YMCA to open new daycare for 72 children on Eastern Shore

In about 10 months and with about $2 million, the YMCA plans to turn an old hardware store into a much-needed daycare on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore. 

Brian Posavad, president and CEO of the YMCA for Halifax and Dartmouth, said design work is underway for the space, which is in the rural community of Lake Charlotte on the outskirts of the Halifax Regional Municipality. 

"We're really excited to say that 72 families now can have child care close to home, which is a critical part of any community building, which is what we like to do," Posavad said at an announcement outside the space Thursday.

The province is contributing $1.9 million through a grant program that targets the creation of new daycare spaces, particularly in communities "with the highest need for child care," according to the program's guidelines.

Response to community demand

Kent Smith, the MLA for the area, said the need was made clear to him by a recent petition signed by more than 300 people.

The petition said there's a lack of safe, affordable, quality child care for families on the Eastern Shore, especially east of Porters Lake, and that the issue is a growing concern.

Smith said he received over 100 pieces of correspondence as a result of the petition, including some from people who couldn't return to work because they had no child-care options. He added that it's the result of a demographic shift that's taken place over the past 10 to 20 years.

"We're seeing a lot more younger families joining the Eastern Shore, so those young families need places for their children to go each day," said Smith.

The YMCA also received the petition, and subsequently did a survey of its own. Close to 100 people responded, with more than 90 per cent saying they would enrol in a daycare in the Lake Charlotte area if the YMCA opened one.

The daycare will be in the lower level of a log building, where the upper level is home to a general store called Webber's. Smith described the building as an icon of the Eastern Shore.

"I'm just thrilled that we get to announce this here today," he said.

The daycare is expected to open next March or April with 72 spaces for children aged 18 months to four years. 

Posavad said families will be able to register about six months before opening. He said the YMCA will need to hire between 15 and 20 staff members. 

More than 2,500 additional spaces needed by 2026

Since 2021, the province has been working toward opening 9,500 additional daycare spaces by March 2026 as part of its federal child-care agreement. 

Pam Aucoin, executive director of early childhood education for the province, said just shy of 7,000 spaces have opened since the agreement was signed. 

She said the province remains on track to hit the target for new spaces, as well as a target for bringing prices down to an average of $10 per day, also by March 2026.