News & Stories: Policy Monitor

Highlights: More spaces for infants and pre-schoolers - $3.6 million; More access for children who are most vulnerable - $2.5 million; More supports for children with unique needs - $1.5 million; More support for parents who work non-standard hours - $1.5 million; More supports for the acadian and francophone community - $180,000; More supports for newcomer families - $72,000; Training for early childhood educators - $215,000; Monitoring access and quality - $882,000.

Excerpt: "An increase in the province’s child-care subsidy program of $300,000 will benefit more than 1,600 Island children. Rates for before and after-school child care and private sitters will increase, and the monthly subsidy will increase by $120 for eligible families whose income is below a particular level."

Excerpt: "The report concluded that the recruitment and retention challenges faced by child care centresresult from a complex and dynamic interaction of several contributing factors. The authors note that “Solving recruitment and retention problems in child care requires a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach that must take into account and simultaneously address: (1) the need to moderate the stress in the job; (2) compensation (wages, benefits and working conditions); (3) the accessibility of ECCE training; and (4) the current low level of public respect for the job.”"

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced $4 million in federal support for Prince Edward Island’s child care sector to help ensure that safe and sufficient child care spaces are available to support parents’ gradual return to work."

Excerpt: "Starting October 1, 2020, salaries will go up for 367 early childhood educators and more than 110 autism assistants and special needs assistants in the province. Early childhood education wages will include the following increases: $0.50 per hour increase for level 1 educators; $1 per hour increase for level 2 educators; and $1.50 per hour increase for level 3 educators. Special needs assistants and autism assistants will receive a $1 per hour wage increase."

Excerpt: "Eligible early childhood centres will receive short-term assistance as they work to meet the criteria for an Early Years Centre designation to benefit Island children and families. Government will provide a total of $385,000 to support up to eight early childhood centres while they prepare and apply to become designated Early Years Centres."

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: "Mr. Speaker, this administration continues to make important investments in our children and we will launch our Universal Pre-K program in September of this year. It will be a community-based, half- day program designed to ensure all children have access to a play-based learning program which will give them a strong introduction to their education journey. This budget commits $2.9 million to introduce and ensure the program is a success."

Excerpt: "Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen; and Prince Edward Island’s Minister of Education and Lifelong Learning, Natalie Jameson, announced over $3.5 million in federal funding for early learning and child care investments in Prince Edward Island for 2020–2021."

Excerpt: "The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Premier of Prince Edward Island, Dennis King, today announced an agreement that will support an average of $10 a day early learning and child care in the province in three years. PEI is on track to meet this target by the end of 2024, significantly reducing the price of child care for families. Through the agreement, the governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island will work together to improve access to quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services. This includes creating 452 new regulated early learning and child care spaces within two years to ensure all families of children under age six can access child care. The federal funding of nearly $121.3 million over the next five years also includes a one time investment of about $3.6 million in 2021-2022 to support the early childhood workforce."

Excerpt: "Through the agreement, the Government of Canada is providing over $16 million in funding over four years to Prince Edward Island to improve access to high quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services. Under the 2021–2022 to 2024–2025 Canada–Prince Edward Island Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Prince Edward Island will allocate funding to increase access to affordable, inclusive and high-quality early learning and child care spaces, including for those with parents who work non-standard hours, for children of all abilities or needing individual or enhanced supports, and to invest in training to support early childhood educators."

Excerpt: "Designated Early Years Centres receive operational funding from government to follow a provincial curriculum framework, recognized as one of the best in the country. These centres provide government-regulated fees for parents and they are staffed by trained Early Childhood Educators who are on the provincial wage grid. There are now 61 provincial Early Years Centres on Prince Edward Island."