News & Stories: Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "The provincial government has launched a call for proposals to create new designated preschool early learning and child-care spaces. The aim is to increase access to high-quality, inclusive early learning and child care for all preschoolers, particularly infants. “We have heard from New Brunswick families across the province about the challenges they face accessing early learning and child-care services,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Bill Hogan. “A key element of improving these services for families is making sure they are accessible, no matter where they live. This is particularly true when it comes to supporting mothers who are looking to return to the labour force. Through this new call-for-proposals process, we are focusing on increasing access in communities with the greatest needs while also recognizing the high demand for infant spaces.”"

Excerpt: "Operating grants will be increased and aligned for both designated early learning child-care centres and homes. Grants will increase to $15 a day per occupied infant space. This is meant to improve availability for these spaces after families and stakeholders identified finding infant care as a significant obstacle to workforce participation, particularly for women. Grants for preschool spaces will increase to $3 a day per occupied space. Additionally, effective April 1, the market fee threshold – which guides operators in setting daily fees – will increase by eight per cent to reflect the 2022 consumer price index. Operators receive funding from the government to offset the low-fee policy for families. Out-of-pocket fees paid by families, which were reduced by an average of 50 per cent in June 2022, will not be affected by this increase."

Excerpt: "Through the Canada-New Brunswick Canada-Wide Child Care Agreement, the government will provide $37 million in 2023-24, bringing the total investment to $143 million, to improve access to affordable, quality designated child-care spaces throughout the province. An additional $4 million will be allocated to support the creation of additional preschool spaces within the for-profit sector. For the first time in decades, population growth is also having a direct impact in the education system. For the current school year, enrolment increased by more than 4,200. An additional 2,200 students are anticipated to arrive in the 2023-24 school year. The following investments will be made across all levels of the education system: $33.3 million will be allocated for more classroom teachers, facility requirements, and an increase in instructional materials; $2.4 million will be invested in supports for early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder; $30.8 million to fund improvements to New Brunswick’s inclusive education system; $8.7 million to be invested in supports for improved literacy and numeracy; $4.4 million to support language acquisition of newcomer students; $2 million to be invested in student access to healthy foods in schools without an existing program; $14.8 million to address cost pressures associated with energy, transportation and contracted services; Up to $8.4 million to be invested in operational funding for public universities; $7.6 million to increase loan and bursary programs for post-secondary students requiring financial assistance."

Excerpt: "To improve access to quality, inclusive and affordable child care, $37 million will be invested in the early learning and child-care sector through the Canada-New Brunswick Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. This will bring the total investment up to $143 million for 2023-24. Additionally, $4 million has been committed outside this agreement to support the creation of additional preschool child-care spaces within the for-profit child-care sector. To support enrolment growth in the K-12 system, the budget includes a $33.3 million investment to help schools meet the needs of students. The budget also includes a $30.8 million investment to improve the province’s inclusive education system."

Excerpt: "Policy 713 sets down minimum standards to which schools must adhere in order to promote respect, dignity, and equality of LGBTQI2S+ students, on a par with the rights enjoyed by all other students, to foster among trans students a sense of belonging and connection with their school. The provisions of Policy 713 are aligned with fundamental rights enshrined in the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the New Brunswick Human Rights Act. Under Articles 28 and 29 of the CRC, state parties must ensure that their education systems nurture respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and these systems allow each child to develop “his or her own cultural identity, language and values”. In June 2022, in its Periodic Report on Canada, the UN’s Committee on the Rights of the Child urged the Canadian government, including its provincial and territorial counterparts, to strengthen efforts to promote a culture of human rights in its education system, ensure the integration of human rights principles in school curricula, and develop educational materials to cultivate respect and appreciation of diversity in schools across the country."

Access to child care and early learning emphasized in Throne Speech.

Family Child Care Initiative that builds on the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Capacity Initiative is a two-year pilot project to develop 400 new spaces in regulated family child care homes over two years. The initiative is targeting a shortage of regulated spaces in rural communities and for children under the age of two.

The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador announced "more than $685,000... to support three child care centres in the communities of Labrador City and Wabush…. This funding is being provided through the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Capacity Initiative of the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. It will support the development of 117 new regulated child care spaces in Labrador and also sustain existing spaces by providing funding for renovations to maintain a current child care facility."

The Department of Child, Youth and Family Services announced "$2 million for the second year of the Family Child Care Initiative.... This two-year pilot project is making great strides in the development of regulated child care spaces throughout the province with an emphasis on spaces for infants up to 24 months of age."

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador "has entered into a partnership with the Margaret & Wallace McCain Family Foundation and the Jimmy Pratt Foundation to study innovative ways in which to integrate early childhood learning programs in Newfoundland and Labrador with a view to enabling the smoothest possible transition to school."

The Department of Education, along with the departments of Child, Youth and Family Services and Health and Community Services launched The Power of Play, "a multi-media promotional campaign designed to highlight and encourage play-based learning."

The NL Premier unveiled a ten-year provincial child care strategy.