News & Stories: Policy Monitor

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.”"

Excerpt: "A vision to deliver the highest possible quality of education to our students will engage Islanders in all aspects of learning to ensure students, parents, teachers, principals and government are working together on achieving the same goal, excellence in learning."

Excerpt: "Expenditures in this budget for the education of our children in the Early Years and K-12 school system will increase by three percent to $243 million in the coming year."

Excerpt: "Government is increasing salaries to early childhood educators employed at early years centres by two per cent, as of July 2016."

Excerpt: "An additional $5.4 million dedicated to the education of Island children and youth. As a result, the total Budget of the Department of Education, Early Learning and Culture will be $256 million - an all-time high."

Excerpt: "CHANCES in partnership with the Margaret and Wallace McCain Foundation embarked on a research effort to profile the impact of expanding access to a range of high quality integrated services for children and their families, with a particular focus on those who were identified as being vulnerable. The initial focus was the expansion and integration of early education and family support services, while further efforts focused on enhancing access, quality and accountability."

"The agreement allocates $10.5 million, over three years, to Prince Edward Island for early learning and child care investments. The Island's funding focus will be on early learning and child care access for vulnerable children such as infants, pre-schoolers, children whose parents work seasonally or non-standard hours, and under-served populations including Newcomer families and Acadian and French speaking communities. Funding will also be directed towards professional training for early learning and care educators with the aim of improving the quality and richness of experiences for children."