News & Stories: Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "A vision to deliver the highest possible quality of education to our students will engage Islanders in all aspects of learning to ensure students, parents, teachers, principals and government are working together on achieving the same goal, excellence in learning."

Excerpt: "Expenditures in this budget for the education of our children in the Early Years and K-12 school system will increase by three percent to $243 million in the coming year."

Excerpt: "Government is increasing salaries to early childhood educators employed at early years centres by two per cent, as of July 2016."

Excerpt: "An additional $5.4 million dedicated to the education of Island children and youth. As a result, the total Budget of the Department of Education, Early Learning and Culture will be $256 million - an all-time high."

Excerpt: "CHANCES in partnership with the Margaret and Wallace McCain Foundation embarked on a research effort to profile the impact of expanding access to a range of high quality integrated services for children and their families, with a particular focus on those who were identified as being vulnerable. The initial focus was the expansion and integration of early education and family support services, while further efforts focused on enhancing access, quality and accountability."

"The agreement allocates $10.5 million, over three years, to Prince Edward Island for early learning and child care investments. The Island's funding focus will be on early learning and child care access for vulnerable children such as infants, pre-schoolers, children whose parents work seasonally or non-standard hours, and under-served populations including Newcomer families and Acadian and French speaking communities. Funding will also be directed towards professional training for early learning and care educators with the aim of improving the quality and richness of experiences for children."

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."