PE Government: Supporting home based child care centres
Press Release
New financial support is available for people who provide child care in their home and want to be licensed to operate as a family home centre.
As outlined in the Canada-Prince Edward Island Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Prince Edward Island will use federal investments to support greater access to regulated child care spaces for children under school age. To help ensure Island parents have access to child care close to their home or to work, the province will increase supports to home child care providers. Family home child care is an important option available to parents in Prince Edward Island to have their children cared for in a home setting, by someone other than a parent, guardian, or family member.
The new grant programs will provide support to licensed home child care providers to reduce parent fees to $25/day, fund wages and professional development, and purchase materials, equipment, or supplies; fund capital projects and equipment purchases; and help currently-unlicensed home child care providers with the costs associated with seeking licensing from the province.
“Through these grants, Prince Edward Island is increasing access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive licensed family home child care. From reduced child care fees, improvements to child care centres and higher programming quality, to investing in early learning childhood educators, these grants will make a meaningful difference for families across the province,” said Canada’s Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the Honourable Karina Gould.
“Children need quality, reliable care in order to thrive and grow as individuals. We value the family home centres across the province and the care they provide to our youngest islanders. Many parents choose family home centres because they like the home environment and smaller number of children. These new grants will provide financial assistance to support the home centres and benefit the families they serve.”
– Education and Lifelong Learning Minister Natalie Jameson.
The new supports include:
- Family Home Centre Licensing Incentive
- Family Home Centre Capital Grant
- Family Home Centre Operational Grant
The deadline to apply is March 1, 2022 at 4 p.m. For more details and to apply visit: Family Home Centre Grants.
A virtual information session will be hosted on Thursday, February 10, 2022 by the Early Childhood Development Association and the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning for people to ask questions about becoming a licensed family home centre and the grant application process. Register for the virtual session online at: Meeting Registration (link is external).
Funding for these grants is provided through the Canada–Prince Edward Island Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement (link is external). The Government of Canada is making a transformative investment to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system in partnership with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners. This includes a historic federal investment of over $121 million for Prince Edward Island, including a one-time investment of about $3.6 million in 2021-22 to support Prince Edward Island’s early childhood workforce.
The goal is to bring fees for regulated child care down to $10 per day on average across Canada within the next five years. By the end of 2022, the Government of Canada is aiming to reduce average fees for regulated early learning and child care by 50 per cent to make care more affordable for families. Funding dedicated to the early childhood workforce supports initiatives that focus on recruitment, retention, and professional development.
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Media Contact
Autumn Tremere
Department of Education and Lifelong Learning
agtremere@gov.pe.ca (link sends e-mail)
Mohammad Hussain
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould
Mohammad.Hussain@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca (link sends e-mail)
Backgrounder
The Family Home Centre Incentive Grant allows individuals applying for a Family Home Centre license to receive a one-time payment of $3,000 upon licensing.
The application form is available here: Incentive Grant Application
Deadline: 4 p.m. AST, March 1, 2022
The Family Home Centre Operational Grant allows licensed Family Home Centres to receive funding to a maximum of $7,500, towards the following goals:
- Parent Fee Reduction – reduction of fees to $25 per day, effective January 1, 2022, for each child enrolled in the Family Home Centre.
- Professional Support – for example, increase in wages or payment of professional development fees.
- Quality Programming – for example, materials, equipment, or supplies.
The application form is available here: Operational Grant Application
Deadline: 4 p.m. AST, March 1, 2022
The Family Home Centre Capital Grant allows licensed Family Home Centres, or individuals applying for a Family Home Centre license to receive funding, to a maximum of $25,000, under the following categories:
- Capital Improvements of up to $15,000 towards the modification of the recipient’s existing physical space to meet licensing requirements. Eligible expenses could include renovations, such as a below grade access door, appliances, walls, doors, plumbing, electrical and outdoor fencing.
- Infant Programming Incentive of up to $5,000 towards items such as cribs, change-tables, rocking chairs, toys, books, strollers, etc.
- Family Home Centre Program Improvements of up to $5,000 for items such as chairs, tables, play equipment and preschool age toys.
The application form is available here: Capital Grant Application
Deadline: 4 p.m. AST, March 1, 2022
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