Nova Scotia's early childhood educators deserve pay bump, says new report

A provincial government report on regulated child care in Nova Scotia is recommending the province increase the salaries of early childhood educators, who are currently the lowest paid in Canada.

According to the report, workers here earn $12.84 an hour. In New Brunswick, early childhood educators make $13.50 and in Newfoundland it's $14.

Quebec workers, the highest paid in the country, earn $19.13 an hour.

• Child care: Future of Nova Scotia's children at stake

"It is absolutely disgusting and shameful that early childhood educators in this province have not had a raise that would take them very much above the minimum wage in this province," said Karen Casey, minister of education and early childhood development.

"The families that are getting subsidies have had an increase of $2.25 per day in the last 10 years. Those are absolutely deplorable statistics."

The report also recommends the province "increase child-care options available to families" but doesn't spell out how.

The many challenges outlined in the report include insufficient spaces, lack of training for daycare staff and subsidy rates for low income parents that are the lowest in the country.

The report is the result of 23 focus groups and a survey that was completed by 7,000 people.

Caseyhas accepted the report and its recommendations, but won't say what changes are coming or when.