Securing child care in Nova Scotia is proving to be a significant hurdle for parents, especially those with demanding and irregular work schedules. Allie Feltmate, a registered nurse and mother of two from Bedford, N.S., shared that finding suitable child care arrangements is a top stressor for her. Transitioning from direct patient care to a role supporting hospital staff, Feltmate cited the challenges of managing rotating shifts with her husband’s on-call schedule as the reason for the change.

Despite her shift in responsibilities, Feltmate still faces long workdays and occasional weekends, prompting her to seek workplace scheduling accommodations to align with her children’s daycare hours, which start at 8 a.m. in the morning. Daycare providers in Nova Scotia set their own operating hours, typically running programs Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to late afternoon.

Many health-care workers like Feltmate have had to reduce their work hours to accommodate child care needs, resulting in a strain on the workforce. Jessica Arenburg-Crouse, a single mother and cook at the Annapolis Community Health Centre, is also grappling with limited work shifts due to the lack of stable before- and after-school care for her two sons.

The child-care landscape in Nova Scotia has been evolving since the province’s 2021 agreement with the Canadian government to enhance accessibility and affordability. Initiatives like the Health Park Early Learning Centre’s overnight and extended child care pilot project in Sydney aim to cater to health-care professionals’ unique needs. The government plans to assess the pilot’s outcomes before potentially expanding such services to other areas.

With the child-care sector undergoing transformations, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is exploring alternative solutions like home-based child care to better serve families requiring non-traditional care hours. Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union president Janet Hazelton emphasized the importance of innovative support measures for nurses and shift workers, suggesting potential integration of daycares into long-term care facilities or hospitals.

Hazelton highlighted the significance of flexible and accessible child care in attracting and retaining younger nurses to the province. She called on the government to adopt creative strategies, much like the housing initiatives tailored for health-care workers, to address the ongoing challenges in nursing staffing. Feltmate and Arenburg-Crouse echoed the sentiment, expressing optimism that such initiatives would greatly benefit parents in their field.