**** NS Government Media Release

More families across the province will get support to help them pay for child care with changes that come into effect July 1.

Changes to the Nova Scotia Child Care Subsidy Program will mean more single parent families, newcomers and those who are unable to seek employment, can apply for funding to help pay for child care.

“We are improving the program by removing restrictions that may have created barriers for some families to access child care,” said Zach Churchill, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. “We are again, enhancing the child care subsidy program to support more families.”

The changes will:
— remove child support payments from the income threshold, so single parents can access more subsidy
— ensure all eligible families can access subsidy regardless of employment status or access to education opportunities
— remove the 18-month application wait time for temporary residents so newcomers will be eligible to apply for subsidy upon arrival
— expand the subsidy so that it covers extended hours care for up to 18 hours in a single day
— now include all income and financial resources as a part of the income assessment for temporary residents

Government enhanced the program in 2016 and 2018. In 2018, the changes made child care more affordable for about 1,600 more eligible children by increasing the income threshold for families who make between $25,000 to $70,000 and making subsidy available to families accessing part-day programs.

Families who now receive the child care subsidy will be notified about the program changes by their regulated child care provider.

People who are interested in learning more about the subsidy program, including how to apply and eligibility criteria, can find out more at www.ednet.ns.ca, or by calling toll-free 1-844-804-2084 .