Early Learning and Child Care Space Creation Progress

Island families need access to high-quality, affordable and reliable early learning and child care services. The Province is working strategically and incrementally to increase capacity in this sector.

There are four types of licensed early learning and child care spaces in PEI:

• Early childhood centre are centres that can welcome infants (0-22 months), preschool children (22 months to five years old) and school-age children (five years old to 12 years old);
  • Early Childhood Centres may periodically be invited to apply to become a Probationary Early Years Centres, pending funding availability and geographic demand.
    • Probationary Early Years Centres must meet a strict set of criteria in order to become a designated Early Years Centres. Becoming a designated centre means children will receive early years education following PEI’s early education curriculum, and operators will have access to additional professional development and financial supports from the Province.
• Family home centres are centres located in a private residence that can welcome infants (0-22 months), preschool children (22 months to five years old) and school-age children (five years old to 12 years old)
• School-age child centre are centres that provide child care service for school-age children on weekdays when they are not in school; and
• Preschool centre provides early learning and child care services for less than four consecutive hours per day to children between the ages of three to five (3-5).

The following table shows the total license capacity by early learning and child care centre type. Updates are made the first week of each quarter. 

The below table shows the quarterly changes in each license category. Updates are made the first week of each quarter. Changes in the license categories can be attributed to new centres, centres closing, capacity changes within existing licenses or change of license category for existing operations. 

Expansion Project Updates

The below summary provides a summary of current expansion projects. The table will be updated the first of each quarter.

* Anticipated opening timeframes are subject to change based on typical construction risks and delays

** Operator of project previously listed under "Anchored Construction"