Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "To support parents with the cost of child care and help them get back into the workforce, the government is proposing a 20 percent enhancement of the CARE tax credit for 2021. This would increase support from $1,250 to $1,500, on average, providing about $75 million in additional support for the child care expenses of over 300,000 families."

Excerpt: "World-class education: $1.7 million to support the development and delivery of distance learning opportunities; $1.2 million to maintain the additional technicians put in place to provide technical support to teachers and students; $1 million to continue support of the Laptop Subsidy Program, helping an estimated 2,000 students access technology for the upcoming year; A wage increase of 75 cents per hour for qualified early childhood educators."

Excerpt: "The minister noted the proposed legislation outlines five basic principles that must be taken into consideration when making decisions under the act including that: early learning and child-care services should ensure the health, safety, development and well-being of children; access to early learning and child-care services should enhance the economic opportunities available to parents; early learning and child-care services should be available on a continuum that is responsive to the diverse needs of families; promoting inclusion and respect, and accommodating diversity should be inherent in early learning and child-care services; and public funding should promote fiscal responsibility and the sustainability of early learning and child-care services."

Excerpt: "To support Yukon families and make their lives more affordable, the Government of Yukon is investing more than $25 million in 2021–22 towards early learning and child care initiatives. This includes approximately $15 million for a new Yukon-wide universal child care program."

Excerpt: "Based on public and sector feedback, the ministry has identified six action areas to improve the child care and early years system. The action areas include immediate commitments, such as consulting on proposed regulatory amendments through the Ontario Regulatory Registry, and longer-term commitments to continue to enhance the system by providing more choice and affordability for children and families, reducing red tape and administrative burden, and improving quality."

Excerpt: "My government’s objective is to increase access to childcare by adding an additional 300 childcare spaces this year. This measure will constitute the first steps toward a universal model with a fixed rate for early childhood centres, with the objective to provide our children a strong and healthy start to their educational path in a consistent, caring, and safe learning environment."

Excerpt: "Since the 2020 Budget, Ontario's Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover, significant additional investments have been made as part of the Ontario government's urgent COVID-19 response, including: (…) $235 million in additional supports to protect children and staff in child care and early years settings."

Excerpt: "The Ministers recognized the efforts of provinces and territories to deliver high quality child care to families across Canada through well-established child care systems, particularly during the pandemic. Ministers agreed to initiate discussion for renewed bilateral funding agreements in accordance with the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework, noting some common interests, challenges and perspectives on early learning and child care, including support for workforce participation."

Excerpt: "Yukon families will have increased access to high quality, affordable childcare options for their children starting on April 1, 2021. Additionally, full-time early kindergarten programs will be offered in all rural Yukon schools starting in the 2021–22 school year."

Excerpt: "The Manitoba government is investing an additional $50 million in school capital funding above the Budget 2020 commitment of $160 million for total funding of $210 million in kindergarten to Grade 12 school capital projects across the province, Education Minister Cliff Cullen and Central Services Minister Reg Helwer announced today."

Excerpt: "A cap on fees for new child care facilities receiving the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI) will help keep new child care spaces affordable for B.C. families."

Excerpt: "Ontario is investing $150,000 to create two new positions at the provincial advocacy group l'Association francophone à l'éducation des services à l'enfance de l'Ontario (AFÉSEO). These positions will promote the recruitment, retention and professional development of French-language early childhood educator staff while supporting the provision of high-quality French-language services in child care and early years programs."