Private daycare owners in Nova Scotia, most of whom are women, feel blindsided by the recent proposal from the Houston government that forces them to decide the future of their daycare in just two months.

The childcare industry is the single-most female-dominated sector in the province. Because of that, many within the community question if they would be met with such an unfair situation in a predominantly male industry.

“As a predominantly female sector, we are disappointed and we strongly believe a male-dominated field would not face the same situation,” says Bonnie Minard, Co-Chair of the Private License Administrators Association for Childcare in Nova Scotia. “In 2022, we expect better from the government.”

Now, with the Houston government fumbling the deal, many women in the childcare sector worry about the future of their businesses.

“The purpose of this deal was to help more women contribute to the economy,” says Liberal Status of Women critic Lorelei Nicoll. “With this ultimatum, the Houston government has undermined what this very deal stood for, which is supporting women in our economy.”