Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "The Government of Canada is committed to improving the health and mental wellbeing of children and youth in Canada. Early childhood experiences influence a child’s mental health for life—and with 70% of mental health and substance use problems having origins in childhood, understanding how to better identify and treat young children at risk of developing or living with a mental health issue is crucial. Today, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced an investment of $6.5 million over five years for six projects funded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Mental Health in the Early Years (MHITEY) initiative."

Excerpt: "The Manitoba government is increasing starting wages under Manitoba’s Early Learning and Child Care Wage Grid for the early childhood workforce in funded child-care facilities by $56.1 million effective July 1, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould and Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko announced today. “By investing in early learning and child care, we’re investing in the future of our country,” said Gould. “This wage enhancement will help attract and retain the best early childhood educators and child-care assistants, who are the cornerstone of the Canada-wide early learning and child-care system." Under the Canada-Manitoba Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement 2021-2026, facilities will receive $52.8 million, through their existing operating grants that support early learning and child-care sector staff wages who care for children under the age of seven."

Excerpt: "Additional highlights include: The historic creation of the First Nation School Board with eight schools voting in January 2022 to join the new school board. The eight schools transitioned to the First Nation School Board authority for the 2022-23 school year and in November five trustees were elected to the board; Progressing Ready-to-Learn Schools at St. Elias Community School in Haines Junction, Nelnah Bessie John School in Beaver Creek and Grey Mountain Primary School, Jack Hulland Elementary School, Takhini Elementary School and Selkirk Elementary School in Whitehorse; Key capital projects to build or renovate schools to ensure they reflect modern learning practices, including: advancing the Whistle Bend elementary school project, the Kêts’ádań Kù Burwash school project, modular classrooms at Robert Service School and planning to replace École Whitehorse Elementary School; and, Collaboration with Yukon University on programs and infrastructure, including meeting the demands for early childhood educators and licensed practical nurses in the Yukon."

Excerpt: "Families in the Halifax region are starting to benefit from about 500 new and planned child-care spaces thanks to provincial and federal funding. New infant spaces have opened at the East Preston Childcare Centre, and new infant, toddler and preschool spaces were recently added at the Cunard Street Children’s Centre and the Edward Jost Children’s Centre in Spryfield. Several more expansions are planned for the coming months."

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’s inclusive education system."

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."

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’s 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."

Excerpt: "The government wishes to support Québec 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."

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."

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 – 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’ 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’ 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 Université Sainte Anne; Work with the sector to establish a standardized level of health benefits and retirement benefits for ECEs in 2023."

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’s 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."

Excerpt: "The federal government’s 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—significantly 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."