Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "As part of this agreement, the Government of Canada will invest $7.4 million over the next three years to enhance and expand the Territory’s existing Healthy Food for Learning program, providing enhanced programming to 8,615 kids across all 49 schools in the territory this year. Federal investments will be put toward purchasing new kitchen equipment and upgrading kitchens, hiring new staff dedicated to school food programming and coordination, increasing availability of traditional foods, and improving the nutritional value of meal options. Schools in the territories have taken a collaborative approach to building and addressing their school food programs needs by working together with local business partners, elders, educators and students."

Excerpt: "Today, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, alongside the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Jenna Sudds, announced that the federal government has reached early learning and child care extension agreements with 11 out of 13 provinces and territories, ensuring families get all the supports they need so they can join the workforce or continue their career while raising their kids. With these extensions, provinces and territories will receive $36.8 billion to move forward on progress to create new child care spaces, reduce waitlists, and hire more early childhood educators across the country. Affordable child care is good for kids and parents, and it’s good for the economy as well. With this increased and continued investment in early learning and child care, more parents – especially women – can enter the workforce and advance their careers. That means more good-paying jobs, more opportunities for early childhood educators, more economic growth across our communities, and a stronger, fairer Canada for everyone. It is estimated that for every dollar invested in child care, the economy gets $2.80 in return – a testament to the fact that affordable child care is good for families, and good for our country."

Excerpt: "The Commission nationale des parents francophones (CNPF) is receiving $47.7 million in new funding to create a network of early learning and child care stakeholders that will support cross-sectoral coordination in the implementation of specific initiatives for Francophone minority communities across Canada. Through partnerships, the network will provide funding for the implementation of specific initiatives that will improve access to quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care services and programs for children and families in Francophone minority communities, while helping to build Francophone cultural identity and supporting the French-speaking workforce in the sector. The Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne (ACUFC) is receiving $16.3 million to expand and continue the development of initial, continuous and specialized training programs for early childhood educators in Francophone minority communities. The ACUFC will fund initiatives that aim to address challenges facing the early childhood sector, strengthen the skills of early childhood educators and promote the profession while supporting access to high quality child care for children and their families in Francophone minority communities."

Excerpt: "Budget 2025 provides $370 million over three years to help give children and youth the supportive and inclusive learning environment they need. This includes hiring more teachers and supporting the growing number of children with special needs with funding for special education teachers, teacher psychologists and counsellors through the Classroom Enhancement Fund. Budget 2025 also provides $17 million for First Nations reciprocal tuition for students attending First Nations schools.

Capital investments of $4.6 billion over three years will go toward building, renovating and seismically upgrading schools. Major projects include $392 million in prefabricated school projects that will create 6,485 new seats across 16 school districts; $203 million for the new 1,900-seat Smith Secondary school in Langley; and $151 million for the new 630-seat Olympic Village elementary school in Vancouver."

Excerpt: "New reports on developmental inclusion practices and supports within Northwest Territories (NWT) early learning and child care settings are now available. Between June 2023 and July 2024, a third party was contracted to review current inclusion-related educational practices and supports available within licensed early learning and child care programs in the NWT. This review was informed through engagement and interviews with partners, including early childhood educators and identified organizations who provide inclusion supports to early learning and child care programs. The results of this engagement are included in the Review of Inclusive Education Practices in Early Learning and Child Care settings in the Northwest Territories – What We Heard. The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) also published a response to the findings of the What We Heard Report."

Excerpt: "The National School Food Program is a safety net for the kids who need this support the most. Kids in the North, most of whom are Indigenous, face very particular challenges and high food insecurity, and this will help level the playing field and give every child the chance to reach their full potential. As part of this agreement, the Government of Canada will invest approximately $7.6 million over the next three years. This investment will mean necessary upgrades to kitchen facilities, hiring staff, more nutritious meals, and access to traditional foods, such as lingonberries, cloudberries, caribou, salmon, cod – foods that nourish children while keeping cultural connections strong."

Excerpt: "Today, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, joined Nunavut Premier the Honourable P.J. Akeeagok, and Nunavut’s Minister of Education the Honourable Pamela Hakongak Gross to celebrate the official opening of the new location and expansion of Tumikuluit Saipaaqivik, Iqaluit’s only Inuktitut daycare. This project received $1.8 million in federal funding through the Canada-Nunavut Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. For 18 years, Tumikuluit Saipaaqivik has offered culture-based early learning and child care in Inuktitut, fostering a strong connection to Inuit culture and language. This new centre allows Tumikuluit Saipaaqivik to open 16 new early learning and child care spaces in their program."

Excerpt: "Since 2019 the department has made progress on several initiatives to address systemic inequities and achieve better student outcomes. Here are some of the highlights: Launching the Universal Early Learning and Child Care model and continuing to invest in high quality, accessible and affordable early learning programs for Yukon
children. This supports positive outcomes for children and helps to close gaps in student achievement; Further enhancing early learning through the provision of kindergarten and full-day kindergarten in rural communities to provide children with opportunities to engage in developmentally appropriate, play-based curriculum for longer periods (over two years), which fosters deeper understanding and development of solid foundational skills as they enter grade one; The department has continued to work with the First Nation School Board and the Chiefs Committee on Education to support the successes of the First Nation School Board, which operates eleven Yukon schools and develops and implements Indigenous language and culture education programs and programs designed to improve student outcomes within the education system; At the same time, the department has continued to work directly with Yukon First Nation governments to address joint education priorities through several collaborative initiatives inclusive of work on the Collaboration Framework and the next Joint Education Action Plan; The department has also continued work to advance the Review of Inclusive and Special Education (RISE) and to advance the RISE workplan which was co-developed with Yukon First Nations Education Commissioners and Advisory Committee for Yukon Education."

Excerpt: "Albertans deserve world-class education for their families now and in the future. Budget 2025 provides an operating expense budget of $9.9 billion in 2025-26, a 4.5% increase from the 2024-25 third quarter forecast; $54 million in 2025-26, along with $348 million more over the following 2 years will support additional enrolment growth; An increase of $55 million in 2025-26, and another $94 million in each of the following 2 years, to adjust the funding formula for school authorities to provide increased sustainable funding for growth within the funding model; Almost $1.1 billion in total over the next 3 years to address growth and hire more than 4,000 new teachers and classroom support staff; More than $1.6 billion in 2025-26 will support students with specialized learning needs or groups of students who need additional help; An investment of $55 million in 2025-26, a 20% increase from last year, to allow school authorities to add staff and supports to complex classrooms so students receive the focus and attention they need; $389 million over 3 years will provide increases to funding rates to cover the rising costs of maintaining educational facilities, unavoidable expenses like insurance and utilities, and providing programs and services to students; $2.6 billion over 3 years for educational (K-12) infrastructure, an increase of $505 million or 23.9% from Budget 2024. This funding will support the construction of more than 200,000 new and modernized student spaces over the next 7 years (almost 90,000 within the next 4 years)."

Excerpt: "The Province of British Columbia’s 2018 ChildCareBC plan included a commitment to add capacity in regional health authorities to license, monitor, and investigate child care facilities. Child care facility licensing is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and the five regional health authorities. But the Ministry of Education and Child Care has overall responsibility for putting the ChildCareBC plan into place. So close coordination is required. We did two audits related to ChildCareBC’s commitment to increase health authority capacity for child care licensing."

Excerpt: "The Department of Education’s Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) division is increasing the ELCC Wage Scale Program rates by 7.5% starting April 1, 2025 to support recruitment and retention of staff in licensed child care centres. Through federal funding, the ELCC Wage Scale Program provides licensed child care centres serving children ages 0-6 years, the opportunity to ensure fair and competitive wages for their staff. The wage scale applies to four categories of staff: Management; Early Childhood Educators; Program Support; Centre Support."

Excerpt: "Bill 66 - Early Learning and Child Care Act (Bill 66), was introduced on February 24, 2025, which proposes to replace the Child Day Care Act inherited when Nunavut became a territory. The proposed legislation ensures that Nunavut’s early learning and child care programs are accessible, affordable, inclusive, and rooted in Inuit culture, values and language. This represents a significant step forward in prioritizing the well-being and education of children in Nunavut. Bill 66 also introduces critical updates, including: Improved licensing requirements and duties for operators to enhance safety and accountability; Creation of the Early Learning and Child Care Council, a body to provide guidance and oversight; Expanded accessibility, affordability, and inclusivity for families across the territory; Enhanced support for the well-being of children, caregivers, and educators."