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Forget Occupy, the Real Divide is Generational
Source: Globe and Mail, September 21, 2012
Excerpt: "Canada’s economy has more than doubled in size since 1976. Because many Canadians aren’t feeling better off, the Occupy movement’s slogan captured their attention a year ago. "We are the 99 per cent” reminds us that the richest 1 per cent of Canadians make 14 per cent of total income and absorbed more than a third of income growth in the past 15 years. It helps to explain where all the additional wealth went. But the slogan is incomplete. The change in prosperity is also generational..."
Head Start for Little Language Learners
Source: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, September 10, 2012
Excerpt: "New research examining auditory mechanisms of language learning in babies has revealed that infants as young as three months of age are able to automatically detect and learn complex dependencies between syllables in spoken language. By contrast, adults only recognized the same dependencies when asked to actively search for them. The study by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig also highlights the important role of basic pitch discrimination abilities for early language development."
New Canada: Land of Immigrants with Many Families Under the Same Roof
Source: Globe and Mail, September 19, 2012
Excerpt: "Each new tranche of census data reinforces the reality of two Canadas: The old Canada is a land of the native-born, where the size of households is small and where children are fewer. The new Canada is a land of immigrants, where multiple families and generations are more likely to mingle beneath the same roof. Politicians and business leaders should take note."
Canadian Families Growing More Diverse, Census Data Shows
Source: Toronto Star, September 19, 2012
Excerpt: "The once traditional Mom, Dad and the kids makes up now just a quarter of Canadian households. Instead, the family that gathers around the kitchen table is increasingly likely to be a same-sex couple, a common-law couple, a single parent, a stepfamily, a household with grown kids and grandparents, new data reveals. More Canadians are simply living alone. And many young people are living with their parents into their 20s and putting off serious relationships. Statistics Canada released its latest slice of numbers from the 2011 Census on Wednesday focusing on families, households, marital status and living arrangements…. While married couples remain the predominant family unit at 67 per cent, the release paints a picture of a society in transition as traditional family structures give way to same-sex couples and common-law couples."
UK: Early Years Professionals Deserve More Recognition
Source: The Guardian, September 18, 2012
Excerpt: "Last month, the number of people qualifying with Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) reached the 10,000 milestone…. On the face of it, this vital workforce has come a long way from the days of the 'mum's army' of women who would work in pre-school settings, often as volunteers, and always unnoticed in challenging conditions. Yet the many graduates now working in early years facilities remain unrecognised, despite having completed a multi-disciplinary degree. The Destination of Leavers in Higher Education Survey (DLHA) does not classify early years work as a graduate job at all, because it contains no managerial classification to define it as such, though many of those achieving EYPS will be graduates who end up in leadership roles."
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Peel Votes to Close Daycare Centres
Source: Mississauga News, September 13, 2012
Excerpt: "Peel Region Council voted today to close its 12 daycares and use the savings to subsidize more children in less-costly commercial centres. "I am very disappointed, but I must admit I was expecting the result,” said Mississauga resident Maria-Lucia Castillo, following the 16-5 vote. “It seemed to me from the beginning (Council) was biased toward closing the daycare centres. I never felt there was a true intention to look at options for keeping the centres open." After five months of meetings, the Peel Task Force on Child Care presented its final recommendations to councillors on the future of daycare delivery in Peel, including a proposal to phase out municipally-run centres by 2014. The decision saves the Region $12.7 million--money that will be redirected to help more families pay for spots in non-profit and private centres."
Canada’s Made a Choice: Health, Not Education
Source: Globe and Mail, September 12, 2012
Excerpt: "A dollar spent in one place, however, can't be spent in another. If more money is diverted to health care, that money can’t go to education, or any other program. Think about it: Canada’s prosperity depends on an even better educated work force rather than more money for health care, but the country, perhaps without being fully aware of the choice, has decided that’s where we’re going. The consequences are ominous. The OECD report underscores this choice without naming health care as the reason. Between 2000 and 2009, Canada was one of the very few countries where the share of GDP spent on education didn’t change. In most countries, the share went up. In Canada, it remained the same – while the share (public and private) devoted to health care continued to climb."
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ON: Peel Region Daycares on the Chopping Block in Thursday Vote
Source: Toronto Star, September 12, 2012
Excerpt: "Peel Region council will vote Thursday on closing its 12 daycares and using about $12 million saved to subsidize more children in less-costly non-profit and commercial centres. It is the second time this year the council will be asked to close region-run daycares that serve about 760 children in Mississauga and Brampton.... Money saved by closing the centres would help pay for 580 new subsidized spots, boost care for children with special needs and improve quality in the rest of the system by increasing wage subsidies for staff, the report adds. About 4,000 children are waiting for daycare subsidies. But Councillor Bonnie Crombie, whose Lancaster Malton ward includes two centres slated to close, said she worries the spaces will be lost forever... If Peel votes to close all its centres, it would be the third municipality in the province to get out of childcare operation in recent years. Windsor closed its nine municipally run centres in 2010 and Kenora voted to close its only centre this summer."
The Meaningful Munificence of Margaret McCain
Source: Atlantic Business, Vol. 23, Issue 5
Excerpt: ""Philanthropy is far more than writing a check,” [McCain] says. "There is charitable philanthropy and there's strategic philanthropy. And we've done both ... But let’s say I do live another 20 years. I have to be effective. And effective philanthropy is focussed. It's based on intelligence and knowledge of the issues." ... Her real passion is the Margaret & Wallace McCain Family Foundation whose board members include, apart from herself, her sons Michael and Scott, and her daughters Martha and Eleanor. Its mission is "To champion effective early childhood programs across Canada that provide equal opportunities for all children, align with the school system and operate within a provincial or territorial framework.""
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SK: Long Wait List for Regina Daycares
Source: Global Regina, September 7, 2012 (text and video)
Excerpt: "Regina families looking for a daycare spot might be finding themselves in a tight spot. Saskatchewan is currently experiencing a shortage of daycare spaces. The province said it has 13,240 spaces operating or under development, but admits that more spaces are needed. "It's not enough and we recognize that," said Education Minister Russ Marchuk. "It's an important matter for our province." According to the province, a total of 3,900 spaces have been added since 2007, and 500 new spaces were added this year. Still, daycares in Regina have long waitlists."
BC - Daycare Dilemma Part 3: Private B.C. Daycare Companies an Expensive Option
Source: CBC News BC, September 6, 2012
Excerpt: " Private companies are increasingly an option for parents desperate to find daycare for their children, but the for-profit facilities come at a high price and could be driving up the cost of all daycare, critics say... One option for parents like Savin is Kids and Company, a daycare chain that has recently opened a location in North Vancouver. The company’s business model involves corporations paying fees to guarantee space for employees’ children. But the employee still has to pay about $50 a day per child."
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BC - Daycare Dilemma Part 2: Daycare Inspection Reports Good First Step, Say Advocates
Source: CBC News BC, September 5, 2012
Excerpt: "Vancouver Coastal Health is now posting daycare inspection reports online, but those in the industry say the reports are just a small piece of the puzzle... The health authority's inspectors, all of whom are trained early childhood educators, inspect facilities at least once a year. Inspection criteria are divided into 10 categories--including care and supervision, physical building and playground, staffing, and nutrition--and items are then deemed either in compliance or not in compliance... Pam Preston of the Westcoast Childcare Resource Centre, which refers parents to daycares, says the reports are thorough but they don't measure quality of care."
BC - Daycare Dilemma Part 1: Workplace Daycare a Rarity in B.C.
Source: CBC News BC, September 4, 2012
Excerpt: "According to Paul Kershaw, an associate professor of early learning at UBC and family policy expert, most companies don't provide daycare for children of workers simply because they aren't equipped to meet the criteria for daycare spaces. "Oftentimes companies don't have the numbers of staff to really make it worthwhile, so they don't have those economies of scale," he said. "They don't necessarily have the expertise to run those kind of programs, nor do they want to have to pay to get the human resources expertise in to do it." Kershaw said that the business community should nevertheless be working with parents to solve daycare arrangement problems, in order to keep those parents in the workforce."
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ON: Daycare Parents Urged to Pressure Local Councillors
Source: Mississauga News, September 5, 2012
Excerpt: "Regional councillors need to know there's a serious possibility they'll lose the next election if they vote to close Peel's 12 daycare centres, the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care told a group of parents in the City Centre last night. The coalition, a non-partisan public awareness and advocacy group, met with several dozen parents at the Central Library tonight regarding Peel Region’s proposal to close its 12 daycare centres.... On Sept. 13, Peel councillors will vote on a task force recommendation that would see Peel redirect $12 million it spends annually to run centres in Brampton and Mississauga toward licensed non-profit and commercial daycares."
ON: Consultation Limited for New Education Bill
Source: People for Education, September 5, 2012
Excerpt: "The provincial government has allocated a total of 4.5 hours for public consultations on a Bill that includes substantial changes to Ontario’s education system. The final Bill – to be voted on Monday, September 10th – would give the provincial government a number of new legal rights: to impose contracts, ban strikes and lock-outs (and even the threat of strikes) and circumvent the courts, the Human Rights Code and the Labour Relations Act. The Bill shifts significant control out of the hands of school boards and up to the province. The Law itself will be in effect for two years, but the Bill gives the province the right to extend the law for at least a year beyond that, and to impose permanent regulations shifting control over teacher hiring and student assessments."
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More Health Care Doesn’t Mean Better Health
Source: Globe and Mail, September 5, 2012
Excerpt: "A society that spends so much on health care that it cannot or will not spend adequately on other health-enhancing activities may actually be reducing the health of its population. There is a threshold for useful spending on traditional health-care delivery. Beyond that threshold, overall population health may actually suffer, not only because the care itself has marginal or dubious benefit but also because less money is available to support health-enhancing activities in the general social and economic policy spheres, such as in early childhood development or income security."
ON: The Real Cost of All-Day Kindergarten
Source: Toronto Sun, September 3, 2012
Excerpt: ""We can’t invest in teacher pay hikes and roll out full-day kindergarten,” McGuinty told reporters. “We can’t afford that." It was hard to know whether to laugh or groan. That’s because when the McGuinty Liberals started the $1.5-billion program’s five-year rollout in September 2010, it wasn’t presented as an either-or choice. Nobody would have to give up anything. Billed as a long-term investment that would give kids an academic boost, we could not afford not to do it. And just look, the In last year’s provincial election, the Liberals told parents the program would save them $6,500 a year in childcare costs! McGuinty was even praised by supporters for having the guts to launch the ambitious program while the western world was still sputtering from an economic meltdown."
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ON: Peel Task Force Votes to Close All 12 Learn.Play.Care Centres
Source: Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, August 30, 2012
Excerpt: "On August 8, Peel Regional councillors who are part of the Early Learning and Child Care Task Force vote to close all 12 Learn.Play.Care centres in Peel. However, the fight to save Peel child care must continue – the final decision will be made by the full regional council on September 13."
For more information and action suggestions, click here>
SK: Children Lose Most with Kindergarten Cuts
Source: Star Phoenix, August 29, 2012
Excerpt: "Tuesday marks the beginning of a new school year and, with few exceptions, the end of full-time kindergarten classes in Saskatchewan. As part of budget-cutting measures, the Saskatoon Catholic and public school division trustees were forced in June to eliminate full-time kindergarten in 28 schools and dozens of classrooms, starting this fall. Neither school board received enough funding from the province to cover the costs of K-12 education programs for this school year and had to cut their costs by millions of dollars. As full-time kindergarten was neither mandated nor funded by the Ministry of Education, strong hints from the province suggested this program had to go."
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