Over 200 new child-care spaces coming to Annapolis Valley

More than 200 new child-care spaces are coming to the Annapolis Valley and South Shore regions of Nova Scotia. The Education and Early Childhood Development Department announced this development on Friday. The funding of $5.3 million will support three child-care operators. Small World Learning Centre in Bridgewater will open a new location with 86 spaces. Dare to Dream in New Minas will add 78 spaces, and the Coldbrook YMCA will provide 62 new spaces. The new centers in New Minas and Coldbrook are expected to open this fall. The Bridgewater location, which will be a second site for the operator, is set to open in 2026. Brendan Maguire, the Education and Early Childhood Development Minister, highlighted that the government is aiming to help families find affordable child care. He mentioned that these investments also support workforce participation and economic growth. The funding comes from the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement signed in 2021. This agreement has already created over 6,500 new child-care spaces across the province.