Families in Antigonish will benefit from more access to child care with plans underway to build a new 104-space early learning and child-care centre on the St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) campus.
The project, a partnership between the Province and StFX, will see an existing building removed to make space for the new facility, which the university will maintain once construction is complete. The centre will offer spaces and programs for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
"These new child-care spaces are a result of our government working together with community partners to support families," said Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson, MLA for Antigonish, on behalf of Brendan Maguire, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. "Antigonish needs more access to child care, and I'm pleased that our government and StFX are able to deliver solutions for our community. This new centre will support students, staff and the broader Antigonish community for many generations to come."
The centre is part of the Province's broader efforts to expand access to child care, supported through the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.
This partnership marks an important step toward expanding child-care access in the Antigonish area. The university is preparing for the centre's future operation and a public process for selecting a child-care service provider.
Quotes:
"Today's announcement is great news for families in Antigonish. Once constructed, the new child-care centre at StFX will make a big difference for parents and students in the community, helping them save thousands of dollars on child-care costs. We'll keep working with Nova Scotia to add to the nearly 7,000 child-care spaces already announced."
Patty Hajdu, federal Minister of Jobs and Families
"The university is delighted to work with the Province to support access to child care for families living in local communities as well as for students, faculty and staff at StFX. StFX continues to play an important role in many communities along northern Nova Scotia."
Andy Hakin, President and Vice-Chancellor, St. Francis Xavier University
Quick Facts:
- since 2021, almost 7,000 new child-care spaces have been announced across the province
- Nova Scotia has signed a five-year extension to the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and the Canada-Nova Scotia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, worth more than $1 billion total
- the extended agreements will be in place until March 31, 2031, ensuring continued funding to sustain and build upon the transformative progress to date
Additional Resources:
- More information about child-care in Nova Scotia and creating new spaces is at: https://www.childcarenovascotia.ca/
- Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement: https://www.canada.ca/en/early-learning-child-care-agreement/agreements-provinces-territories/nova-scotia-canada-wide-2021.html
