News & Stories: Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "The following enhancements will be implemented for eligible child care services: All staff funded through the Inclusion Program will be required to obtain a minimum qualification of Entry Level Certification through the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Newfoundland and Labrador; The staffing grant has been extended to cover the cost of a substitute for a staff member to attend multi-disciplinary planning meetings, professional learning opportunities, or other recommended activities to enhance inclusionary practices; Policies for transitional planning will be developed to support smoother transitions for children as they move from one environment to another including from child care to the school system and out of child care at the age of 13; and The inclusion process will promote increased parental involvement and communication with the child care service provider."

Excerpt: "Indicative of our Government's commitment to early learning and child care, we will increase child care subsidies available to low income families throughout the province by increasing the income threshold eligibility requirement. Our Government will also look to increase the Early Learning and Child Care Supplement for qualifying early childhood educators."

$2 million to be added to the base amount of $12.5 million to broaden the eligibility for the Child Care Subsidy Program, which will reduce costs for low to middle income families; $1.3 million increase to the Early Learning and Child Care Supplement; Over $13 million annually for full-day Kindergarten across the province.

Recommendation Excerpt: "The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development develop and release by June 2019, a foundational document with an implementation plan for a junior kindergarten program that would be accessible to all four-year-old children in Newfoundland and Labrador, using the phased-in approach and other lessons learned from the models in Ontario and the Northwest Territories."

Excerpt: "The New Child Care Act includes: Replacing the former Child Care Services Act effective today (July 31); Improving safety and security standards for the well-being of our children at their most vulnerable stages; Clarifying and strengthening licensing exemptions; Removing the cap on the number of spaces per child care centre; Enhancing qualification expectations by requiring entry-level certification to become trainee certification, requiring early childhood educators to upgrade to a post-secondary one-year Early Childhood Education Certificate within a five-year period; Enhancing qualifications for administrators of infant-only family homes to include the requirement of a Level I certification with an infant classification; Ensuring child care providers have a secure building policy and enhanced physical space requirements to increase quality of care; and Committing to a mandatory five-year legislative review with public consultation to allow the opportunity for feedback."

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates just over $22 million, over three years, to Newfoundland and Labrador for early learning and child care investments. The funding will support the existing 10-year child care strategy Caring for Our Future: Provincial Strategy for Quality, Sufficient and Affordable Child Care in Newfoundland and Labrador 2012-2022 which will develop and implement innovative approaches to address early learning and child care challenges through subsidies, grants, bursaries and professional learning opportunities."

Excerpt: "The Honourable Al Hawkins, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, announced today that $6.5 million in Capital Renovation Grants has been allocated to 59 child care service providers. The grants are being provided through the $22 million three-year bi-lateral agreement with the Federal Government for early learning and child care investments."

Excerpt: "The capacity initiative provides developmental, capital and start-up funding to not-for-profit community groups who want to develop child care centres. Enhancements (including an innovative expansion to include family child care) will increase the number of regulated child care services particularly in underserviced areas, with a focus on rural communities, linguistic minority communities, and Indigenous communities. These enhancements will increase the grant available for non-profit organizations, which is anticipated to develop up to five new or expanded licensed child care centres with approximately 180 new spaces over three years."

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced $10 million in federal support for Newfoundland and Labrador’s child care sector to help ensure that safe and sufficient child care spaces are available to support parents’ gradual return to work."

Excerpt: "Affordable and accessible child care, coupled with investments in education and skills development, is paramount in a modern economy. These investments, and collaboration with our education partners, will contribute to a stronger economy today and into the future. To help ease the financial pressures on families, especially on women, in Budget 2020 we are committed to $25 a day child care in 2021."

Excerpt: "The program will be delivered through the already established Operating Grant Program. Regulated child care services that participate in the program are provided a grant to offset the reduced fees they charge families. That grant amount will be increased to allow them to reduce their fees further and charge just $25 a day."

Excerpt: "Today the Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Education, announced the allocation of the $10.2 million from the COVID-19 Safe Restart Agreement funding for child care operations in Newfoundland and Labrador. This Federal Government investment will support child care operators and Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) for their important roles in providing child care amidst the COVID-19 pandemic."