萌妹社区

Policy Monitor

The Policy Monitor tracks Federal, Provincial and Territorial early childhood policy initiatives, developments and announcements.

Search

New Brunswick
Excerpt: "To improve access to quality, inclusive and affordable child care, $37 million will be invested in the early learning and child-care sector through the Canada-New Brunswick Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. This will bring the total investment up to $143 million for 2023-24. Additionally, $4 million has been committed outside this agreement to support the creation of additional preschool child-care spaces within the for-profit child-care sector. To support enrolment growth in the K-12 system, the budget includes a $33.3 million investment to help schools meet the needs of students. The budget also includes a $30.8 million investment to improve the province鈥檚 inclusive education system."

Canada
Excerpt: "Today, the Minister of International Development, Harjit S. Sajjan, on behalf of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, announced funding for Langara College for their project entitled Innovating Virtual Reality in Inclusive and Anti-biased Early Learning and Child Care Training, which is being funded through the Early Learning and Child Care Innovation Program. Through this program, Langara College is receiving a total of $2,671,771 in federal funding over a three-year period from February 2023 to January 2026."

Ontario
Excerpt: "We know the integral role that the early years and child care system plays in supporting families and giving every child the best possible start in life. That is why the provincial government is committed to building a system that is high quality, inclusive and affordable. To enable a better understanding of Ontario鈥檚 early years and child care system, this report provides an annual snapshot and year-over-year trends in the sector. In addition, the report supports Ontario's commitments to publishing the progress under the federal-provincial early learning and child care agreements. Most of the data presented in this report was collected between March 2021 and March 2022."

Ontario
Excerpt: "The purpose of this discussion paper is to provide further information for service system managers and child care licensees, and to invite feedback as the Ministry of Education continues to design and develop the 2024 Canada-wide Early Learning Child Care (CWELCC) funding formula. Your feedback on this discussion paper will be vital to help the Ministry of Education refine the CWELCC funding formula which will support the child care sector and in turn help Ontario鈥檚 families access affordable child care. Additional details will be provided later about elements such as special needs resourcing. The discussion paper includes an overview of the proposed grant allocations, formulas (where they have been developed) and other criteria and parameters to calculate Consolidated Municipal Service Manager (CMSM) and District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB) calendar year funding allocations for the CWELCC system."

Quebec
Excerpt: "The government wishes to support Qu茅bec families in a practical way. For most, this means quality educational childcare services. Services that will enhance family work school balance and foster child development. Furthermore, our government wishes to pay special attention to families in vulnerable situations and ensure that they receive the help they need. Converting 5 000 non subsidized childcare spaces: We are committed to gradually converting non subsidized childcare spaces in the network into subsidized spaces. To ensure greater financial equity, I am announcing today the conversion of 5 000 childcare spaces in 2023 2024. This measure will allow more families to benefit from the reduced contribution, which is currently $8.85 per day."

Newfoundland & Labrador
Excerpt: "Newfoundland and Labrador is a leader in creating access to affordable child care, having moved to $10 a day more than two years ahead of schedule. Budget 2023 investments will sustain our progress and target the creation of 700 new child care spaces this year. Budget 2023 investments include: $64 million to increase wages for early childhood educators through the implementation of a wage grid, which comes into effect on April 1 and is retroactive to January 1, 2023; Approximately $6 million for retention and recruitment initiatives; $2.7 million for student bursaries; $3.5 million to expand the Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Program and an additional $1.8 million to create new spaces; $200,000 to attract the return of trained early childhood educators to the sector."

Nova Scotia
Excerpt: "To continue to make early learning and child care accessible, affordable, and inclusive for all families, in 2023-24 EECD will: Continue to take steps to implement the Canada 鈥 Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement by developing a 2023-2026 Action Plan and outlining the approach to move toward a $10 a day on average child care by 2025-2026; Develop a space expansion strategy to inform the next stage of growth within the sector; Evaluate and expand the Quality Matters initiative, with a plan for full rollout across the sector, including family home child care and before-and-after care, by 2025-2026; Release the revised Early Learning Curriculum Framework and Educators鈥 Guide in English and French in fall 2023; Continue to develop and transition to a certification model for Early Childhood Educators (ECEs); Fully roll-out the Advanced Practitioners鈥 Program; a post-diploma certificate program to advance ECE knowledge and competence in a specialized area of practice, such as infants and toddlers, young children, outdoor play, or pedagogical leadership; Extend professional development opportunities currently being provided through EECD and support sites to family home child care providers; Launch the first in-person French-language ECE diploma program through Universit茅 Sainte Anne; Work with the sector to establish a standardized level of health benefits and retirement benefits for ECEs in 2023."

Canada
Excerpt: "The federal government鈥檚 historic investment in a Canada-wide early leaning and child care system is making life more affordable for families, helping to give children across Canada the best start in life, and strengthening our workforce. Today, fewer women have to choose between their family and their career, and in February 2023, the labour force participation rate for women in their prime working years reached a record 85.7 per cent. By April 2, 2023, six provinces and territories will be providing regulated child care for an average of just $10-a-day or less鈥攕ignificantly ahead of schedule. All other provinces and territories remain on track to achieve $10-a-day child care by 2026. In Quebec, federal investments are continuing to make the existing child care system more accessible through the creation of new spaces."

Manitoba
Excerpt: "Manitoba is working towards expanding and strengthening the early learning and child-care system throughout the province. This includes significant investments in workforce retention and recruitment and increasing the number of funded licensed spaces. The government is also reducing parent fees to make early learning and child care more affordable and accessible for all Manitobans. Budget 2023 makes a number of investments in early learning and child care, including: investing $76.1-million to reduce regulated parent; fees to $10 per day, well in advance of the target; date of Mar. 31, 2026; and launching a multi-year training expansion plan for the early learning and child-care workforce, including early childhood educators and child-care assistants, in partnership with post-secondary institutions."

Newfoundland & Labrador
Excerpt: "The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador today announced details of a new wage grid for early childhood educators working in regulated child care centres that are part of the Operating Grant Program. The wage grid takes effect on April 1, 2023 with a base rate of $25 an hour for Level II early childhood educators who hold a two-year diploma. This is the starting rate for a new graduate. Early childhood educators who continue to further their education and are awarded a higher certification level will be placed at Step One of their new level. Each step on the grid lasts 12 months, and are effective as of January 1, 2023."

Ontario
Excerpt: "For licensed child care sites enrolled in the Canada-wide early learning and child care system, the Canada-Ontario agreement initially reduced licensed child care fees for children under the age of six by 25%, retroactive to April 1,2022. By the end of 2022, fees in participating licensed child care programs were further lowered, resulting in a total reduction of 50% on average compared to 2020 levels. This could save Ontario families an average of $6,000 to $10,000 per child per year moving forward, based on provincial savings scenarios."

Ontario
Excerpt: "Ontario continues to work with municipalities and other partners to create 86,000 new, high鈥恞uality child care spaces by December 2026. To support this, the government launched a $213 million grant program for new and existing operators to help offset the costs of expanding or creating spaces such as purchasing equipment or renovating facilities. By providing startup grants, the government is helping to create new child care spaces for communities that need them the most."