EXCERPTED
Education and Early Childhood Development
March 22, 2020
The Honourable Brian Warr, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, today announced financial supports for families, regulated child care centres and family child care homes impacted by COVID-19.
To ensure families do not have to pay child care fees and that early childhood educators can continue to be paid while centres are closed due to COVID-19, the Provincial Government will provide funding to regulated child care centres and family child care homes at the child care subsidy program rates for all licensed spaces. This assistance will be in place until April 30 and will be reassessed if closures are still in place at that time. In addition, regulated child care centres will continue to receive operating grants.
This support ensures families do not have to pay fees during the closure period and the continuation of wages and benefits for staff, including early childhood educators. The financial support will be retroactive to the date the closures were effective (Tuesday, March 17 for child care centres and Thursday, March 19 for family child care homes). Families will be reimbursed for any fees paid after the closure date, receiving either a credit or refund from the child care service provider. Wage supplements for Early Childhood Educators provided by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development will continue as normal.
Further information regarding the process to receive funding will be released in the coming days.
Minister Warr also announced today that options for the provision of regulated child care services to assist essential workers are being explored. A process to identify the needs of parents and the capacity of child care service providers is underway. Advice has also been sought from public health officials on how child care services can be provided safely at this time.
The Provincial Government will continue to monitor and where necessary implement protocols required to contain the virus. For the most up-to-date information related to COVID-19, please visit www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19.
For general inquiries related to government services, please call 1-833-771-0696 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday or email covid19info@gov.nl.ca any time
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“We understand this past week has been a difficult one for families, early childhood educators and child care service providers. We have been listening and these measures will provide financial support that is needed as we all continue to work through this rapidly changing and unprecedented situation.”
Honourable Brian Warr
Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development
Media contact
Tina Coffey
Education and Early Childhood Development
709-729-1906, 687-9903
tcoffey@gov.nl.ca