On February 27, 2026, the Department of Education released a new guide to help residents in Arviat, Nunavut, start and run licensed daycares from their own homes. This plan aims to create more child care spots in a community where nearly half of the 3,000 residents are children.
People who choose to open a licensed home daycare can get start-up grants and annual money to help with daily costs through the Department of Education. There is also more than $6 million available through the Infrastructure Funding Program for the 2025–2026 year to help build and improve child care spaces across the territory.
To help residents meet the rules for licensing, Nunavut Arctic College offers early childhood education training directly in the community. This training helps local caregivers learn the skills needed to provide official care and qualify for the $10-a-day child care model funded by the Government of Canada.
While these new supports are available, some residents in social or government housing may still face challenges because of old rules that stop people from running businesses out of those homes. The new guide is designed to show people how to turn their current child care services into stable small businesses to help the 1,450 children living in the community.
