Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "Nova Scotia families will no longer be faced with wait-list or registration fees to attend provincially licensed and funded early learning and child-care programs. Under 2024-25 child-care operator funding agreements, the Department is banning wait-list and registration fees, which conflict with the government’s commitment to family-centred practices. “We are transforming Nova Scotia’s child-care system and part of that transformation is ensuring we build family-centred practices,” said Becky Druhan, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. “In the fall, I promised to end the practice of wait-list fees as part of our commitment to inclusive, accessible and affordable child care for families. I am very happy to say these extra fees will no longer be something parents have to worry about.”"

Excerpt: "From public health, to child care and education, our government takes our responsibility to help and support parents in keeping kids safe and healthy very seriously. During the pandemic, thanks to measures like contract tracing, we kept kids in classrooms more than any other province did. We understood how important school is, not only for learning, but also for the social, mental and physical well-being of children. It wasn’t always easy, but was important to do the right thing for kids in B.C."

Excerpt: "Participants mentioned the need for the public school system to accommodate the increasing school-age population. The unique needs of new resident students, such as English and French as Additional Language students, were also acknowledged. At the same time, there was a recognition that the province has a robust education system on which to build. Participants also raised Early Learning and Child Care access as a concern. Limited access to Early Learning and Child Care prevents some parents from participating in the workforce. Early Learning and Child Care inaccessibility are felt more acutely by vulnerable segments of the population— women, lower-income families, and members of equity-deserving groups—creating additional barriers to social inclusion."

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, joined the Honourable Caitlin Cleveland, the Northwest Territories’ Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, to announce that the Northwest Territories will achieve an average of $10-a-day child care fees under the Canada-wide early learning and child care system by April 1, 2024—two years ahead of the national target. Through a combination of funding provided under the Canada–Northwest Territories Early Learning and Child Care Agreement as well as territorial funding, the governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories are working together to improve access to high-quality, affordable and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services, with the goal of ensuring that Northwest Territories families that need or want to can access licensed child care for an average of $10 a day. Families in the Northwest Territories could save up to $9,120 a year for each child in licensed child care once fees reach an average of $10 a day."

Excerpt: "The B.C. government is helping people with everyday costs, including delivering more affordable homes, reducing the cost of child care, providing more meals and snacks in schools and boosting skills training so people can access good-paying jobs. Budget 2024 builds on this foundation by keeping more money in people’s pockets during tough times. More families with children will get more help with costs. Families will see a 25% increase to their monthly BC Family Benefit, with $248 million for a one-year BC Family Benefit Bonus, starting in July 2024; A family of four would receive up to $2,850 per year and with the bonus will now receive as much as $3,563; A single parent with one child would receive up to $2,250 and will now receive as much as $2,688 per year; On average, families will receive $445 more; More families will benefit. Approximately 66,000 more families, or 25% more, will receive the benefit and the bonus this year. A total of 340,000 families will benefit during the 12-month period."

Excerpt: "In 2023, we added 74,000 new jobs – some of the strongest job growth in the country. We were the first among provinces in year-over-year growth in average hourly wages last year. In December, women’s employment increased more than in any other province. Further proof that increasing wages and reducing child care bills is good for families and good for business."

Excerpt: "Recently, child-care operators have expressed several concerns relating to long-term sustainability and a lack of flexibility under the agreement. For these reasons, Premier Danielle Smith has appointed Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade Matt Jones to lead the province’s work on child care. Minister Jones has extensive experience from his time as minister of children’s services and will immediately engage with the federal government to address the concerns of operators and to ensure child care remains sustainable for Alberta families. To provide immediate support, Alberta’s government is actively working on a new system that will streamline payment processes and ensure child-care operators receive affordability grant payments faster. This work is being done in partnership with the Ministry of Technology and Innovation, and additional information will be made available in the coming weeks."

Excerpt: "Over the course of the three-year plan, Nova Scotia’s Canada-wide ELCC Action Plan 2023–2024 to 2025–2026 outlines spending of more than $440 million in five areas: Affordability - More than $285 million towards the goal of achieving regulated child care fees of $10-a-day average by March 31, 2026. The Government of Nova Scotia has already reduced child care fees by an average of 50% as of December 2022 saving families up to $6,000 per year, per child. When combined with the Child Care Subsidy Program, this resulted in more than 3,000 families having access to free child care; Access - $52 million towards the creation of 9,500 new regulated child care spaces by March 2026. In Nova Scotia, 3,861 new spaces have already been created as of December 31, 2023; Quality - More than $105 million toward an early childhood educator (ECE) compensation framework, including ongoing support for the ECE wage grid introduced in November 2022, and implementing retirement and health benefits for all ECEs and ELCC workers in the regulated sector; Inclusion - More than $30 million to implement an inclusive early learning and child care strategy that focuses on respect for diversity and strives for equity, inclusion and accessibility across the child care system; as well as continuing to support inclusion measures for diverse and vulnerable communities, including children with additional needs. Nova Scotia is committed to creating inclusive spaces to support diverse and vulnerable children and families, including children with disabilities and children needing enhanced or individual supports, Indigenous children, Black and other racialized children, children of newcomers, and official language minorities; Administration - $23 million to support the implementation and administration of the Canada–Nova Scotia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, including building targeted capacity and additional resources within the Government of Nova Scotia to support the implementation of initiatives, and enhanced data collection and reporting."

Excerpt: "The newly approved $10-a-day spaces are offered at 25 child care centres throughout B.C., including Houston, Squamish, Surrey and Vancouver. For this intake, government’s focus was to prioritize new $10-a-day facilities in communities that do not yet have access to the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program or have a low number of $10-a-day spaces compared to the region’s population density. In addition to the $10-a-day spaces, provincial and federal investments are helping approximately 128,000 families with the cost of child care at centres that are not part of the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program through child care fee reductions of up to $900 per month per child. When combined with the Affordable Child Care Benefit, many families are paying $10 a day or less for child care, including those not participating in the $10 a Day program."

Excerpt: "The first measure will increase the minimum enrolment threshold for regulated child care centres participating in the Operating Grant Program. The threshold for those centres to receive full grant funding will increase from 70 per cent enrolment to 90 per cent enrolment. This change will come into effect on April 1, 2024. Regional staff from the Department of Education will work with all child care centers to maximize capacity and minimize operational impact. Rural and remote services will not be financially impacted by the increase in enrolment threshold."

Excerpt: "The Accord aims to create better outcomes for students and learners while also supporting the Provincial Government’s goal of becoming one of Canada’s healthiest provinces by 2031. Education Accord NL will focus on four pillars: Early learning and childhood development; Education engagement and transformation; Health and well-being in education environments; and, Post-secondary education and learning across the life span. The Accord will be developed in consultation with stakeholders and will incorporate research garnered through the extensive engagement and consultation process of Health Accord NL. Education Accord NL will focus on delivering a 10-Year Education Accord with short, medium, and long-term goals for an education system that better meets the needs of students and learners in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Accord will be delivered to government by December 31, 2024."

Excerpt: "New learning expectations are also being added to the kindergarten curriculum. In math, clear and direct instruction in foundational numeracy skills will be provided to all students in addition to daily opportunities to explore math concepts through regular classroom activities. All students will start to learn about fractions, coding and patterns earlier in their education. These new lessons will build foundational math concepts and skills that are the gateway to the disciplines of science, technology and engineering, as well as construction, skilled trades and architecture. The changes and supports, which will be in place starting in September 2025, are the next step in Ontario’s plan to modernize the curriculum and ensure every student has the skills to succeed in the classroom and prepare them for whatever path they choose."