The $10-day daycare agreement between Ottawa and Newfoundland and Labrador will cost about $347-million with the federal government paying all but a few million. The province will offer daycare for $10-a-day by the end of 2023, and $15 by the end of next year.

The province also plans to create almost 6,000 new spaces over the next five years, but government acknowledges a shortage of qualified people to work at the facilities.

The minister of education and early childhood learning, Tom Osborne, says the shortage of early childhood educators is a national problem, so the College of the North Atlantic is going to expand the number of spaces for ECE’s starting in the fall.

In St. John’s, Corner Brook, Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Lab West in November, and opening additional spaces at other colleges. He says they have also been speaking with Academy Canada and Key-in Tech about expanding space both in-class and virtually.

Earlier Story

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the benefits of $10 a day childcare cannot be overstated.

Yesterday, Ottawa and the province announced a deal to achieve that goal by the end of 2023.

Ten dollars a day would be the average for kids under six in regulated daycare. Education Minister Tom Osborne says the rate should be reduced to $15 a day by next year.

Trudeau, meanwhile, says it will be a game-changer for parents and hardworking families. He says the more affordable childcare will save families hundreds of dollars a month and allow more women to feel more comfortable pursuing careers knowing their children are in good hands.

It’s expected the plan will see almost 6,000 new childcare spaces created over the next five years.

A new full-day pre-kindergarten program for four-year-olds will also roll out in 2023.