Spaces for overnight care on weekdays, extended hours to be available to workers
Nova Scotia is addressing the childcare needs of healthcare workers in one of its cities.
The provincial government is partnering with Health Park Early Learning Centre, in Sydney, to provide evening, weekend and overnight child-care options to healthcare workers at Cape Breton Regional Hospital.
The centre is located near the hospital.
“We know that finding child care outside of regular operating hours is a challenge for many healthcare workers,” says Becky Druhan, minister of education and early childhood development. “By offering extended hours and overnight care at a facility that they already know and trust, we are giving families one less thing to think about when they’re providing critical care to Nova Scotians.”
One in 10 (30%) employees people born in the late 1990s and early 2000s consider childcare benefits as the most important factor in considering whether to stay in their current role, just behind health insurance (29%), according to a previous report.
When the demonstration project launches, Health Park Early Learning Centre will be able to offer 12 spaces for overnight care and run at full capacity (66 spaces) on weekends and for extended hours on weekdays.
The centre is working with interested families to identify participants with a focus on children four years of age and younger.
“We need to think outside the box when it comes to meeting the needs of our growing population,” Helen Gamble, owner, Health Park Early Learning Centre. “We have an opportunity to show we’re forward-thinking on the island and are doing what we can to attract healthcare professionals. Not all families fit into the cookie cutter nine-to-five schedule, and I have been wanting to do this for a while now. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with the Department on this project.”
Hybrid work leads to stress among working parents, according to a previous report.
The Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement 2021-2026 supports investment in innovative programs and activities to test new approaches to providing non-traditional hours of child care. Through the program, Ottawa is contributing $605 million over five years for early learning and child care in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia has increased its investment in early learning and child care by $83 million, for a total investment of $277 million in 2023.
