April 23, 2026 — Child Care Now NL is calling on the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to increase provincial investment in early learning and child care (ELCC) to maintain $10-a-day parent fees, expand licensed spaces, and support the retention of educators to ensure high quality programs. Strong provincial operating and capital investment is required to accelerate space creation and ensure that high quality $10-a-day child care is inclusive and accessible across the province.
Therefore, Child Care Now NL calls on the provincial government to:
- Maintain the maximum parent fee of $10-a-day with further fee reductions for low-income parents through the Child Care Subsidy Program.
- Dedicate new capital funds for non-profit and public child care expansion.
- Create a defined benefit pension plan for early childhood educators (ECEs).
- Allocate new funding to enhance the ECE Wage Grid and ELCC Medical Benefits Plan.
- Introduce 10 mandatory paid sick days for ECEs in the Operating Grant Program.
- Prioritize non-profit and public expansion to maximize accountability and public return on investment.
- Ensure full transparency with respect to costs and policy decisions, and in consultation with the ELCC sector and advocates.
Read the full recommendation document here.