News & Stories: Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen, announced $137 million in federal support for Quebec’s child care sector to help ensure that safe and sufficient child care spaces are available to support parents’ gradual return to work."

Excerpt: "The governments of Quebec and Canada recognize Quebec’s leadership in early learning and child care and together, they have announced an asymmetric agreement for the federal transfer of nearly $6 billion over five years. This includes a significant portion that will go toward strengthening the early learning and child care system in Quebec and improving working conditions for educators."

Excerpt: "In order to strengthen the current system, the Government of Quebec announced, as part of its fiscal year 2021 to 2022 budget, investments of $144.2 million over 5 years to: increase the number of qualified early childhood educators; accelerate the development of child care spaces through measures such as reviewing and optimizing the process related to the development of centres de la petite enfance (CPEs), authorizing the use of temporary facilities, and providing additional incentives for home child care providers; improve the offer of child care services and make it more flexible by promoting the provision of atypical child care and the offer of activities by community drop-in centres."

Excerpt: "To improve assistance and services for families and youth, the government is announcing funding totalling $256 million in this budget to: improve the quality of the educational childcare services network; rovide support to families with special needs and improve targeted services for them; support young people. The financial impact of these measures is $109 million, in light of amounts announced elsewhere in this budget, such as the implementation of the 2022‑2027 government action plan in the community action field."

Excerpt: "Under the agreement with Quebec, the Government of Canada is investing nearly $6 billion over five years to make further improvements to early learning and child care. A significant portion of the funding will address Quebec’s stated child care priorities, including creating more than 30,000 subsidized reduced-contribution child care spaces, increasing the number of qualified child care educators and strengthening the current child care network."

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development released the 2011-2012 Annual Report.

The PEI government released its Budget Address 2013. To ensure the growth in the early childhood initiative continues, the Government will increase its commitment to the Early Years Centres by $250,000, bringing the total investment to approximately $7.7 million next year. An additional $60,000 is being committed to the Best Start Program to expand services to include children up to 36 months of age. The total contribution to the Best Start Program is now in excess of $1.2 million.

This report is the results of the first year’s evaluation of Prince Edward Island’s Preschool Excellence Initiative -- a comprehensive 5-year plan to build a provincial early childhood system for children from infancy to kindergarten. The system’s emphasis is on building a community based, publicly managed early childhood system supporting the early development of children while at the same time supporting parents in balancing their work and family responsibilities.

Excerpt: "Last weekend, 83 kindergarten teachers graduated with their Bachelor of Education degree, which was an important milestone in the successful transition to a public full-day kindergarten program in our Island school system, says Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Alan McIsaac."

Excerpt: "Government will be investing $3.75 million over five years to increase and enhance services to children with complex health needs says Minister of Health and Wellness Doug Currie."

Excerpt: "In 2011, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) ranked PEI’s new early learning and child care system second in Canada, behind only Quebec. Since then, our system has been further enhanced through continued education and training of our early childhood educators and ongoing support to the implementation of our provincial early learning curriculum framework. Earlier today, OISE released its Early Childhood Education 2014 Report, increasing PEI’s rating and moving it to a first place tie with Quebec."

Excerpt: "“I am extremely pleased to expand our existing newborn screening program to ensure the early detection of even more conditions, including cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia,” said the Minister. “It will also mean better support and follow-up service will be in place for the improved health of Island children.”"