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

Excerpt: "Updates to the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s Parent Portal will allow families to enrol their children in early learning and child-care facilities online, cutting down on paperwork for families and facility operators. “We have been working to expand the services offered through our Parent Portal to help support both families and operators,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy. “We are pleased to work with early learning and child-care facilities to launch online child enrolment, which we hope will save time for families and our dedicated early learning and child-care providers. This information will also help us in decisions to improve services, child-care subsidies, and programs for early learners.”"

Excerpt: "Early Childhood Educators approved for Level 1 will have an hourly wage increase from $19.00/hour to $23.47/hour. Through the Wage Support Program for Early Childhood Educators (WSP-ECE), this will increase the wage top up for Level 1 educators from $7.25 per hour to $11.72 per hour, representing a wage increase of 24%. Early Childhood Educators approved for Entry Level will have an hourly wage increase from $14.90/hour to $16.90/hour.Through the Wage Support Program for Early Childhood Educators (WSP-ECE), this will increase the wage top up for Entry Level from $3.15/hour to $5.15/hour, representing a wage increase of 13%."

Excerpt: "Saskatchewan's 27 school divisions will receive $1.99 billion in school operating funding for the 2022-23 school year, an increase of $29.4 million or 1.5 per cent. This increase will: provide an additional $6.0 million for learning supports for students; and fully fund the 2.0 per cent salary increase for teachers as part of the Teachers' Collective Bargaining Agreement."

Excerpt: "The Ministry of Education is offering a one-time grant to regulated and operational child care centres to assist them in recruiting and retaining qualified early childhood educators (ECEs). Funds awarded will be calculated at $145 per regulated child care space. This grant is supported by funding provided through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement."

Excerpt: "Making life more affordable for people...through introducing an Early Learning and Child Care Act by the end of 2022, ensuring that childcare agreements have long-term protected funding that prioritizes non-profit and public spaces, to deliver high quality, affordable child care opportunities for families."

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

Excerpt: "The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan are announcing the addition of 1,202 new licensed not-for-profit child care facility spaces in 21 Saskatchewan communities as they continue to support families by providing better access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care. These additional spaces are part of a shared goal to create 28,000 new child care spaces in the province by the end of March 2026. Today’s announcement follows the December 2021 expansion of 601 new spaces."

Excerpt: "In considering affordability, it is important to consider overall operating costs which are higher in the North and the increased cost of living for early childhood educators who are typically paid low wages. Any increases to wages, to address recruitment and retention, will need to be considered in offsetting operating costs for licensed early learning and child care programs."

The theme of this year's International Women's Day - #BreakTheBias - encouraged people to imagine a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination.

Excerpt: "The Atkinson Centre at OISE/University of Toronto and Institute for Change Leaders hosted a Virtual Roundtable - Have your say about Canada’s new Early Learning and Child Care Legislation, on March 9, 2022. The event was in response to February 11 correspondence from the Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care seeking feedback on legislation to enshrine the principles of a Canada-wide child care system in law and support a lasting federal commitment over time. The following is a summary from the roundtable."