News & Stories: Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "ECEs and other members of the child care workforce are the heart of B.C.’s child care system. Since launching the Early Care and Learning Recruitment and Retention Strategy in 2018, the Province has made significant investments – alongside federal partners – to support and strengthen the child care workforce, including: Wage enhancements for ECEs; Specialized certification grants for Infant & Toddler and Special Needs Educators; Expanded access to post-secondary ECE programs, including dual credit courses for high school students and bursaries to assist with the costs of education; Streamlined pathways for international applicants to become certified as ECEs in
B.C."

Excerpt: "On February 24, 2025, the Government of Yukon, in partnership with the Government of Canada, signed a five-year extension agreement for the Canada-Yukon Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, which will now run through March 31, 2031. This agreement will provide the Yukon with approximately $74 million, including a three per cent annual funding increase for four years starting in 2027–28. This funding is aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the early learning and child care system in the territory and supports the final year of the Infrastructure Fund (2026–27), which is critical for further strengthening child care services. “This extension builds on the universal child care system that our government introduced in April 2021, part of a $25 million annual investment in our early learning and child care system to provide access to high-quality, inclusive and affordable licensed early learning and child care to all Yukon families. It also builds on the Canada-Yukon Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, signed in July 2024 with the Government of Canada, which is providing nearly $42 million over five years to support the growth of the Yukon’s child care system and the professional development of early childhood educators and to ensure that all families have access to an average of $10 a day out-of-pocket parent fees for full-time regulated early learning and child care spaces for children under age six."

Excerpt: "The Government of Nunavut’s Department of Education is pleased to announce a five-year extension of federal early learning and child care funding agreements totaling $109.9 million. The extension of these funding agreements will support the ongoing implementation of important Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) initiatives: $10-a-day Child Care to keep child care affordable; ELCC Wage Scale to value and strengthen the workforce; ELCC Infrastructure Funding Program to increase access to licensed child care; Support inclusion and equity in ELCC programs; Support the development and delivery of high quality ELCC programs through the ELCC Quality Framework Action Plan."

Excerpt: "Under the Canada–Nunavut Agreement, an investment of close to $8.5 million has been made in Nunavut. This funding will help the territory offer quality French as a minority language and French as a second language education, from preschool to the post-secondary level. An investment by the Government of Nunavut is also planned to support the aims of the Agreement. Bilateral agreements on minority-language education and second-language instruction have been in place with the Government of Nunavut for many years and support the territory in delivering activities aimed at teaching French in a minority situation and learning a second official language."

This curriculum policy replaces The Kindergarten Program, 2016. Starting in the 2026-27 school year, all
Kindergarten programs will be based on the expectations outlined in this curriculum policy.

Excerpt: "The Province is protecting parents from extra child care fees by requiring providers to offer at least 9.5 hours of care per day before charging for extended hours. “Families deserve predictability and fairness,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care. “By setting a clear threshold, we’re closing a loophole to make sure hard-working parents aren’t paying more for a reasonable day of care. These changes protect the pocketbooks of B.C. families and establish consistency for providers, while maintaining their flexibility to design programs that meet community needs.”"

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, along with the Honourable Demetrios Nicolaides, Alberta’s Minister of Education and Childcare, announced a one-year extension to both the Canada–Alberta Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and the Canada–Alberta Early Learning and Child Care Agreement until March 31, 2027. In total, today’s announcement means that more than $1.17 billion in federal funding has been allocated to the Government of Alberta for 2026–27. This funding will support continued access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services, and help maintain the $15-a-day parent fees for licensed early learning and child care."

Excerpt: "Under the Canada-Wide Agreement, Manitoba has introduced a provincial wage grid, expanded post-secondary education and training seats, established a tuition reimbursement program and introduced professional development days. Most recently, in May 2025 the province announced in partnership with Canada the biggest increase to wages for front-line ECEs in Manitoba’s history. Our Commitment; Improve recruitment, retention and recognition of the early learning and child care workforce; Continue to engage with partners in advancing this work; Publicly report on our progress."

Excerpt: "We found 694 instances where child care spaces were underutilized compared to approved spaces. This suggests the Ministry may have approved new child care spaces in locations that do not need them. Also, not analyzing the supply of early childhood educators increases the risk of approving spaces that cannot be staffed."

Excerpt: "Ontario is investing $20 million to launch the Liam Riazati Memorial Fund, a new initiative to help protect children in child care by helping community-based licensed facilities install concrete barriers. The new fund honours the life of Liam Riazati, a child who tragically passed away following a motor vehicle collision with a child care centre in September 2025."

Excerpt: "The province is investing … $9.7 million, including nearly $1.6 million in funding from the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second Official-Language Instruction, for an addition to l’École élémentaire publique Mamawi in the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario. The addition will provide 104 new student spaces and 39 new licensed child care spaces."

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, along with the Honourable Paul Calandra, Ontario’s Minister of Education, announced a one-year extension to the Canada–Ontario Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (Canada-wide ELCC) Agreement, until March 31, 2027. The ministers also announced that future funding of $695 million would be instead provided by Canada to the province in 2026, to help maintain eligible child care fees at their current average of $19 per day until December 31, 2026. In total, today’s announcement means that more than $3.9 billion in federal funding will be allocated to the Government of Ontario in 2026-27 to support continued access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services."