Some Early Childhood Educators, daycare workers and parents are concerned about the province’s new pre-primary program.
Last week, Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Zach Churchill kept a Liberal platform promise, announcing a free, play-based curriculum for four year olds will be rolled out at around 50 schools in September.
Churchill says this will save Nova Scotian parents thousands in daycare costs.
Jodi MacKinnon-LeBlanc is the Owner and Executive Director of Lil’ Jems Early Learning Childcare Centre in Yarmouth and Family Home Daycares that extend from Yarmouth to Windsor.
She shared her initial concerns when she first heard about the program.
“How is going to be implemented? Who is going to ensure that the quality is there? My second thought is that we had 17 graduates from our pre-primary program this year, so that’s 17 children that will not be there next year. That’s a huge income loss for our centre.”
MacKinnon-LeBlanc says she would have like to seen funding for existing centres instead of a new universal program.
She is also concerned about the one to 10 ratio of ECE workers to students.
MacKinnon-LeBlanc says the government needs to hold consultations with those in the industry very soon.
Meanwhile, Zach Churchill says the province will try and minimize the effect the program will have on child care workers.
He says the government will commit to working with child care centres to identify ways to pick up other business, such as before and after school programs.
“A big part of the consultation will be reaching out to parents to see what their needs are. There might be opportunities to identify another market for these folks as well, recognizing that 75 per cent of kids are not accessing these programs.”
Churchill says consultations are a priority, and they will happen this fall.
The Early Years Centre at Yarmouth Central School will absorb the new program, and new centres will open at Port Maitland School, Drumlin Heights, Carleton School, Hillcrest Academy in Shelburne and Weymouth Consolidated School.
This is Phase One of the government’s four year plan to provide the free program to all Nova Scotians.
Hear full interviews with Zach Churchill and Jodi MacKinnon-LeBlanc on the Weekender this Sunday morning.