News & Stories: Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "As we create new child care spaces, we also need more talented early childhood educators to support them. To help build this incredible workforce, the governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing in professional training and education, including $5.8 million for a tuition reimbursement program that provides early childhood education students with up to $5,000. There’s also dedicated funding to support newcomers and Indigenous students entering the field, ensuring more trained professionals are ready to meet the demand."

Excerpt: "The Welcoming a Child Hub offers a personalized checklist and highlights key benefits from the government. This ensures parents can plan Employment Insurance leave, the Canada Child Benefit, Dental Care and may other benefits available to them through the Government of Canada. It also shares relatable stories inspired by real experiences. Similar to the recently launched Retirement Hub and the What to Do When Someone Dies Hub, this initiative demonstrates the Government’s commitment to improving services and supporting Canadians through major life events and unique challenges."

Excerpt: "The new dual-track French and English K-8 school will be located on Castlebrook Drive between Landover Drive and Skyline Drive. It will also include 74 infant and preschool child-care spaces. The Pembina Trails School Division has seen a 17 per cent growth in students since 2019 and this school will be designed with potential future expansion in mind to accommodate enrolment growth into the coming years, said the minister."

Excerpt: "Children and families in Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and East Hants will have more options and improved access to child care with up to 286 new spaces. Through Nova Scotia’s child-care space creation programs, the Province is providing $7.6 million to support six child-care operators to add the spots. “These investments are opening more access to affordable child care to help families in our fastest growing regions,” said Brendan Maguire, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. “By investing in child care, we invest in families to participate in the workforce and grow our economy.”"

Excerpt: "Families in Cape Breton Regional Municipality are getting more access to child care with the addition of up to 49 spaces in Glace Bay. New Dawn Enterprises, a non-profit community organization, received funding to create the spaces, which will be located in its Glace Bay Youth and Family Centre."

Excerpt: "Alberta’s government and the Government of Canada are investing $53 million over two years in the Building Blocks Capital Grant Program to encourage the creation of new child-care spaces. The funds will help Alberta’s child-care providers create more affordable, high-quality spaces where Alberta families need them most. The grant will provide non-profit and public child-care providers the capital to build, expand, upgrade and make repairs to their existing facilities. These improvements must support the creation of new child-care spaces."

Excerpt: "Starting Apr. 1, parents with children zero to kindergarten age attending full-time licensed daycare facilities and family day home programs across the province will be eligible for a flat parent fee of $326.25 per month, or roughly $15 a day. Parents requiring part-time care will pay $230 per month. To support these changes and high-quality child care, about 85 per cent of licensed daycare providers will receive a funding increase once the new fee structure is in place on Apr. 1."

Excerpt: "The Ontario government is investing $1.3 billion to build 30 new schools and 15 school expansions across Ontario, creating more than 25,000 new student spaces and more than 1,600 new licensed child care spaces. The investments address critical needs in growing areas of the province to provide students with modern learning spaces to help them achieve success."

Excerpt: "The Ontario government is investing $1.3 billion to support new school buildings, school expansions and renovations across the province. This funding for infrastructure projects through the 2024-25 Capital Priorities Program will lead to the creation of more than 25,000 new student spaces and more than 1,600 new licensed child care spaces across 23 school boards."

Excerpt: "Continue implementing ChildCareBC to improve access to accessible, affordable
child care; Work with school districts to expand before- and after-school care programs across
the province using cost-effective models for parents and the public that leverage
existing school facilities and education workers."

Excerpt: "The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a review of the certification process for early childhood educators. The RFP is seeking a vendor to evaluate the current certification process for early childhood educators and propose recommendations to shift to a competency-based approach to certification. A high-quality early learning workforce is a key component to ensuring the affordability, inclusivity and quality of early learning and child care programming in Newfoundland and Labrador."

Excerpt: "Today, the Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada have announced that regulated child care facilities across the province will now receive up to $3,200 per month for every child eligible under the Enhanced Accessibility (EA) Grant, an increase of $1,200. The EA Grant assists regulated child care facilities in covering the additional costs associated with offering services to children who have intensive needs across various areas of development."