Centre Operators

How we're lowering fees     

Early learning and child care services offer dual support to families: labor force participation for parents and early learning experiences for children. Over the last few years, New Brunswick has transformed its child care system through the designation of New Brunswick Early Learning Centre and New Brunswick Early Learning Homes.  The designation program focused on ensuring an affordable access to services for families and strengthening quality learning for children. New Brunswick’s vision is to ensure access to a high-quality, affordable, and inclusive early learning and child care system that families can rely on and where every child receives the necessary services to reach their full potential.

Reduction in Parent Fees

Fees paid by parents for children 0-5 years old, who are enrolled in a designated facility will be reduced on average by 50% beginning June 1, 2022.  The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is implementing a Standardized Parent Fee Grid that sets the fees operators can charge parents.  See the new daily rates below: 

Parents who have a child enrolled in a New Brunswick Early Learning Centre or a New Brunswick Early Learning Home will pay the set fee as noted above.  As an example, a parent with an 18-month old infant enrolled in a designated facility in Moncton who pays today $41.30 per day will be paying $21 per day on June 1, 2022 – a reduction in their out of pocket costs of approximately $5,200 per year.  Another example: a parent with a 3-year-old enrolled in a designated facility in Edmundston who pays $31.30 per day, will be paying $16 per day beginning on June 1, 2022 – a reduction of their out of pocket expenses of approximately $3,900 per year.

Facility Eligibility

Funding under the Canada-New Brunswick Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement is only available to designated facilities for the services offered to preschool-aged children.

Beginning on June 1, 2022, EECD will be implementing a Standardized Parent Fee Grid which sets the fees operators of designated facilities can charge parents.  In order to be eligible for this reduced parent fee, all children must be enrolled, and the offer accepted by parents.

Operators of designated facilities are required to apply the Standardized Parent Fee Grid and only charge parents the amount indicated above, beginning June 1, 2022.

Funding to operators

EECD is implementing a Standardized Parent Fee Grid which sets the maximum daily parent fees operators of designated facilities charge parents, beginning on June 1, 2022.  To help cover the difference in revenue, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is introducing the Parent Fee Reduction Grant for operators of designated facilities. This new grant will cover the difference between the new Standardized Parent Fee Grid and the fees on record for their designated facility.

For families with a gross annual income of less than $80,000, the Parent Subsidy Program has been adapted to the new standard fees and continues to be available to support low- and middle-income families with the cost of child care for the portion that is charged by operators.

Operators continue to receive that Infant and Quality Operational Grants.

Non designated Early Learning and Child Care Facilities

Early learning and child care facilities that are not designated are not eligible to receive any funding from the Canada-New Brunswick Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. This means that the reduced parent fees are not available.

However, low and middle income families registered in non-designated facilities have access to the Daycare Assistance Program to help cover cost of fees based on eligibility criteria. Parents can verify if they qualify for the Daycare Assistance Program by using this calculator.

A child care facility can be licensed, but not designated as a New Brunswick Early Learning Centre or Home . Operators participate in a voluntary application process to obtain the designation.  You can check the status of designation of your early learning and child care facility here.

What is New Brunswick Early Learning Designation?

Operators of licensed early learning and child care facilities who offer services to preschool children aged five and under, may apply to become a designated New Brunswick Early Learning Facility.

Operators of designated facilities commit to offering affordable, high-quality and inclusive early learning and child care services by removing barriers linked to family income, children’s ability and needs, language, and minority settings. In return, they receive government funding to support preschool services, wage support for educators and parent subsidies.

Parents with preschool-aged children, enrolled in a designated facility, will pay a standard child care fee. No applications, eligibility criteria, or income testing are required by parents.

What criteria must operators of early learning and child care facilities meet to apply for designation?

New applicants and operators of existing designated facilities, intending to increase designated spaces, need to meet eligibility criteria under Policy 901. They must apply to be designated through the Call for Proposals process.

Operators of designated facilities must also follow the requirements of designation. They must follow the Standard Parent Fee Grid, which means that parents can’t be charged more than the amount that government has set.

Operators of designated facilities are required to meet the following on-going criteria:

• Be in compliance with Licensing Regulations under the Early Childhood Services Act
• Offer services for children birth to five, not yet attending school
• Choose and implement one of the curriculum frameworks:
  • New Brunswick Curriculum Framework for Early Learning and Child Care ~ English
  • Curriculum éducatif des services de garde francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick
• Adhere to Child care Grants and Subsidies Regulation, which includes committing to implementing the low-fee policy through a subsidized fee grid and to operate within the Market Fee Threshold
• Establish a parent committee
• Create annual quality improvement plans and assessments
• Engage in on-going professional learning
• Use the Child care Registry

In return, government provides monthly Operational Grant funding to offset the costs associated with maintaining designation program criteria and requirements.

Who will benefit from the designation?

Families and children will benefit from overall improved quality services, including inclusive practices for children with additional needs and social inclusion of cultural minority groups.

Parents will benefit from a low-fee policy that will make child care more affordable and accessible.

Designated New Brunswick Early Learning Facilities will benefit from greater support for educators in delivering higher quality programming.

For more information

If you have questions or need help, you can contact us Monday to Friday between 8:15 am and 4:30 pm, excluding holidays.

Phone number: 1 833 221-9339

Email: [email protected]

The Wage Support Program for Early Childhood Educators (WSP-ECE) is a wage enhancement program administered by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development that recognizes early childhood education as a profession. It encourages Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) to participate in higher-level training and it provides funding to improve wages of qualified ECE and reduce staff turnover.

The new Early Childhood Educator Wage Grid recognizes an educator’s training and qualifications, as well as their years of experience. Wages that are clearly articulated and predictable play an important role in the recruitment and retention of qualified ECEs. The ECE Wage Grid sets out the required minimum wage rate operators must pay eligible educators, effective November 1, 2022.

The ECE Wage Grid establishes the foundation for future investments in wages for ECEs and will be reviewed annually as per the Early Childhood Services Act.

Eligibility

The ECE Wage Grid Guidelines provides additional details for the administration of the Wage Support Program for Early Childhood Educators (WSP-ECE). The ECE Wage Grid is for:

• Educators and administrators working directly with children in designated New Brunswick Early Learning Centres
• Operators of designated New Brunswick Early Learning and Child Care Homes
• School-age educators working in licensed Early Learning and Child care facilities
• Untrained relief staff (with restrictions)

Typical Annual Salary

The typical annual ECE salary* is based on an average of 36 hours per week and does not include the additional 14% administration fees, which EECD provides operators to cover the mandatory Employee Related Costs:

• Employment Insurance (E.I.)
• Canada Pension Plan (C.P.P.) • 4% or 6% for Vacation Pay
• Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (WHSCC)

Operators may opt to increase wages above and beyond the WSP-ECE program.

Special Privilege Clause (Exceptions)

1. All educators and administrators approved in Wage Support Program for Early Childhood Educators (WSP-ECE) prior to November 1, 2022, will remain at Step 3 of their current funding Level on the ECE Wage Grid.
2. Educators approved in the Wage Support Program for Early Childhood Educators (WSP-ECE), who are employed in a Designated Facility or a licensed Early Learning and Child care facility providing school-age services prior to November 1, 2022, and who are registered in a Post-Secondary ECE certificate or diploma program prior to September 1, 2022, will be eligible upon completion for Level 1, Step 3 on the ECE Wage Grid.

Acknowledgement

We wish to acknowledge the contribution of the early learning and child-care operators who have been integral to the development of the ECE Wage Grid Guidelines:

• Francophone and anglophone sector working groups
• Operator engagement table members
• Department of Finance and Treasury Board

Thank you for your thoughtful participation and commitment to building a stronger and more stable ECE workforce to support New Brunswick children and families.