Policy Monitor

The Abecedarian model of early learning and child care has been introduced in the Lord Selkirk Park housing development. The model "will include a curriculum that promotes literacy and language development, in addition to a family resource centre."

Excerpt: "To include s. 2.1 under Elementary School Classes – Requirements Respecting Size. This section provides class size provisions for full-day junior kindergarten and kindergarten, clearly identifying an average class size unit of 26 pupils."

The Ministry of Education, Early Learning Division announced an interim policy regarding capital funding to replace child care spaces in replacement schools. The funding would affect "child care spaces for children aged 0 to 3.8 years old located in schools that are scheduled to close or to be rebuilt."

On January 11, 2012, the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development announced a plan "to reorganize school districts; increase parents’ involvement on district education councils; and to pay chairs and members of these councils."

Statistics Canada predicts that the Aboriginal identity population in Canada could be between 1.7 million and 2.2 million by 2031 "representing between 4.0% and 5.3% of the total population. The average annual growth rate of the Aboriginal identity population as a whole during this period would be between 1.1% and 2.2%, compared with 1.0% for the non-Aboriginal population. In 2006, an estimated 1.3 million people reported an Aboriginal identity. These populations accounted for 3.9% of the Canadian population. Among them, 785,000 were North American Indians, 404,000 were Métis and 53,000 were Inuit..."

Educational Childcare Services-Audit objectives: Obtain the assurance that the Ministère de la Famille et des Aînés: Had taken measures to set up a quality network of educational childcare services, in accordance with the Educational Childcare Act and sound management rules and practices; Evaluates its performance and makes adequate accountability reports on the quality of educational childcare services.

Alberta has launched Our Children, Our Future: Getting it Right Public Consultations on the Education Act. The government will hold forums in seven communities on education legislation.

Healthy Child Manitoba Office has released its 2010/11 Annual Report. "This report reflects the continued commitment of government and community partners in the Healthy Child Manitoba Strategy to facilitate child-centered public policy..."

Excerpt: ""The Government of Saskatchewan continues to make significant progress in increasing the number of licensed child care spaces in Saskatchewan," Duncan said. "The 25 new spaces at Pangman School are part of that investment. More children will now have access to high quality early learning opportunities while their parents are following their own education or employment pursuits.""

The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador announced "more than $685,000... to support three child care centres in the communities of Labrador City and Wabush…. This funding is being provided through the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Capacity Initiative of the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. It will support the development of 117 new regulated child care spaces in Labrador and also sustain existing spaces by providing funding for renovations to maintain a current child care facility."

Manitoba Child Care Program launches Early Returns: Manitoba’s Early Learning and Child Care Curriculum Framework for Preschool Centres and Nursery Schools. This curriculum framework supports staff to develop, describe and enhance their curriculum.

Province-wide online resource and child care registry allows parents to find out about, and register for child care options, including licensed child care centres, home child care and nursery schools. Manitobaparentzone.ca also provides parenting and child development information. Manitobaparentzone.ca will run on a $70,000 annual budget, with initial site development and marketing costs of $200,000. The online registry is being launched at a cost of $1.575 million and will operate on an annual investment of $150,000.