CRRU | INTRODUCTION | FEDERAL ROLE |  THE BIG PICTURE | THE LONG VIEW |  NOTES AND REFERENCES 
Early childhood care and education in Canada: Provinces and territories 1998

Early childhood care and education in Prince Edward Island
Planning and development Provincial context Legislation History Related services Planning and development Standards and regulatiope Space statistics Provincial context Child care services Provincial official respopeible for child care Legislation Recent developments History Standards and regulatiope Children with special needs Child care services Key provincial organizatiope Recent developments Municipal role Administration Funding Standards and regulatiope Aboriginal child care Children with special needs
Funding PE  


 
CHILD CARE FEE SUBSIDY PROGRAM

Fee assistance is paid directly to service providers on behalf of eligible parents. Eligibility is usually determined by an income test. However, an applicant may choose to be needs tested according to the Welfare Assistance Regulations.

The provincial fee subsidy budget is capped. It changed from an open-ended system to a limited one in 1992/93. If funds are unavailable, eligible families are placed on one of five regional waiting lists.

Any regulated non-profit or for-profit child care program is eligible to enroll children receiving subsidies.

Eligibility for fee subsidy (net income, 1998) 
  Turning point Break-even point
1 parent, 1 child $13,440 $25,440
2 parents, 2 children $19,200 $40,800

The turning point is the income level up to which full subsidy is available. Partial subsidy is available up to the break-even point at which income subsidy ceases.

In Prince Edward Island, there is no fixed break-even point. The figures shown represent a family composition which determines subsidy eligibility generously.
Maximum subsidy by age of child (1998)
0-2 yrs $24/day
2-3 yrs $20/day
3+ yrs $19/day

There is no minimum user fee. Centres and family day care homes can surcharge subsidized parents higher than the maximum subsidy.

Average percentage of centre revenue from fee subsidies   26.1%

PUBLIC FUNDING FOR REGULATED CHILD CARE

All licensed non-profit and for-profit child care centres are eligible for all funding programs

One-time funding
None

Recurring funding

Operating grants

Full-day centre-based programs
$0.91/day/space

Part-time centre-based programs
12 children or fewer   $682/year
24 children or fewer   $1,092/year
50 children or fewer   $1,820/year
Funding is calculated according to months of operation and is less than stated above if the program operates less than 12 months a year.

Family day care homes
$450/year. This funding is currently frozen.

Infant incentive funding $250/year. An annual grant provided to centres and family day care programs enrolling at least one child younger than 2 years on a regular basis for at least 6 months.

Special needs funding  Available to centre-based and family day care programs to pay staff to provide individualized programming for children with special needs. The funding will cover wages up to $11.20/hour.

Other funding

Training/Professional development  Funds are allocated annually by the Health and Community Services Agency to assist in the professional development of early childhood educators by supporting workshops or conferences.

Average percentage of centre revenue from government grants 6.3%

PROVINCIAL ALLOCATIONS FOR REGULATED CHILD CARE (1998)

Child care fee subsidies $1,1819,200
One-time funding None
Recurring funding $759,279
Total $2,578,479

Annual regulated child care allocation for each child 0-12 years (1998) $106.55
(estimate based on provincial budget)

FEDERAL FUNDING

Entitlements on child care expenditures  No longer available
(See FEDERAL ROLE for more information)

SALARIES (1998)

Mean gross hourly wage for child care staff
(full and part-time staff combined)

Centres
Assistant Teachers $8.18
Teachers $7.54
Teachers Directors $11.84
Administrative Directors $14.37

Family day care
Information not available

Average percentage of centre budget spent on wages and benefits  77.7%

FEES (1998)

Median monthly parent fees for full-time care

Centres
Infants $440
Toddlers $380
Preschoolers (Age 3 yrs -5.11yrs) $360
School-age information not available

Family day care

information not available

Average percentage of centre revenue from parent fees 66.8%

 
 PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND   1   2    3    4   5   6   7
INTRODUCTION | FEDERAL ROLE  | THE BIG PICTURE | THE LONG VIEW  | NOTES AND REFERENCES

top of page   home • online documents • CRRU resources • CRRU publications • what's new • search/site map
About the Child care Resource and Research Unit



Childcare Resource and Research Unit    University of Toronto
contact CRRU  •     •  about CRRU