News & Stories: Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "Since the implementation of universal child care in April 2021, and as of March 31, 2024, a total of 477 additional child care spaces have been created in Pelly Crossing, Whitehorse, Ross River, and Dawson. These programs continue to expand and grow, benefiting more children and their families. As of March 31, 2024, 1,896 children and their families were benefiting from universal child care, saving up to $8,400 a year per child enrolled in a licensed program. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, the department provided $9,788,917 to licensed programs to support wages and benefits for early childhood educators. Additionally, Yukon families saved $14,153,927 in child care costs through the Government of Yukon’s universal child care and subsidy programs. During this period, 87 bursaries were awarded, including 85 part-time and two full-time bursaries. Of the full-time bursaries, one recipient was from a rural community and one from a Whitehorse French-language program. Twenty-three of the part-time bursaries went to recipients in rural Yukon."

Excerpt: "Today, the Government of Yukon launched the Yukon’s Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Infrastructure Fund, supported by a $7.7 million investment under the Canada-Yukon ELCC Infrastructure Fund Agreement signed in March 2024. This new initiative underscores the Government of Yukon's ongoing commitment to supporting children and families by investing in affordable, accessible and inclusive high-quality early learning and child care. The fund is designed to support current and prospective owners of not-for-profit early learning and child care centres in creating new spaces and improving the accessibility of existing programs. The funding program focuses on four priorities identified during engagement on modernizing the Child Care Act."

Excerpt: "Amendments to the Northwest Territories’ (NWT) Early Learning and Child Care Regulations came into effect November 14, 2024. The updated regulations introduce a wage grid and certification process for licensed centre-based staff. The wage grid establishes the minimum rate of hourly pay for employees based on the community they work in, the type of position they hold, years of experience, education, Indigenous knowledge, and Northern experience."

Excerpt: "The workforce is the backbone of licensed child care: they ensure that centres can operate effectively. An enhanced workforce will mean that licensed child care centres are adequately staffed. The Department of Education’s collaboration with Nunavut Arctic College to expand early childhood educator certification will create a skilled workforce that can provide children with high-quality care. Inuit language skills are a workforce priority to promote Inuit language protection and promotion through culturally relevant and responsive care to children."

Excerpt: "The Action Plan outlines the steps Education will take between now and 2033 to implement Nunavut’s ELCC Quality Framework, which was released last year. Both of these key documents support high-quality early learning and child care, with a focus on inclusivity, cultural safety, and community collaboration."

Excerpt: "Further actions to support the early learning workforce and increase access to early learning and child care throughout the province include: Implementation of a medical benefits program for early childhood educators; Provision of a rural and remote allowance for child care centres in eligible regions; Wage grid bonuses for early childhood educators and administrators in Labrador, Francophone early childhood educators, and a further bonus solely for administrators; Streamlined paid closure days and statutory holidays for child care services on the Operating Grant Program; Creation of an Infant Incentive to provide $91 per day, per infant-aged space for child care providers on the Operating Grant Program; and, Continued expansion of pre-kindergarten programming, which is currently available at 34 sites throughout the province with a further 24 sites in development."

Excerpt: "Early childhood educators and other staff working in regulated child care services in the province can now participate in a medical benefits program that is cost shared by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Early Learning and Child Care Medical Benefits Program will be supported by the Association of Early Childhood Educators Newfoundland and Labrador, with coverage provided by Blue Cross via Dougan Insurance Group. Medical benefits are optional and available to individuals who work a minimum of 20 hours per week, and have worked a minimum of three months at a regulated child care service participating in the Operating Grant Program, including: Early childhood educators; Trainee early childhood educators; Other staff working in child care services; Regulated Family Child Care providers."

Excerpt: "Marc G. Serré, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and to the Minister of Official Languages, and Member of Parliament (Nickel Belt), accompanied by Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament (Sudbury), announced an investment of more than $4.2 million in a daycare centre in Val Therese and the EarlyON Centre in Ontario. They made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages. The investment will allow for the construction of a new 88-place daycare centre in Val Therese, a project that will meet the growing needs of families in the community. This daycare centre will have five rooms: one for 10 infants, two for 30 toddlers, and two for 48 preschool-aged children. The official opening is scheduled for September 2025."

Excerpt: "This agreement, made possible by the federal government’s $1 billion National School Food Program, will enhance and expand Manitoba’s existing school food programs to provide meals to about 19,080 more kids every year, starting this school year. Manitoba is the second province, after Newfoundland and Labrador, to sign an agreement with the federal government for the new National School Food Program. Today’s agreement includes an initial federal investment of approximately $17.2 million over the next three years to ensure more kids get the nutritious food they need to thrive."

Excerpt: "The project, Anishnawbek Cultural Values and Well-being Based Early Childhood Development, will work to engage children in the community to learn Anishnawbek culture, laws, language and traditions from Elders and traditional knowledge keepers as part of their early childhood development. Moreover, it will advance the vision and goals of the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework by: developing a vision or framework for a high-quality, culturally appropriate early learning and child care system in an Indigenous context; building and strengthening local Indigenous early learning and child care licensing rules and procedures; supporting ongoing education and training for Indigenous early learning and child care leaders, management and staff; and/or creating new tools, curriculum or training to support Indigenous early learning and child care staff working with children with special needs."

Excerpt: "The Ontario government is investing $15.3 million in more than 100 organizations that provide fun, safe and supervised activities for children and youth across the province through inclusive team sports and active recreation programs. "Our government is proud to support opportunities for children and youth throughout Ontario to lead active and healthy lifestyles,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Sport. “This funding will expand access to vital resources and enable partner organizations to continue delivering high-quality, tailored active recreation programming that aligns with the needs of local communities.”"

Excerpt: "“Our partnership with Yellowquill University College is an important one and by providing degree granting status for its First Nations bachelor of education program, we are investing in certified teachers specially trained to teach in the distinctive contexts of First Nations communities,” said Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Nello Altomare. “This is an important step in addressing the critical shortage of Indigenous teachers across the province and in northern Manitoba.”"