More child-care spaces coming to Annapolis Valley, South Shore

More than 200 new spaces for children are coming to rural parts due to provincial funding trickling down.

According to a press release from the Nova Scotia government, it is providing $5.3 million in funding to support three child-care operators. This, the province says, will add more than 200 new spaces for children in Annapolis Valley and the South Shore.

“Investments in child care are investments in families to participate in the workforce and grow our economy,” Brendan Maguire, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, said in the release.

The three recipients are:

• Dare to Dream, New Minas, N.S.; 78 new spaces
• Coldbrook YMCA, Coldbrook, N.S.; 62 new spaces
• Small World Learning Centre, Bridgewater, N.S.; 86 new spaces

The New Minas and Coldbrook centres are expected to open this fall, the release notes. The Small World Learning Centre is the second location of an already established operator set to open in 2026.

The province is funding the spaces through the Canada-Nova Scotia $ 10-a-day child care agreement, which is set to last five years. The funding from the federal government will increase by 3 per cent each year starting in 2027.

“We have seen first-hand the positive impact of affordable, high-quality licensed child care and believe all children and families across Nova Scotia should have what they need to achieve their best start and thrive,” Yvonne Smith, CEO, YMCA of Southwest Nova Scotia, said in the release.

This comes after another investment in child care to the Halifax area and East Hants where the government gave more than $7.6 million to six operators in the region.