Support for licensed home child care centres in Prince Edward Island

Grants and incentives are rolling out to support Island residents interested in providing licensed child care in their own home. 

Licensed family home centres can receive financial support to reduce parent fees, fund wages and professional development opportunities, and purchase materials, equipment, or supplies. Current unlicensed home child care providers can also receive funding to help cover costs associated with seeking licensing from the province. 

“We want the best possible outcome for all children in Canada,” Canada’s Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, said. “As work is being done to expand the number of child care spaces, these grants are key to ensuring that Islanders interested in starting licensed home-based child care can do so successfully, and provide the best possible care.”

“We value the family home centres across the province and the care they provide to our youngest Islanders. Many parents choose family home centres because they like the home environment and smaller number of children. We want to encourage Islanders to consider opening a licensed family home centre. The grants we have in place are there to provide financial assistance to support home centers, and the families they serve.”

- Education and Lifelong Learning Minister Natalie Jameson

A virtual information session will be hosted on November 16th, 2022 by the Early Childhood Development Association to outline details on what to do to become a licensed family home centre and the grant application process. Participants will be able to ask questions and connect directly with provincial staff. Register for the virtual session online at Family Home Centre Information Session.

Prince Edward Island is using federal investments to support greater access to regulated child care spaces for children under school age. To help ensure parents have access to child care close to home or to work, the province will increase supports to home child care providers. Family home child care is an important option available to parents in Prince Edward Island to have their children cared for in a home setting, by someone other than a parent, guardian, or family member.  

Funding for these grants is provided through the Canada–Prince Edward Island Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The Government of Canada is investing to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system in partnership with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners. This includes a historic federal investment of over $121 million for Prince Edward Island, including a one-time investment of about $3.6 million in 2021-22 to support Prince Edward Island’s early childhood workforce. 

For more information, visit: Family Home Child Care.

For more information, on the Canada-Prince Edward Island Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, visit: Toward $10-a-Day: Early Learning and Child Care.

Media contacts:
Autumn Tremere
Department of Education and Lifelong Learning
agtremere@gov.pe.ca

Mohammad Hussain
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould
Mohammad.Hussain@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Backgrounder

The Family Home Centre Incentive Grant allows individuals applying for a family home centre license to receive a one-time payment of $3,000 upon licensing.  Details are available at: Family Home Child Care.

The Family Home Centre Operational Grant allows licensed family home centres to receive funding to a maximum of $7,500, towards the following goals:

• Parent Fee Reduction – to reduce fees to $25 per day, effective January 1, 2022, for each child enrolled in the Family Home Centre
• Professional Support – for example, to increase wages or pay professional development fees
• Quality Programming – for example, to purchase materials, equipment, or supplies

Details are available at: Family Home Child Care

The Family Home Centre Capital Grant allows licensed Family Home Centres, or individuals applying for a Family Home Centre license to receive funding, to a maximum of $25,000, under the following categories:

• Capital Improvements of up to $15,000 towards the modification of the recipient’s existing physical space to meet licensing requirements. Eligible expenses could include renovations, such as a below grade access door, appliances, walls, doors, plumbing, electrical and outdoor fencing.
• Infant Programming Incentive of up to $5,000 towards items such as cribs, change-tables, rocking chairs, toys, books, strollers, etc. 
• Family Home Centre Program Improvements of up to $5,000 for items such as chairs, tables, play equipment and preschool age toys.

The application form is available at: Capital Grant Application