Margaret McCain | August 26, 2021
Allow me to congratulate you in your new role as Premier of Nova Scotia.
As chair of the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation, I have had the pleasure of working with five of your province's premiers in our mutual pursuit to ensure the best start possible for Nova Scotia's children.
This is why I am so pleased that you publicly recognized the potential of the recent Early Learning and Child Care Agreement that Nova Scotia signed with the Government of Canada on July 13, 2021. The deal sets Nova Scotia on a trajectory to being Canada's early learning and child care leader. It contains the fundamentals needed for a comprehensive and efficient approach that is grounded in affordability for parents, and expanded access to quality early education and care for children. It emphasizes the role of a professional workforce as the critical element of quality and the need for planning and capacity building to ensure all families benefit equally.
Assessments conducted prior to school entry show one-in-four little Nova Scotians begin their school years with vulnerabilities that could compromise their success in school and in life. The pandemic has only heightened the challenges.
Nova Scotia already leads in making quality preschool programming available to all four-year-old children. The deal provides additional resources to build on this foundation and enhance opportunities to improve the lives of children, their families and their communities. The expansion outlined in the ELCC agreement will allow more parents to work but it goes beyond today's needs to invest in Nova Scotia's future well-being and productivity.
The building of a world class early learning and child care system in Nova Scotia under your leadership would be a legacy achievement. I offer my support in achieving this goal.
Best regards,
Margaret Norrie McCain
