Fees for parents have been reduced and salaries for staff increased at Early Years Centres (EYCs) across the province.
This fall, parents and guardians with children in designated EYCs saw child care fees reduced to $20 per day.
Staff salaries at EYCs also increased as part of a coordinated effort to move the province’s early childhood workforce forward. Wage increases are instrumental in PEI’s multi-year plan to support the early childhood sector and to encourage others to pursue a career in early childhood education.
”Today’s announcement is a key step forward for Prince Edward Island as we strive to make child care more affordable for families,” said federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould. “I look forward to our continued progress toward a better future for children, and families across the province and this country.”
“Early childhood educators play a vital role in giving our youngest Islanders a strong start in life. We want to recognize the tremendous work happening in this sector and elevate the status of early childhood professionals in PEI. Raising children can be expensive. Reducing child care fees will make life more affordable for families and give parents the option of returning to work.”
- Education and Lifelong Learning Minister Natalie Jameson
The Department of Education and Lifelong Learning also announced today that seven more early childhood centres in the province received an official EYC designation. The seven centres are:
- All Kids Learning Centre
- Atlantic Childcare Centre
- Brilliant Me Academy
- Campus Kids Childcare Centre Inc
- Little Explorers
- Playtime Daycare Centre
- Small Steps Early Learning Centre
Increasing the number of designated EYCs helps to improve access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care services. Early Years Centres are publicly managed and through this receive operational funding from the province to follow a provincial curriculum framework, recognized as one of the best in the country. These centres provide provincially regulated fees for parents, and they are staffed by trained Early Childhood Educators who are compensated according to the provincial wage grid.
These investments in early learning and child care are made possible through the Canada-Prince Edward Island Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The federal and provincial governments are committed to improving the early years system, with a focus on removing barriers for families, creating inclusive services, and prioritizing the recruitment, retention and professional growth of the workforce.
Media contact:
Autumn Tremere
Department of Education and Lifelong Learning
Senior Communications Officer
agtremere@gov.pe.ca
Mohammad Hussain
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould
Mohammad.a.hussain@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
Backgrounder
Funded through the Canada-Prince Edward Island Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, early childhood educator wages at EYCs increased October 1, 2022, as follows:
- $0.75 per hour for Cooks;
- $0.75 per hour for Early Childhood Educators (ECE) Level 1;
- $1.50 per hour for Early Childhood Educators (ECE) Level 2;
- $3 per hour for Early Childhood Educators (ECE) Level 3; and
- $3 per hour for Directors.
Additionally, individuals who are employed as an Autism Assistant, Special Needs Assistant or Pedagogical Support staff and are certified as an ECE 1, ECE 2 or ECE 3 will see a similar increase to their hourly wage.