Who Cares? Women entrepreneurs and the transition to the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement in Nova Scotia

Abstract

The Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreements signed in 2021/2022 represent an unprecedented investment into child care across Canada, supporting the expansion of care spaces, reductions in parent fees, and increased wages for care workers. In the province of Nova Scotia, however, the new funding model faced considerable pushback from women entrepreneurs in the care field, who felt overlooked and bullied by the provincial government amidst the policy rollout. This paper evaluates the experiences of child care owners in Nova Scotia during the transition to the new funding agreement through a series of interviews with entrepreneurs. The paper posits that the consultation and communications between the province and care owners reified gendered power relations, particularly through the devaluation and exploitation of women's care work. Interviewees report feeling treated as “glorified babysitters” and experiencing significant mental health strains as a result of the policy negotiation with the province.