Some licensed daycares in Nunavut still not offering $10-a-day care
Nunavut government rolled out affordable daycare Dec. 1
At the legislative assembly March 3, Education Minister Pamela Gross said daycares in Pond Inlet and Kugluktuk, as well as all daycares in Qikiqtarjuaq, are currently not offering the reduced childcare fees to families in the community. (Photo by David Venn)
Updated on March 10 at 9:30 a.m.
Licensed daycares in three Nunavut communities are still not offering $10-a-day child care after the policy came into effect Dec. 1.
One centre in Pond Inlet and one centre Kugluktuk, as well as all daycares in Qikiqtarjuaq, are currently not offering the reduced childcare fees to families in the community, said Education Minister Pamela Gross.
As of 2020, Pond Inlet had three licensed centres and Kugluktuk had two, according to the Department of Education.
There are a total of 60 licensed daycare facilities in the territory: 33 daycares, eight preschools, seven Head Start early childhood programs, six after-school programs and six day homes.
“We’re hoping that Kugluktuk will be signing any day, and we still need to get some more support for Pond Inlet,” Gross said.
“Also, Qikiqtarjuaq has not applied as well.”
Gross did not offer any details about what support Pond Inlet might need.
Along with those, three other Nunavut communities — Sanirajak, Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord — are without a licensed daycare entirely.
According to Gross, who spoke in committee of the whole in the legislative assembly March 3, the GN is paying $61.1 million to licensed daycares across Nunavut to offset the costs of offering $10-a-day childcare.
“We do pay operation and maintenance to the daycares, and we do support the offset of the $10 so the parents will see the $10 [fee], but the daycares will see additional funds from the $61.1 million to support the $10 a day,” she said.
“There’s fees that go directly to the daycare for the portion that the parents would have been paying.”
The territorial Education Department is also working with regional Inuit associations such as Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., to bring more early-childhood educators into the territory with the help of the departments of Family Services and Economic Development and Transportation, Gross said.
They’re creating a wage grid for early-childhood educators and planning other things to support daycares like start-up manuals people interested in joining the field.
Nunavut was the first jurisdiction in Canada to implement the $10-a-day childcare policy, announced by the federal government in April 2021.
A total of 1,082 licensed daycare spots in Nunavut serve approximately 4,385 children from infants to those four years old, according to the 2021 census.
The GN has committed to creating 238 new childcare spots by March 2026.
Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that Pond Inlet and Kugluktuk have more than one licensed daycare facility.
Naurainnuk Daycare in Pond inlet is doing $10/day. My child goes there and this has been implemented since December, 2022.
Obviously, she is misinformed. My great-grandson is enrolled at the Kakayak daycare in Kugluktuk at $10/day.
That is not to surprising as we don’t know what she does anyways as MLA
She can’t even bother to watch let alone show support to the kids in her hometown who travel for sports, she gets her secretary to ask who all attended. She’s in way over her head, how did she even get voted in?
They should also look at the Daycare location in Cambridge Bay on crowded ‘T’ street, so dangerous. People always backing up at the Northern and Daycare, big risk to vehicles/pedestrians. Workers rushing to daycare in their work vehicles, always rushing, soon they’ll end up in a costly accident/fatality.
There is only 1 center that has not signed up and that is in Qik. They really need to fact find…and this coming from the Minister of Education…shows how little she actually does…
She has consistently demonstrated a deep and embarrassing lack of awareness around her portfolios. To the point, as we can see here, that complete fabrications of reality slip by as smoothly as gospel to the ears of a zealot.
It’s been over a year and she is still unable to answer any questions. All her answers come from reading her cell phone. Pajama Boy will never strip his NS/BFF off as she has his ? support.. This Gong Show continues until the next election!
I will give her the benefit of the doubt. More likely misinformation provided be her staff within the department
It’s funny for you to give anyone the benefit of the doubt Paul – or are you just overlooking the incompetencies as she is the MLA in your community?
Don’t blame the staffer – a minster is also responsible for doing some work as well, its what we pay them for.
They should also look at the location at qik daycare. It’s in the school, very dangerous for kids going to school and daycare. When students and babies being picked up lunch time. Kids everywhere parents picking up their kids with a lot of transportation around. There is a building that used to be a daycare. Maybe fix it up and reopen for daycare. That would be a lot less dangerous.
“The School is a very dangerous place …. Kids everywhere parents picking up their kids with a lot of transportation around.”
how dare there be kids and parents picking up the kids at a school. Maybe you should join the DEA and try get stuctured drop off and pick up areas (Rankin and Iqaluit might have ideas about this)
and
If you are that concerned about young people and moving vehicles, please dont go look at any community all after an event, outside as people leave will terrify you.