N.B. government reopens call for proposals to create new daycare spaces

The provincial government is renewing its efforts to reduce the number of parents waiting to find daycare space for their children.

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is reopening its call for proposals from people interested in creating new designated child-care spaces, including from some who plan to operate them for a profit.

"The federal government definitely puts emphasis on the prioritization of the not-for-profit spaces," said Julie Mason, deputy minister for the francophone division of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

"That being said, there's a number of [for-profit child-care centre] spaces we've been allotted as part of the Canada-New Brunswick agreement, and there are a few of those spaces left that we can create."

Mason was speaking Friday to reporters during a technical briefing coinciding with the announcement of the call for proposals.

Ottawa signed a $492 million agreement in 2022 with New Brunswick to see the province create 3,400 child-care spaces by 2026, with 2,400 in not-for-profit centres and 1,000 in private, for-profit centres. These places would have an early learning designation from the province and be subject to provincial regulations.

The agreement required child-care fees to be cut in half last year and to an average of $10 per day by 2026.

Another section says New Brunswick was committed to "prioritize" not-for-profit centres.

'Little bit' of increase in for-profit allotment 

But in October, Bill Hoga, the minister, said he wanted to reopen the deal to let the province fund more spaces in private, for-profit centres, because of a "unique situation" in the province that has led to there being twice as many spots in for-profit centres compared to not-for-profit centres.

Hogan wasn't at Friday's technical briefing, but speaking to reporters earlier in the day, said the province has a "little bit" of an increase in the number of spaces it can fund for for-profit centres, but didn't say exactly what that number is.

"We're still working closely with the federal government to examine our needs and work with the federal government so that we can meet the needs of New Brunswickers where we need the spaces," he said.

Hogan said he doesn't think he would need to renegotiate the deal it allows the province to allot more funding to for-profit centres if it can demonstrate to Ottawa a need to do so.

But he acknowledged it's still up to the federal government to allow for any tweaks to the allotment.

"That's what discussing things is all about, so that we're on the same page, that we can clearly demonstrate that there's a need in the for-profit sector that we can't fulfil in the not-for-profit sector."

In an email to CBC News, department spokesperson Diana Chávez said all of the spaces for for-profit centres have been allocated as part of the Ottawa-New Brunswick deal.

She said there are about 150 more designated spaces for the for-profit sector in the latest call for proposals, which will be created through provincial funding allocated in the 2023-2024 budget.

Opposition Liberal Leader Susan Holt criticized the Progressive Conservative government in October for the number of child-care spaces the province had created as of that point in the year.

That number stood at 603 as of Friday, according to Department of Education and Early Childhood Development staff.

Responding to the reopening of calls for proposals on Friday, Francine Landry, the Liberal early childhood development critic, said she thought the announcement was good news.

"It will help create more spaces more quickly and that's what we were asking for," she said.

Department to support creation of not-for-profit centres

According to a waiting list maintained by the Department of Early Childhood Development, 3,293 children are on a waiting list for child-care centre spots.

Mason said of the centres operating in the province, about 30 per cent are not-for-profit, while 70 per cent are for-profit operations.

She said part of the department's strategy to use up Ottawa's funding as per the agreement, will be to work with would-be operators on how to establish not-for-profit centres, and help centres currently operating for profit to convert to being a not-for-profit.

"What we're hearing from the sector is when a new operator is looking to create some spaces, they'll look at those around them and learn from them as well," she said.

"We've been at about that 70-30 mix for a long long time, and it's not one that changes very quickly because the sector talks to the sector and you learn from those around."