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Presented by Zeenat Janmohamed, Atkinson Centre, at the Atkinson Centre Early Years Task Force meeting, January 29, 2014.

The Early Literacy Foundations program, designed to give parents and caregivers the tools to promote and enhance early literacy development in children, was launched today (Monday, January 27) at the Michael Donovan Library in St. John’s.

Excerpt: "A group of diverse research and policy experts in early child development met to discuss the recently released findings on the implementation and impact of Full Day kindergarten in Ontario. As supporters of FDK, participants were interested in developing strategies to address the media backlash that followed the release of the ‘Meta-Perspective’ document and to ensure the program would be evaluated fairly and effectively over time."

Excerpt: "While full day kindergarten is a policy milestone, on schedule to serve over 260,000 four- and five-year-olds, unfortunately our government stopped short of implementing the bold vision for school operated early learning and care described in With Our Best Future In Mind. Fewer than 20 per cent of Ontario’s children 12-years and younger have access to regulated care. The dearth of safe, affordable child care options literally endangers children’s lives, curtails parents’ work opportunities and costs the economy in work/family conflicts. As currently organized, child care creates a low wage sector reliant on social transfers."

The Child Care Amendment Regulations.

Excerpt: "Margaret Wente contends the Education Minister fudged the numbers in her September announcement on the benefits of full day kindergarten for children. The true story she claims lies the ‘full report’ released by Queen’s University. (“Ontario's $1.5-billion kindergarten hoax”. Nov 30, Globe and Mail) Ms. Wente is referring to two different reports with two different purposes. Both were commissioned by the Ministry as part of the same evaluation."

Excerpt: "There is much depth and change in Bill 143. It repeals the Day Nurseries Act and amends the Early Childhood Educators Act and the Education Act in ways good and bad."

Ontario is taking steps to strengthen oversight of the province's unlicensed child care sector while increasing access to licensed child care options for families. The Child Care Modernization Act, to be introduced December 3, would allow the province to immediately shut down a child care provider when a child's safety is at risk.

On December 3, 2013, the Ontario government introduced the Child Care Modernization Act, to "take steps to strenghthen oversight of the province's unlicensed child care sector while increasing access to licensed child care options for families."

From Moneyball to Life of Pi, Mychael Danna has put his composing talents to evocative use in a wide array of acclaimed and popular films. Many of his film scores have been issued as albums.

Excerpt: "The Government of Manitoba and the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation are working together to establish a million-dollar Early Childhood Development Innovation Fund, the first of its kind in Canada, Premier Greg Selinger announced today. In a partnership with United Way of Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council and the business community, the fund is being seeded by a $500,000 investment from the Montreal-based McConnell Foundation, with matching funds from the Government of Manitoba."

Background Paper: Prepared and presented by Kerry McCuaig, 3rd Nordic Conference, November 11, 2013, Oslo, Norway.