Early Learning and Child Care Space Creation Progress

Island families need access to high-quality, affordable and reliable early learning and child care services. The Province is working strategically and incrementally to increase capacity in this sector.

There are four types of licensed early learning and child care spaces in PEI:

• Early childhood centre are centres that can welcome infants (0-22 months), preschool children (22 months to five years old) and school-age children (five years old to 12 years old); 
  • In addition, some Early Childhood Centres may apply to become designated Early Years Centres that must meet a strict set of criteria. Becoming a designated centre means children will receive early years education following PEI’s early education curriculum, and operators will have access to additional professional development and financial supports from the Province.
    • Probationary Early Years Centre: Licensed early childhood centres are invited to apply to the Department of Education and Early Years to receive a Probationary Early Years Centre designation at any time. Applicants for an early childhood centre license may also concurrently apply for a Probationary Early Years Centre designation. 
• Family home centres are centres located in a private residence that can welcome infants (0-22 months), preschool children (22 months to five years old) and school-age children (five years old to 12 years old) 
• School-age child centre are centres that provide child care service for school-age children on weekdays when they are not in school; and
• Preschool centre provides early learning and child care services for less than four consecutive hours per day to children between the ages of three to five (3-5).

The following table shows the changes in licensed spaces in each of those categories. Updates will be made the first week of each quarter.

Expansion Project Updates

To help grow the early learning and child care sector capacity, the Province launched two programs, the Early Years Centre Expansion Low-Interest Loan Pilot Program and the Early Years Centre Expansion Capital Grant to help increase the number of licensed child care spaces available to residents. 

The below summary provides a summary of current expansion projects. The table will be updated the first of each quarter.

* Anticipated opening timeframes are subject to change based on typical construction risks and delays