Office of the Official Opposition
Minister needs to double check her numbers: Dinn
For Immediate Release
(March 15, 2024, St. John’s, N.L.): Paul Dinn, PC Official Opposition Shadow Minister of Education and MHA for Topsail, today reacted to the latest childcare report which indicated only 1345 new childcare spaces have been created in the province, while the Minister continues to boast of the success of the $10 a day childcare.
Dinn was responding to a CBC Radio Canada report which indicated less then half of promised childcare spaces have been created nationally, while NL lags far behind its target of 5895 with only 1345 new spaces created.
“This week, the Minister was singing the praises of 8600 children in the province availing of $10 a day childcare but nothing of the new spaces created nor the children with no where to go. Just a year ago Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Liberal Premier Andrew Furey were also singing the praises with the announcement of the $10-a-day regulated childcare and doing it “three years ahead of the national target” for implementation only now to find out that Newfoundland and Labrador are nowhere near the target for new spaces.” said Dinn.
A recent study by the Jimmy Pratt Foundation, and according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, as many as 72% of young children in Newfoundland and Labrador live in childcare deserts, defined as a postal code where there are more than three children per licensed childcare space, the second highest proportion in Canada. In St. John’s there is less than 1 licensed space per every 10 infants.
Dinn noted, “Many parents have reached out with very troubling stories of no childcare, after school programs ending, inclusive spaces being limited and suggesting full day spaces are now more lucrative for childcare operators than part day spaces. This has left many parents with the only choice but to give up work and stay home”
Dinn continued, “After nine years of this Liberal Government, we still do not have a Human Resources Plan for Early Childhood Educators. Sadly, we are seeing the results in the lack of spaces for families. Organizations like the Jimmy Pratt Foundation have provided solutions such as better benefit packages for ECEs and introducing junior kindergarten. Our children are our most valuable resource and it’s well past time for this government to take meaningful and measurable steps to ensure their success.”
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Contacts:
Ashley Jackson-Politi
Media Relations Manager
(W) (709) 685-3161
(C) (709) 325-5200