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July 11, 2022

Families in Canada to benefit from innovative early learning and child care

Excerpt: "The University of British Columbia is receiving a total of $1,294,439 in federal funding over 24 months, starting in April 2022, for their project titled PROmoting Early Childhood Outside (PRO-ECO). In partnership with 10 early learning and child care sites in Greater Vancouver, the University of British Columbia will research the effectiveness of outdoor play intervention. This project aims to create a locally guided and sustainable method for enhancing outdoor play environments that will be scalable to other early learning and child care centres across Canada."
July 7, 2022

$50M now available to create child-care spaces

Excerpt: "The $50 million is being invested to increase the number of non-profit child-care spaces especially in communities with limited or no licensed child care, or in communities where there is a high demand for service. This funding is provided through the Alberta Canada Early Learning and Child Care agreement. The made-in-Alberta agreement invests $3.8 billion of federal funding over five years to strengthen child care for families by improving access to quality child care and lowering fees for parents with children kindergarten-aged and younger who access licensed child care."
July 7, 2022

ECEs have the power

The Atkinson Centre promotes research on child development, and the development of early learning policy and practice that serve young children and their families.
June 30, 2022

Canada-Nunavut Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2021 to 2026

Excerpt: "Nunavut agrees to use funds provided by Canada under this Agreement to support the expansion of regulated child care, and prioritize not-for-profit (including publically delivered) early learning and child care programs and services, for children under the age of 6, where: regulated programs and services are defined as those that meet standards that are established and/or monitored by provincial/territorial governments and Indigenous governments and authorities; not-for-profit providers and operations, which includes publically delivered operations, are defined as those that provide child care services to a community for a purpose other than generating a profit, typically improving family and/or child well being and/or development. Providers may generate a profit, but the surplus earnings, or other resources, are directed towards improving child care services rather than distributed for the personal benefit of owners, members, investors or to enhance asset growth. Early learning and child care programs and services are defined as those supporting direct care and early learning for children in settings including, but not limited to, regulated child care centres, regulated family child care homes, early learning centres, preschools and nursery schools."
June 30, 2022

It’s a good time to be an ECE

The Atkinson Centre promotes research on child development, and the development of early learning policy and practice that serve young children and their families.
June 29, 2022

Inclusion support workers receive hourly wage increase in line with early childhood educators

Excerpt: "“Inclusion support workers ensure children with additional needs have the support they need to participate in early learning with their peers,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy. “It is important that we recognize all that they do. The department is actively working on many initiatives aimed at developing the existing early learning and child-care workforce and attracting, recruiting and retaining qualified professionals to this sector to promote affordable, high-quality and inclusive early learning and care for every child.” Trained inclusion support workers, who have completed the one-year Early Childhood Education certificate or equivalent, will have their salaries increased to $23.47 per hour. Untrained inclusion support workers will have their hourly wage increased to $16.90. This includes funding provided to operators to address increases in the minimum wage. The increase will come into effect Aug. 1."
June 29, 2022

Increase to Nova Scotia Child Benefit

Excerpt: "The Province is helping Nova Scotian families with lower incomes by increasing their Nova Scotia Child Benefit effective Friday, July 1. The benefit is a tax-free payment to eligible families to help with the cost of raising children under 18. Depending on household income and the number of children, families will now receive as much as $1,275 per child annually, at least $350 more than the previous year."