Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "The governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing more than $1 million to support a community-based capital project to create 40 new child-care spaces at a new centre in Oakville, Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko announced here today. “Our government is committed to creating high-quality child-care spaces for Manitobans that have limited access to child care, such as Indigenous communities, newcomers and low-income families,” said Ewasko. “I am pleased that our government’s investment will help to develop the first child-care centre in the town of Oakville, a rural community in central Manitoba that currently has the lowest number of licensed child-care spaces in the province.” The new spaces are made possible through funding under the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, which provides the province with approximately $1.2 billion million over five years to improve access to affordable, high-quality, flexible and inclusive early learning and child-care programs for all children, regardless of where they live."

Excerpt: "The 16 projects, funded through the Early Learning and Child Care Innovation Program, are receiving a total of $27.4 million in federal funding over three years, and will be completed by March 31, 2025. The call for proposals focused on projects that foster cutting-edge practices to support the changing nature of early learning and child care, placing a priority on projects that address the needs of families grappling with the impacts of the pandemic."

Excerpt: "Saskatchewan regulated child care centres and group family child care homes will receive a one-time grant of $145 per regulated child care space for children up to the age of six to assist with each facility's unique workforce needs, such as one-time investments into benefit or pension funds, signing bonuses or to attend career fairs. This investment will be made through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement for the Early Learning and Child Care Workforce Enhancement Grant."

Excerpt: "Highlights of the announcement include: a new wage scale for Level 1, 2 and 3 early childhood educators and directors working in licensed centres and family home child-care agencies that receive funding from the Province; wage increases retroactive to July 4, 2022; the wage increases will be between 14 and 43 per cent, depending on classification level and experience; wage increases will flow through employers (licensed, funded centres and agencies); the cost is estimated at about $100 million a year, cost-shared through the Canada–Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement; the Province currently pays about $25 million a year in wages to operators and the total additional new investment is about $75.4 million."

Excerpt: "Alberta’s government has expanded the paid hours that are eligible for existing wage top-ups for front-line certified ECEs. As of Oct. 1, all paid hours are now eligible for the existing wage top-ups, including indirect time and employer-paid vacation time. These measures represent an investment of nearly $90 million in federal and provincial funding through to the end of fiscal 2025-26. Provincial funding will support this enhanced wage top-up for certified ECEs working in out-of-school care programs."

Excerpt: "Recognizing that affordable child care is crucial to helping people, particularly women, enter or re-enter the workforce, My Government has been a national leader in lowering costs to $10 a day starting this coming January."

Excerpt: "The department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) invited Indigenous governments, licensed early learning and child care program operators, early childhood educators, and the public to provide their feedback on the proposed amendments. These amendments seek to establish an NWT certification process and wage grid, increase inclusion and reporting measures, establish cost control measures, protect the rights of families, and update language used in the Act. The What We Heard Report includes a summary of feedback from engagement that took place in June 2022."

Excerpt: "The 24 child-care facilities will each receive grants between $5,000 and $25,000, depending on the number of infant and preschool spaces offered. These facilities applied for grants during the 2020-21 Indigenous Programming Grant intake. “This grant will be used to enhance Indigenous-focused curriculum and programming in our centres,” said Fernanda Hodgsons, executive director, Day Nursery Centre. “It provides us with a step in the right direction toward reconciliation and a greater understanding of our Indigenous families and community.”"

Excerpt: "The Province is directly funding licensed child care centres so families will not need to apply for these savings. This funding will lower fees for children, kindergarten-aged and younger. These additional savings, which build on earlier fee cuts introduced as part of the Province’s $2.7-billion investment in ChildCareBC since 2018, are being funded through the five-year, $3.2-billion Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement."

Excerpt: "The Province is making education accessible by working with Capilano University (CapU) on a new centre for childhood studies that will more than double the available child care spaces on campus. Slated to open late 2024, the centre will add 74 affordable new child care spaces for a total of 143 on-campus spaces for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers. Students, employees and community members are all eligible to apply for space for their children at the new centre."

Excerpt: "The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada are investing $5.4 million to provide up to $2 an hour increase for Early Childhood Educators (ECEs). This is in recognition of the important services they provide in supporting families who require child care. The investment will assist child care centres in providing improved wages in the recruitment and retention of ECEs. This Wage Enhancement Grant will be funded through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, which also supports future ECEs with free post-secondary training, professional development opportunities and many other programs."

Excerpt: "The Ready-to-Learn Schools program was first launched as a pilot project at Takhini Elementary School in 2019 and was adopted by Selkirk Elementary School in 2021. This school year the program will be implemented at St. Elias Community School in Haines Junction, Nelnah Bessie John School in Beaver Creek and Grey Mountain Primary School and Jack Hulland Elementary School in Whitehorse. Responsive instructional approaches will eventually be implemented in all Yukon schools."