Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "Approximately 75% of families with children are eligible for the BC Family Benefit. Starting in July 2023, these families will see a 10% increase in their monthly payments. Single parents will receive as much as an additional $500 per year on top of the 10% increase, also to be delivered in July."

Excerpt: "The government is also investing $59.3 million in 2023-24 to create thousands more licensed child-care spaces as part of opening a total of 68,700 new spaces by the end of March 2023, increasing access and choice so parents can go to school, work and participate in the economy. Affordability grants to child-care operators and subsidies for parents will further lower the cost of child care, with the Alberta federal-provincial child-care agreement already reducing fees by an average of 50 per cent in 2022 for young children."

Excerpt: "2023-24 will be the third year of a three-year commitment to improve the student-educator ratio in our schools. This budget provides the Department of Education $3.7 million to continue the next phase of hiring new educators, student support assistants, school community counsellors, and other education support workers to help parents and families prepare the next generation of Nunavummiut to succeed."

Excerpt: "The governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing $45.9 million in one-time funding under the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child-Care Agreement to support the implementation of quality enhancement grants to fund programming for children under the age of seven. The Manitoba government is contributing an additional $14 million to ensure equitable support is available for school-aged programming within the sector that serves children ages seven to 12. “Our government is committed to making quality child-care more accessible for Manitoba families,” said Ewasko. “These grants will help early learning and child-care providers make immediate investments into facilities and staff to support high-quality learning for children across the province and a stronger, more responsive early learning and child-care system for Manitoba families.”"

Excerpt: "The Province is investing more in the child-care system that thousands of Nova Scotia families rely on to care for their young children. Child-care operators will receive more funding for infant spaces, rising operational costs and staff wages under new annual agreements with the Province. “It’s important that young children have the best start, and Nova Scotia’s child-care operators are doing their best to provide quality care while also facing rising operating costs,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Becky Druhan. “This agreement increases funding for the year and follows the recent three per cent wage boost for early childhood educators as part of our promise made last fall for regular public sector wage increases.”"

Excerpt: "Manitoba families in rural and First Nations communities will be better able to access affordable child care following a $94-million total investment from the governments of Canada and Manitoba in the two phases of the ready-to-move child-care project to create a total of 1,670 new child-care spaces, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould and Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko announced today. “The Government of Canada is proud to announce these additional child-care spaces for rural and First Nations communities,” said Gould. “The ready-to-move pilot project is another example how the Canada-wide system leverages innovation and collaboration between federal, provincial, municipal, and First Nations communities to ensure that every family, no matter where they live, has access to high-quality and affordable child care.”"

Excerpt: "Effective April 1, families with children attending licensed early learning and child care programs will receive an increase in their Child Care Fee Reduction subsidy from the department of Education, Culture and Employment, which will reduce their total child care fees. Previously, through the Canada-wide Canada-NWT Early Learning and Child Care Agreement (Canada-wide ELCC Agreement) the GNWT was paying an average of 50 per cent of child care fees, which will now increase to an average of 60 per cent. Also, licensed programs will be able to increase their fees by two to six per cent, depending on the total fee rates being charged by that program for infant and preschool spaces, and by a flat rate of $10 per month for out-of-school."

Excerpt: "We have implemented the first steps toward more affordable licensed early learning and childcare programming in the territory, with the goal of reducing families’ childcare costs to an average of $10 a day by 2026. This initiative is supported through federal funding and with proposed funding of $10.3 million in 2023-24 we are aiming to increase access to high-quality, inclusive, affordable, early learning and childcare spaces. The new investment will make childcare fees more affordable for families while providing early childhood educators with increased professional learning and post-secondary opportunities."

Excerpts: "In December 2022, child care costs were reduced again, this time by as much as $550 more a month for each child, or over $6,000 a year in additional savings. This has been life changing for many parents. ... And this fall, the significant child care savings your government delivered for children who are kindergarten age and younger will be extended to parents with school age kids."

Excerpt: "The Province is committed to creating a future where inclusive child care is a core service that families can rely on by embedding inclusion and equitable access into all aspects of child care in B.C., and by partnering with the federal government to expand supports for children with support needs. This additional investment of $31.8 million in 2022-23 was provided through the 2021-2026 Canada-B.C. Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and the bilateral 2021-2025 Canada-B.C. Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. This funding will increase the number of children getting the support they need to fully participate in child care settings, while helping to build inclusive child care capacity by training child care providers."

Excerpt: "The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada announce three new, one-time grants to support regulated early learning and child care centres and homes across the province. The $44 million investment in one-time grants aims to help offset costs incurred from inflation, support preventative maintenance and repairs of centres, and provide funding for outdoor winter play equipment."

Excerpt: "The provincial government has launched a call for proposals to create new designated preschool early learning and child-care spaces. The aim is to increase access to high-quality, inclusive early learning and child care for all preschoolers, particularly infants. “We have heard from New Brunswick families across the province about the challenges they face accessing early learning and child-care services,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Bill Hogan. “A key element of improving these services for families is making sure they are accessible, no matter where they live. This is particularly true when it comes to supporting mothers who are looking to return to the labour force. Through this new call-for-proposals process, we are focusing on increasing access in communities with the greatest needs while also recognizing the high demand for infant spaces.”"