Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "To realize these objectives, I ask that you achieve results for Canadians by delivering the following commitments. Supported by the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, continue advancing the creation and sustainability of a Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system, including: Concluding negotiations with remaining provinces and territories and implementing agreements: Reducing fees for regulated child care by 50 per cent on average by the end of 2022 everywhere outside of Quebec, reducing regulated child care fees to $10 a day on average by the end of fiscal year 2025-2026 everywhere outside of Quebec, and building 250,000 new high-quality child care spaces and hiring 40,000 more early childhood educators by the end of fiscal year 2025-2026; Introducing federal child care legislation to strengthen and protect a high-quality Canada-wide child care system; Establishing a National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care; Continuing to advance work with provinces and territories to reduce fees for families for before and after school care; and Ensuring the Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care is fully resourced and operational by early 2023."

Excerpt: "The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Premier of the Northwest Territories, Caroline Cochrane, today announced an agreement that will support an average of $10 a day child care in the territory, significantly reducing the price of child care for families. Through today’s agreement and previous agreements, the governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories will work together to improve access to quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services. This includes creating 300 new licensed early learning and child care spaces by the end of March 2026. All of these spaces will be provided exclusively by not-for-profit providers, including community and non-profit organizations as well as family day home providers. With federal funding of over $51 million over the next five years, the Northwest Territories will also see a 50 per cent reduction in average parent fees for children under the age of six in licensed child care by the end of 2022."

Excerpt: "With the upcoming reduction to $15 per day for families using regulated child care services under the Operating Grant Program (OGP), today the Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Education, announced corresponding changes to the Child Care Subsidy net income threshold for all child care services. As well, Minister Osborne announced the elimination of parental contributions under that program to support lower-income families in accessing regulated child care at a reduced or no cost. This change will also result in the elimination of parental contribution for all eligible Child Care Subsidy clients and free child care for eligible families using a child care service participating in the Operating Grant Program."

Excerpt: "This agreement will fund critical services, and grow a strong and skilled workforce of early childhood educators, including through the creation of a wage grid and greater opportunities for professional development. The agreement will also support an early learning and child care system that is fully inclusive of children with disabilities and children needing enhanced or individual supports, and ensures all families have equitable access to high-quality, affordable early learning and child care."

Excerpt: "The Government of Saskatchewan prioritizes allocating new child care spaces in communities where there is both a high need for child care and a higher level of vulnerability, and to organizations that are ready to move forward with centre development. Organizations will be provided with start-up grants and enhanced space development funding to support the creation of child care centre spaces."

Excerpt: "Up to $25 million over two years will be allocated through this call for proposals to projects that will help to improve the accessibility and safety of regulated and/or licensed early learning and child care centres across the country. This funding could benefit approximately 350 child care centres, and support accessible infrastructure improvements such as ramps, doors, washrooms, elevators, lifts, and play structures. Accessible information and communication technology projects are also eligible for funding support."

Excerpt: "The program provides compensation for up to 8 per cent of staff wages for employers to select and offer a comprehensive benefits package that meets the needs of their employees from a registered Canadian insurance provider. A combined total of $800,000 in funding from the governments of Canada and Yukon is available to every licensed ELCC program in the Yukon, including operators currently offering benefits for employees. Those operators can also receive retroactive funding for providing their employees with benefits from April 1, 2021."

Excerpt: "Designated Early Years Centres receive operational funding from government to follow a provincial curriculum framework, recognized as one of the best in the country. These centres provide government-regulated fees for parents and they are staffed by trained Early Childhood Educators who are on the provincial wage grid. There are now 61 provincial Early Years Centres on Prince Edward Island."

Excerpt: "The 2020-2021 Annual Report presents data on the delivery of child and family services across the Northwest Territories from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. An important trend identified in the report shows that since 2011-2012, there has been a decrease of children and youth in permanent care from 193 to 93. This decrease speaks to the importance of family and community support in the lives of children and youth. It also highlights the benefits to children and youth that come from remaining connected to their family, community, and culture while receiving services."

Excerpt: "The newly approved Capital Priorities Program projects will create 19,700 new student spaces, and 1,525 new licensed child care spaces in schools. These new spaces will be supported by an investment of $565 million, which will see 26 new schools and 20 permanent additions and renovations built. In addition, the Ontario government will collaborate with several school boards in this round of Capital Priorities funding to expand solutions for accelerated school construction through a pilot project using modular construction methods. This will deliver efficiencies in construction and reduce build times so that students can take advantage of new and updated schools sooner."

Excerpt: "The Government will also continue building the first-ever Canada-wide early learning and child care system. By the end of 2022, average fees for regulated child care will be cut in half in most of the provinces and territories. And in some places, this will even happen as early as the start of the year. Families will save thousands of dollars. Four jurisdictions have not yet reached agreements on child care. Two are territories with unique infrastructure challenges, and the Government will keep working together to ensure we meet the needs of the North. The Government will continue working with the remaining two provinces to finalize agreements that will deliver $10-a-day child care for families who so badly need it."

Excerpt: "Since signing the early learning and child care agreements with the federal government in August, the Government of Saskatchewan has delivered a wage increase and training opportunities for early childhood educators (ECEs) ensuring families and their children have access to high quality and inclusive child care in the province.

Today, the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan announced that as a first step toward making child care more affordable for children aged 0 to 5, funding will be provided to licensed facilities that will reduce parents’ out-of-pocket child care fees by about half on average, retroactive to July 1, 2021. This initial reduction is the first step toward reaching the 2025-26 goal of, on average, $10 a day licensed child care in Saskatchewan."