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Excerpt: "Families in 14 communities throughout the province will benefit from more than 900 new licensed child care spaces that will open this fall, expanding access to affordable, high-quality child care. “Families throughout British Columbia are seeing new child care spaces open in their communities, giving families real options they can count on,” said Lisa Beare, B.C.’s Minister of Education and Child Care. “These spaces mean shorter waitlists, more access to affordable, high-quality child care and peace of mind for parents, knowing children are learning in safe, supportive environments. This is about making life easier for parents today, while investing in stronger communities for generations to come.”"

The OISE Mentorship Program marked 10 years at it's annual program launch on Oct. 7 at the OISE library. The program aims to foster meaningful and relevant connections by matching the institute's students with alumni mentors and support them with resources through the year.

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Excerpt: "The Landmark YMCA child care centre includes 12 spaces for infant-toddlers and 41 spaces for children 2.5 years to school age. Situated in the heart of Kelowna at Landmark District, a 15-acre business community, the centre will help provide convenient access for local families and working professionals. “The opening of the Landmark YMCA child care centre is a testament to what we can achieve when community partners come together with a shared vision,” said Alyson Graf, president and CEO, YMCA of Southern Interior BC. “We are proud to help Kelowna families access the quality child care they deserve, right where they live and work. This centre reflects our ongoing commitment to building a stronger, more inclusive community for everyone.”"

Excerpt: "“By investing in new child-care spaces like those at Riverview Health Centre, we’re making it easier for parents – especially the nurses, physicians, aides and allied health professionals working in health care – to access high-quality, inclusive care close to where they work. The development of these 80 new spaces will help us continue to recruit more front-line staff to our health-care system.” “This new child-care centre at Riverview Health Centre is an example of the Manitoba government’s vision for Canada-wide early learning and child care – affordable, quality and accessible child care that responds to the needs of children, parents and the wider community,” said Gainey. “Families will have access to child care close to home and to their workplace, helping them save time and money while ensuring children receive the best possible start in life.”"

Excerpt: "Built to serve Moose Jaw's growing and diverse population, the new joint-use facility is now home to Coteau Hills Elementary and Our Lady of Hope Catholic School. It brings together Sacred Heart, St. Mary, Empire and Westmount elementary schools into a new state-of-the-art learning environment. The facility offers a unified space designed to support students and families for generations, featuring modern classrooms, a multipurpose cultural room, a shared kitchen lab, a Maker Space Studio and a child care centre with space for 51 children - all under one roof. "This joint-use school in Moose Jaw brings together education, child care and shared spaces that reflect the needs of young learners,” Moe said. “From early childhood through the elementary years, Saskatchewan schools are giving our students their best start. This will be a place where students are encouraged to grow and families feel part of the school community.”"

Excerpt: "The Ontario government is protecting students by increasing its investment in the Student Nutrition Program (SNP) and the First Nations Student Nutrition Program (FNSNP) by $5 million, for a total investment of $37.5 million this year. The two programs will serve more than 800,000 students, projected to deliver over 140 million healthy meals and snacks under the Student Nutrition Program and more than 1.4 million meals and snacks to students in Indigenous communities this school year."

Excerpt: "To deliver that change, we will take bold action and make responsible choices. Budget 2025 will spend less on government operations and reduce waste, so we can invest more to grow our economy and to protect the programs that make life more affordable for you. To that end, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced key measures today from the upcoming federal Budget that will lower costs and protect essential programs that empower Canadians: Starting automatic federal benefits for the 2026 tax year that will reach up to 5.5 million low-income Canadians by the 2028 tax year. The CRA will automatically file these individuals’ taxes to ensure they receive government benefits they qualify for, such as the GST/HST credit, the Canada Child Benefit, the Canada Disability Benefit, and more – including benefits that these Canadians may not be aware they are entitled to; Making the National School Food Program permanent to provide meals for up to 400,000 children. This program ensures kids are fed healthy meals at school and saves families with two children $800 per year on groceries. By making it permanent, we will work with provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners to expand the program into more schools across Canada; Renewing the Canada Strong Pass for the holidays and for summer 2026 so children and young families can discover Canada with lower costs. It will be renewed from December 12, 2025, to January 15, 2026, and then again for summer 2026. This also helps students travelling home for the holidays with a 25% discount on VIA Rail for young adults aged 18 to 24. With the Canada Strong Pass, Canadians can visit national, provincial, and territorial museums, historic sites, parks, and travel by rail for free or at a reduced cost."

e-News

Excerpt: "On Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, government tabled Bill 19, the school amendment act. If passed, this act will enable school districts to provide child care to children of all ages, including infants and toddlers. Districts also will be allowed to provide care during non-school days, such as professional development days, and winter, spring and summer breaks. These changes could also improve the ability of school districts to support sustainable child care programs or expansions by ensuring districts can recover reasonable costs, similar to how non-for-profit centres can operate. School districts will work with local communities and First Nations to inform expansion planning and how best to meet community needs."

Notice of second OISE GSA Council Meeting on Thursday Oct 9, 2025 at 6pm on Zoom. Open only to registered and continuing graduate students of OISE.