Province helping families with child care fees

The Province is providing support to help with child care costs for parents and families impacted by hurricane Fiona.
                              
“This has been a tough time for many Island families and we recognize the increased burden families faced when schools or early learning and child care centres were not safe to reopen after the hurricane.Today we are announcing additional supports for families through a Fiona Child Care Allowance Program and covering parent fees at child care centres when facilities had extended closures,” said Minister of Education and Lifelong Learning Natalie Jameson.
 
Parents or guardians of school aged children, who had to find alternate child care because of the extended closure of their child’s school between October 3-7, will get help through the Fiona Child Care Allowance Program. If parents accessed care through a licensed centre, the centre will be paid directly to cover up to $20 per day per child. Parents who accessed private care, such as a babysitter or non-licensed program, can apply for funding at Fiona Child Care Allowance Program.
 
The Province will also cover the parent-fees for all families with children in licensed early learning and child care centres, if the centre was not able to open between October 3-7 due to damages from hurricane Fiona. Parents do not need to apply for this, it will be automatically paid to their centre.
 
“Providing a safe and caring environment for our children is so important. We are grateful for the many early learning and child care centres which were able to open in the early days after Fiona, and all of the work done to safely open our schools across the province,” said Minister Jameson. “No one could have predicted the impact, or response and recovery needed after hurricane Fiona. We understand the inconvenience parents faced from having schools and child care centres closed; however, the safety of children and youth has always been, and will continue to be our top priority and at the forefront of our decisions.”  
 
For more information or to apply, visit Fiona Child Care Allowance Program.
 
Media Contact:
Autumn Tremere
Department of Education and Lifelong Learning
agtremere@gov.pe.ca
 
Backgrounder  
Many early learning and child care centres were able to open the week of September 26. The majority of schools re-opened on October 3. However, there were facilities that remained closed for all or a portion of the week of October 3-7 due to the damages to the building or nearby community infrastructure.  
 
The Fiona Child Care Allowance Program is available to families of school-age children who attend one of the following schools:

• École Évangéline  
• Donagh Reginal School  
• Cardigan Consolidated School
• St. Jean Elementary School  
• Parkdale Elementary School
• Prince Street Elementary School  
• West Kent Elementary School  

There were 24 licensed child care centres which were closed for all or part of the week of October 3-7 due to damage from Fiona. Parent fees will be covered for children of these centres for the days they were closed.  

Since hurricane Fiona, all Island schools, as well as early learning and child care centres have reopened; some have been temporarily relocated while restoration work continues.
 
Parents can apply for funding support online at Fiona Child Care Allowance Program.