of April 2025.Article contentAll five cities with more expensive per-day rankings are in British Columbia.Article contentHalifax ranks higher than Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal, Quebec City and Atlantic region cities of Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton in New Brunswick, Charlottetown, and St. John’s, N.L.Article contentThe report found that New Brunswick, Alberta and Ontario have set fees but they are above $10 a day, including $16.69 in Alberta, $18 to $21 a day in New Brunswick, depending on age, and $22 a day in Ontario, although that will fall to $12 a day next year.Article contentHalifax and other cities in provinces without set fees have the highest median fees for infants, including Richmond, B.C., at a Canadian high of $46 a day for infant care.Article contentArticle contentSavings realizedArticle contentGenerally, the higher fees were to begin with, the larger the savings for parents, the report found.Article contentFor example, in the preschool-age category, the biggest savings between 2019-20 and 2025 by far were for parents in Iqaluit, with monthly savings per child at just under $1,000. Parents in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area are saving about $700 a month.Article contentHalifax is in the middle of the pack in that category, with parents realizing a $378 monthly saving for preschool-age fees from 2019 to 2025.Article content NDP education critic Paul Wozney says Nova Scotia families ‘need real, urgent action to make child care truly affordable.’ Photo by Ryan Taplin /THE CHRONICLE HERALDArticle contentPaul Wozney, the provincial NDP education and early childhood development critic, said the report raises serious concerns about Nova Scotia’s ability to reduce fees to $10 per day. Article contentNDP criticismArticle content“The daily child-care cost for a pre-school child in Halifax is just over $22, meaning families here are paying more than twice what parents in cities like Winnipeg, Charlottetown, St. John’s and Montreal pay,” Wozney said.Article contentArticle content“That adds up to hundreds of dollars a month because the Houston government isn’t taking action to deliver more affordable child care. There’s no good reason for families here to be paying so much.Article content“Families need real, urgent action to make child care truly affordable and ensure that Nova Scotians can afford to grow their families or return to their jobs after having a baby.”Article contentFriendly said the report shows the “creation of more, and more equitably distributed, public and non-profit child-care spaces, with an intention to avoid child-care deserts” is required.Article content“The expansion of the child-care workforce is also key, emphasizing the hiring of more workers and the retention of existing ones,” Friendly said.Article content“The lessons of what works so far has been clear: we need primarily public and non-profit services, affordable set fees for parents, and fair wages and good working conditions for workers.”