Policy Monitor
The Policy Monitor tracks Federal, Provincial and Territorial early childhood policy initiatives, developments and announcements.
Ontario
Excerpt: "The Ontario government is investing $15.3 million in more than 100 organizations that provide fun, safe and supervised activities for children and youth across the province through inclusive team sports and active recreation programs. "Our government is proud to support opportunities for children and youth throughout Ontario to lead active and healthy lifestyles,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Sport. “This funding will expand access to vital resources and enable partner organizations to continue delivering high-quality, tailored active recreation programming that aligns with the needs of local communities.”"
Manitoba
Manitoba
Excerpt: "In education, our government continues to invest in the repair and construction of new schools. Approximately $1.4 billion in funding supported nearly 3,500 repair and rehabilitation projects. In the 2023–24 school year, 21 new schools and additions were opened, creating over 7,000 new student spaces, including six French-language school projects and over 700 child care spaces. That means more Ontario students have begun the school year in modern, state-of-the-art classrooms."
Excerpt: "To keep up with fast-rising student enrolment, Alberta’s government is committing $8.6 billion through the new School Construction Accelerator Program. This program will create more than 200,000 new and modernized spaces for students to learn, grow and reach their full potential. Starting in Budget 2025, Alberta’s government will kick-start up to 30 new schools and as many as eight modernizations and replacement schools every year for the next three years."
Excerpt: "Rural operators in particular pointed out the increased costs in small Yukon communities, lower incomes within rural families and the necessity for foundational supports in early learning and child care programs such as meal programs, and at times, provisions like diapers and suitable clothing for children. In the early childhood educators’ sessions, there was a call for increased wages and benefits such as sick leave. For some, it was about access to funding to upgrade their education and the possibility of expanded bursary programs to support post-secondary early learning and child care education"
British Columbia
Excerpt: "Three new AHS centres are providing a total of 108 new child care spaces, including 48 spaces in Colwood, 44 in Kelowna and 20 in Vancouver. AHS is a culturally relevant early-learning and child care program for Indigenous children up to age six and their families that provides wraparound family support and inclusion services at no cost."
Excerpt: "The Women’s Economic Security Program offers training in four streams: skilled trades, entrepreneurship, information technology, and general employment. To help remove barriers to participating, the training programs also include additional supports such as providing meals throughout the training day, transportation to and from training, and support finding child care."
Saskatchewan
Excerpt: "Students heading back to class will now be able to get a nutritious meal or snack when they need one, with the universal school nutrition program now available in every school in the province, Premier Wab Kinew and Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Nello Altomare announced today. “Kids can’t learn on an empty stomach,” said Kinew. “We made a commitment to Manitoba families that we’d make sure kids across our province had access to food when they go to school, and we’ve delivered on that promise. As kids head back to class this week, they’ll be able to get a meal or a snack when they need one, so they can concentrate, learn and reach their full potential.” The Manitoba government committed $30 million in Budget 2024 to make a meal or snack available to students across the province."