Resources > Policy Monitor

Policy Monitor: Early Childhood Program & Policy Update

The Atkinson Centre's Policy Monitor provides regular updates on early childhood programs and policy across Canada. Information is organized by province/territory:

Newfoundland

February 2013 New! - The NL Premier unveiled a ten-year provincial child care strategy.

February 2013 New! - The Newfoundland & Labrador Department of Education now provides community mapping of early childhood learning programs and services which is now available for public access and use.

November 2012 - November 5-9th is Play and Learn Week "in all Newfoundland and Labrador public schools that offer kindergarten and grades 1-3.... Play and Learn Week is a Newfoundland and Labrador initiative designed to highlight the importance of play for children’s optimal learning and development, and to reinforce the notion that many of the concepts taught in primary school can be taught through play based experiences."

May 2012 - 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."

May 2012 - 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."

April 2012 - 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."

April 2012 - Budget 2012 includes new funds for child care for 2012-13, "doubling its investment by 2021-22 to approximately $56 million per year under a new 10-Year Child Care Strategy. "

November 2011 - The Department of Education is seeking proposals for a marketing campaign to promote the importance of play in young children’s development.

August 2011 - 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."

April 2011 – Early Childhood Learning: $1.3 million, part of a total commitment of $4.8 million over three years, to begin implementation of the Provincial Government's Early Childhood Learning Strategy, Learning from the Start. Implementation begins with initiatives that focus on social and early language development opportunities from birth to age three, and with providing parents with the information and resources to help them give their children the right start – right from the start. Resources will include brochures, resource kits, a website and other tools.

April 2011 - 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.

April 2011 – Child Care Tax Credit allows for a maximum amount of $7,000 per year to be claimed for children up to seven years of age, for a maximum credit of $539, and $4,000 per year for children aged seven to 16, for a maximum credit of $308.

March 2011 – Access to child care and early learning emphasized in Throne Speech.

New Brunswick

September 2012 - The government of New Brunswick announced it would be "investing an additional $1 million in the Day Care Assistance program to increase childcare subsidies and to expand the program eligibility to help families with early learning and childcare costs." This funding is part of the government's $38-million three-year action plan Putting Children First.

August 2012 New! - The Premier of New Brunswick provided a progress report on its three-year action plan, Putting Children First: Positioning Early Childhood for the Future, unveiled last spring. Included in the plan are integrating early childhood and education services, realigning the boundaries for local early childhood services with school district boundaries and extedning the definition of early childhood up to children 8-years-old.

August 2012 - The provincial government has "re-instated the wage enhancement of $2.75 per hour for early learning and childcare staff... The initiative supports the pay equity measures for early learning and childcare staff"

June 2012 - The provincial government has released a three-year, $38-million action plan, Putting Children First, that will integrate early childhood services into the school system.

May 2012 - "Amendments have been proposed to the unproclaimed Early Learning and Childcare Act to establish a single piece of legislation called the Early Childhood Services Act. The new act would combine all early childhood programs and services such as preschool autism intervention, prenatal support, early learning and childcare, and early intervention.... Changes to the section of the act detailing curriculum frameworks are proposed so that licensed childcare facilities use only one of the two frameworks provided by the department."

January 2012 - On January 11, 2012, the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development announced a plan "to reorganize school districts; increase parents’ involvement on district education councils; and to pay chairs and members of these councils."

November 2011 - The New Brunswick Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development presented an update on early childhood development, stating that "our government believes early childhood development is a key investment for our provinces future" and that the government "has increased the budget for early childhood development programs by nearly $5 million this year."

September 2011 - The New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has issued a discussion paper in advance of a Stakeholders’ Summit. "The province of New Brunswick is facing a significant fiscal challenge.... In response, Premier David Alward launched an initiative focussed on government renewal.... As part of this initiative, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is expected to provide comprehensive options to government as to how, through system-wide efficiencies and solutions, it can improve education and early childhood services within the province’s fiscal realities..."

April 2011 - Budget announced $1.4 million to fund an increased number of early learning and child care spaces and an additional $800,000 for the Daycare Assistance Program (child care fee subsidy).

March 2011 – Ministerial Advisory Committee on Early Learning and Childcare announced. The committee will provide advice on implementing the government’s Early Learning and Childcare Plan under four key principles of accessibility; affordability; inclusiveness; and quality early learning and child care. The committee will also facilitate communication between the department and early learning and child care centres, parents, schools and community partners.

November 2010 – Regulated child care and related programming moving to Department of Education.

November 2010 – The State of Our Children and Youth report and The Right to Identity, Culture and Language: A Child's Path to Development (A Statistical Background Report to the Child and Youth Advocate's 3rd Annual State of our Children and Youth Address) released.

Nova Scotia

April 2012 New! - The Premier's office announced that families will have better access to the supports they need to ensure their children get a strong start in life thanks to changes and funding announced in this year's budget.

Ocotber 2012 - Following consultations with Nova Scotians over the summer, the provincial government released a report, "What We Heard: Giving Children the Best Start," summarizing findings. An advisory council will use the report formulate recommendations on priorities for the early years.

May 2012 - The province will consult Nova Scotians on a new early years strategy. As part of the initiative, the government released a discussion paper and has appointed a nine-member advisory council.

April 2011 – SchoolsPlus pilot is expanded to all eight school boards. Family resource centres, child care and youth health centres will be located within select schools at all school boards.

April 2011 – Budget announced additional $1.3 million for 250 child care subsidies.

February 2011 – Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech Centres, with the agreement of the Department of Health and Wellness, will increase speech-language services to French-speaking families and focus on preventing communication disorders in young children through parent workshops and training for early childhood educators and other caregivers. $267,000 for the three-year pre-school initiative is provided by the Official Languages Health Contribution Program.

October 2010 – Government announces additional child-care subsidies and 300 child-care spaces

Prince Edward Island

March New! - The PEI government released its Budget Address 2013. To ensure the growth in the early childhood initiative continues, the Government will increase its commitment to the Early Years Centres by $250,000, bringing the total investment to approximately $7.7 million next year. An additional $60,000 is being committed to the Best Start Program to expand services to include children up to 36 months of age. The total contribution to the Best Start Program is now in excess of $1.2 million.

February 2013 New! - The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development released the 2011-2012 Annual Report.

November 2012 - The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development announced the release of a new curriculum for Early Years Centres.

August 2012 - The PEI government announced an additional $60,000 of funding for the Best Start Program, "bringing the overall funding to more than $1 million annually. The new funding expands the program, allowing families the opportunity to receive Best Start services until their child is 36 months old. Previously, the service was only available until the child became 24 months old."

May 2012 - The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development announced a partnershio with the PEI Healthy Eating Alliance to establish new healthy eating guidelines for early years centres across the province.

April 2011 – Increased budget announced to allow for the transfer to Early Years Centres as the original 20 centres is doubled to 40 in Phase 1. Additional 8 centres will join in Phase 2 to create total of 2,159 certified spaces. Infant spaces increased by 72% over the past year and will continue to expand to meet need.

November 2010 – The Early Learning and Child Care Act has been created in response to the development of the Preschool Excellence Initiative. Since a modernization of the early childhood sector has begun by ensuring equitable access to quality early learning and child care programs, there is also a need to modernize the act that governs this sector.

Quebec

June 2011 – Avenir d'enfants allocates $11.5 million in support for 66 local communities and about $12.5 million for projects in knowledge transfer.

May 2011 – Quebec government launches a new logo for licensed child care programs to distinguish legally-recognized child care from illegal ones.

March 2011 – Government announces plans for 15,000 new child care spaces (funded) in 2012.

February 2011 – Avenir d’enfants (a partnership between the Quebec government and the Chagnon Foundation) announces $2.4 million over two years to support three knowledge transfer projects:

Community Child Care Centres – Backed by the Association of Community Child Care Centres of Quebec (AHGCQ), the project aims to create an education program tailored to the needs of child care centres and will receive funding of $272,800.

Projet Victoires – Backed by the Network of Perinatal Resource Centres of Quebec (RCRPQ), the project aims to document the effects of the services offered by perinatal resource centres on the lives of families living in poverty and will receive financial support of $150,000 over two years.

Quality in Child Care Centres and Coordinating Offices – Backed by The Quebec Association of Child Care Centres (AQCPE), this project aims to accompany, support and encourage care providers in child care centres and coordinating offices in their efforts to improve quality and form regional hubs of skills and expertise in early education and child care. The project is to last for a year and a half, and will receive financial support of almost $2M."

November 2010 – Quebec government introduces Bill 126 to reduce and impose limits on ownership to prevent so-called "chains" of daycares

Ontario

February 2013 New! - The 2013 Ontario Legislature Throne Speech included a commitment to "keep building a comprehensive early learning and care system, including the successful extension of full-day kindergarten and child care."

January 2013 - A new Early Years Policy Framework, along with a letter from Education Minister, Laurel Broten.

December 2012 - The government of Ontario announced a new child care funding formula and framework to take effect in 2013 and released a technical paper on the topic.

August 2012 - ADM Darryl Sturtevant, Ministry of Children and Youth Services and ADM Jim Grive, Ministry of Education circulated a memo to Directors of Education, Best Start Committees and Data Analysis Coordinator Host Agencies regarding a review of the current EDI and KPS.

June 2012 - The Department of Education has released a discussion paper Modernizing Child Care in Ontario, "to begin a conversation that will help move Ontario towards a high quality, accessible and co-ordinated early learning and care system for all children."

March 2012 - Government memo re: amendments to "O. Reg 399/00 to include s. 2.1 under Elementary School Classes – Requirements Respecting Size. This section provides class size provisions for full-day junior kindergarten and kindergarten, clearly identifying an average class size unit of 26 pupils." Link to regulation>

February 2012 - The Ministry of Education, Early Learning Division announced an interim policy regarding capital funding to replace child care spaces in replacement schools. The funding would affect "child care spaces for children aged 0 to 3.8 years old located in schools that are scheduled to close or to be rebuilt."

June 2011 – Government memo re: amendments to legislation, regulations and guidelines related to Full Day Early Learning Kindergarten Program, including overview; operational framework for extended day and third party programs; safe schools and FDK; and broader implementation of FDK. Regulations indicate non-profit delivery of afterschool programs unless commercial programs are already in schools or no other alternatives are available.

June 2011 – Ministry of Children and Youth Services released the report, Realizing the Vision of Ontario’s Best Start Child and Families Centres. Next steps include community action research in demonstration sites, pilot project of integrated preschool speech and language services and an integrated Outcomes Index.

June 2011 – The government announced the final roll out plans for full-day kindergarten for all 4- and 5-year-old children – approximately 250,000 children by September 2014.

May 2011 – The province’s licensed child care website is expanded will include inspection reports.

April 2011 – The new Children’s Activity Tax Credit allows parents to claim up to $500 in eligible expenses and get a refundable tax credit of up to $50 for each child under the age of 16, and up to $100 per child under the age of 18 who has a disability.

March 2011 – Legislation amendments allow for third-party delivery of extended day in schools.

March 2011 – Full-day kindergarten will be available in an additional 200 schools, benefiting up to 50,000 four- and five-year-old children in September 2011. In September 2012, full-day kindergarten will be available in an additional 900 schools, benefiting up to 120,000 four- and five-year-old children.

Manitoba

April 2013 New! - The province released its 2013 Budget, and announced in its Budget Address: "We know that high-quality child care is vital to a growing economy and a strong workforce. This year, we will fund new child-care spaces and new child-care centres...which will help parents, especially women, find and keep stable, rewarding jobs. Our government will also partner with parents to support efforts to recruit and retain much-needed child-care workers...The recently announced After School Network brings community-based organizations together to provide more structured after-school activities and programs."

March 2013 New! - The province announced funds to relocate and expand a child care centre in Vita. The funding is part of the government's Family Choices, the province’s five-year early learning and child-care initiative.

Winter 2012 - New edition of the EDI Teacher Newsletter is released.

November 2012 - The province announces an "investment of more than $1 million in the Steinbach and La Broquerie areas’ child-care centres helped create 158 new spaces for local families" in the form of "a new child-care centre and the expansion of two others".

October 2012 - The 2011/12 Annual Report of the Healthy Child Manitoba Office is released.

October 2012 - The Manitoba Centre for Health Policy releases the second edition of How are Manitoba’s Children Doing? which examines how the province's children are doing in four areas: 1) physical health and emotional health; 2) safety and security; 3) successful learning; 4) social engagement.

August 2012 - The government announces a committment to fund 20 new preschool and 45 new school-age child care spaces.

May 2012 - The Manitoba Centre for Health Policy has released a new report on the Early Development Instrument results in Manitoba. The report focusses on: socioeconomic adversity and children’s vulnerability at age five; biological vulnerability at birth and children’s vulnerability at age five; and children’s vulnerability at age five in three at–risk subgroups of children.

April 2012 - The Government of Manitoba announces "new funding to child-care centres for 900 spaces, new capital and operational funding for child-care centres and homes, and improved subsidies for those most in need, Family Services and Labour Minister Jennifer Howard announced today…. Now in its fourth year, Family Choices, Manitoba’s five-year early learning and child-care initiative, is providing new funding for 6,500 quality child-care spaces by the end of 2013."

March 2012 - The Abecedarian model of early learning and child care has been introduced in the Lord Selkirk Park housing development. The model "will include a curriculum that promotes literacy and language development, in addition to a family resource centre."

February 2012 - The government announced new funding centres in rural and northern communities "to help ensure long-term viability for more than 200 existing unfunded spaces that were operating prior to April 1, 2011, at 23 small centres throughout Manitoba; and consistent funding for small rural and northern early learning and child-care centres so they don’t lose funding if enrolment drops on a seasonal basis such as in farm communities during winter."

September 2011 - Healthy Child Manitoba Office has released its 2010/11 Annual Report. "This report reflects the continued commitment of government and community partners in the Healthy Child Manitoba Strategy to facilitate child-centered public policy..."

June 2011 – Manitoba Child Care Program launches Early Returns: Manitoba’s Early Learning and Child Care Curriculum Framework for Preschool Centres and Nursery Schools. This curriculum framework supports staff to develop, describe and enhance their curriculum.

June 2011 – Province-wide online resource and child care registry allows parents to find out about, and register for child care options, including licensed child care centres, home child care and nursery schools. Manitobaparentzone.ca also provides parenting and child development information. Manitobaparentzone.ca will run on a $70,000 annual budget, with initial site development and marketing costs of $200,000. The online registry is being launched at a cost of $1.575 million and will operate on an annual investment of $150,000.

April 2011 – Education announces capital funding to include child care space in school buildings and/or on school property adjacent to schools. Capital funding for 15 school-based sites.

April 2011 – An Early Childhood Education Unit within Manitoba Education will invest $300,000 in early-childhood development to support families and communities as they prepare young children for success and investing $300,000 to increase the connection between early-childhood education and the formal kindergarten to Grade 12 education system. The province will also invest $300,000 in early-childhood development to support families and communities as they prepare young children for success when they start school. The new unit will monitor and disseminate research respecting early childhood development, connect research to practice in terms of using Early Development Instrument (EDI) data.

April 2011 - Budget announced additional $21.3 million for an additional 25 centres and revitalization of 21 other centres; 2,100 newly funded child care spaces (about half will be new spaces) and enhanced funding for 400 nursery school spaces. Also new funding for centre operational costs.

April 2011 – Increased funding for pension plan including a new two per cent incentive for workers who want to join the pension plan, and funding for the employers’ share.

December 2010 – A new “Seeds of Empathy” program to bring the Roots of Empathy model to 3-to-5-year-olds in child care, nursery school and preschool Aboriginal Head Start programs.

December 2010 – Provincial government introduces pension plan for child care staff.

Saskatchewan

March 2013 New! - The Saskatchewan government released their 2013-1014 Provincial Budget, and continue to make students a priority by investing in the PreK-12 education system.

August 2012 - The government announced additional professional development funding for staff and board members of child care centres. "Grants are provided to reimburse costs associated with attending professional development events such as workshops or conferences held in the province."

May 2012 - Education Minister Donna Harpauer announced the Saskatchewan Government has allocated 500 new child care spaces to 15 communities across the province.

September 2011 – As part of Saskatchewan's 500 new spaces, a new 25-space child care centre was opened on September 23.

May 2011 – New child care spaces ($2.1 million) announced in 2011-2012 budget allocated to 13 communities. More than 150 of the new spaces will support post-secondary students with children at University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) and Punnichy Child Care Centre. Since November 2007, investment in licensed child care has increased over 36%, allocating funding for 3,435 new child care spaces to communities across the province.

March 2011 – Budget increase of $4 million was announced: $2.1 million to support development of 500 new child care spaces, with some designated to post-secondary institutions; and $2.6 million to develop an additional 40 pre-kindergarten programs to provide new spaces for up to 640 three and four-year-old children targeted in high needs areas.

February 2011 – The Saskatchewan government announced more support for early childhood educators. Supports include: an increase in start-up grants for school-age spaces from $308 to $615 per child; Tuition Reimbursement Grants increase from $150 per individual course to $500; and from $450 to $1,500 for the Early Childhood Orientation course equivalent to an Early Childhood Educator I. In addition, early childhood educators working in a licensed setting can also apply for a Professional Development Support Grant to assist with the costs of attending in-province professional development opportunities taking place between September 1, 2010 and March 15, 2011.

November 2010 – Expansion of 18 pre-kindergarten programs to 230 programs in Saskatchewan, serving approximately 3,700 children.

April 2010 – The government announced that it intends to add 235 new regulated child care spaces this year to bring the provincial total to 11,650.

Alberta

March 2012 New! - In Budget 2013, funding for child care is $269.7 million, an increase of $5 million. Families will continue to be supported through child care subsidy benefits that offset the cost of child care." The Operational Plan notes investments in child care (maintaining full child care subsidies for families with a household income of less than $50,000); early childhood development (providing $89 million in 2013‐14 for early intervention and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder initiatives); and private schools (to support accredited private schools & private operators that provide EC Services programs for children). See the Alberta Human Services backgrounder for Budget 2013 for a description of separate streams of funding to child care and to early child development. The government also released a list of child care investments.

January 2012 - Following consultations with Albertans, the province announced a new 10-point plan for the education system, which includes "examining the operational requirements of full-day kindergarten."

November 2011 - The province has launched Our Children, Our Future: Getting it Right Public Consultations on the Education Act. The government will hold forums in seven communities on education legislation.

July 2011 - Child care inspection summaries now available online for all licensed child care programs and contracted family day home agencies.

January 2011 – Effective January 5, 2010, all space creation grant funding has been committed and the ministry will no longer accept new applications. Applications submitted prior to this date will be assessed and applicants will be notified.

October 2010 – Auditor General report calls for improvements in licensing requirement documentation and more attention to compliance with requirements.

British Columbia

February 2013 New! - The BC Premier unveiled an eight-year provincial early years strategy.

June 2012 - Government unveils the Families First Agenda, which includes "advancing supports in early childhood."

Spring 2012 - BC releases its 2010/11 Annual Report on the early years.

July 2011 - The Ministry of Children and Family Development "is adjusting child care subsidy rates and will increase the maximum monthly subsidy rate for parents requiring care before and after school, on non-instructional days and during school closures. The province has invested $296 million in child care this year and $154 million in subsidies (which assists 54,000 children).""

July 2011 - The Government announced $5 million funding for continued support for "programs aimed at supporting the health and well-being of Aboriginal children. Funds will flow through the First Nations and Urban Aboriginal Early Childhood Development Steering Committee to programs and projects "focused on early child development for BC First Nations and urban Aboriginal children, ages zero to six years of age, and their families."

May 2011 – Government announces 10 additional StrongStart programs through an RFP process from school districts. The school districts will receive $52,000 for each of the new programs: $20,000 to prepare in-school space, including renovations and the purchase of new equipment and learning materials and $32,000 for annual operating costs, including staff, professional development, supplies and snacks.

March 2011 – Ministry of Children and Family Development has allocated $1 million in one-time funding for licensed group child-care (30 months to school-age) to 900 providers that receive funding under the Child Care Operating Funding program and may be used for quality enhancement expenses, including professional development. Payments are based on the number of funded licensed group child-care spaces – at the rate of approximately $45 per licensed space.

March 2011 – The province signed a $28.5 million contract with Shelter Industries to design, construct and install 138 modular classrooms in 25 BC school districts to allow space for full-day kindergarten space.

March 2011 – B.C. Government supports the Success By 6 partnership through an investment of $3.4 million for 2011-12. The B.C. Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres will help promote the importance of Aboriginal early childhood development in B.C.

February 2011 – The report, Family Roots, is the province’s first step in establishing a comprehensive baseline of government programs and services supporting children, youth and families, upon which the success of future actions and investments will be measured.

February 2011 – The enhanced monthly subsidy rate for the Young Parents Program will increase from $850 to $1,000 per child, effective March 1, 2011. (Funding for the programs is estimated at more than $1.7 million annually – $400,000 in child care operating funding and $1.3 million for child care subsidies.)

November 2010 – Representatives of B.C. First Nations, Urban Aboriginal and Métis peoples have come together to administer a $5-million fund aimed at strengthening and expanding early childhood development programs and services to their children and families.

Yukon

Northwest Territories

May 2012 - The Departments of Education, Culture and Employment and Health and Social Services will update the 2001 Early Childhood Development Framework for Action.

December 2011 - Free preschool is being considered in the Northwest Territories: ""We've heard from various jurisdictions across Canada, even internationally, that we have to invest heavily into early childhood," said Jackson Lafferty, GNWT minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Currently, the earliest children in the territory can begin publicly funded education is in kindergarten at age five. Early childhood education and childcare is the first of four priorities outlined by the Aboriginal Student Achievement (ASA) Education Plan that was tabled in the legislative assembly on Aug. 19. The priorities aim to eliminate the gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal student achievement in the NWT. " [Source: Northern News Services]

Nunavut

November 2012 - The government responds to the release of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated’s Report on the State of Inuit Culture and Society – The Status of Children and Youth, stating that "the future of Nunavut depends on ensuring the health and well-being of our children today."

Canada-wide

July 2012 - During their 100th meeting, the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), celebrated "provincial and territorial cooperation in education" and discussed several topics, including, early childhood learning and development.

July 2011 - The Council of the Federation announced the importance of families as well as providing children with a good start in life. The Council emphasized the need to provide families with choice in child care, as well as quality programming. The Council also noted that current maternity and parental benefits are inadequate and that Canadian families need better supports.

February 2011 – CMEC Ministers of Education held a special session on early-childhood learning and development, led by the Honourable Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Education for Ontario. They confirmed the importance of early learning as one of the four pillars of Learn Canada 2020 and noted the large and growing body of research that shows the positive effect of early learning on children’s overall academic achievement. Ministers committed to continue knowledge-sharing on early childhood learning and development through CMEC to ensure that all provinces and territories benefit from the learning and innovation taking place throughout the country.

Aboriginal

December 2012 - The Auditor General of Ontario's 2012 Annual Report included a chapter on Education of Aboriginal Students.

October 2012 - For its Chiefs Assembly on Education (October 1-3), the Assembly of First Nations released a series of documents and factsheets on First Nations education, including: "Early Childhood Education in First Nations Communities"; "2011 AFN School Survey Results," of which ECE was one of six themes; and "A Portrait of First Nations and Education."

October 2012 - The Aboriginal Head Start Association of BC released Stepping Stones to School: AHS to Kindergarten Transition Toolkit, "an educational resource for all Early Childhood programs that include Aboriginal children... [that includes] a collection of tools and suggestions from AHS programs that help create a successful transition into school for Aboriginal children and their families."

December 2011 - Statistics Canada predicts that the Aboriginal identity population in Canada could be between 1.7 million and 2.2 million by 2031 "representing between 4.0% and 5.3% of the total population. The average annual growth rate of the Aboriginal identity population as a whole during this period would be between 1.1% and 2.2%, compared with 1.0% for the non-Aboriginal population. In 2006, an estimated 1.3 million people reported an Aboriginal identity. These populations accounted for 3.9% of the Canadian population. Among them, 785,000 were North American Indians, 404,000 were Métis and 53,000 were Inuit..."

June 2011 - The National Committee on Inuit Education released a report containing a national strategy for Inuit education containing 10 core investments. The goal of the strategy is to "graduate more Inuit students and transform early childhood, K-12 and post-secondary programs throughout the four Inuit regions of Canada, Nunavut, Nunavik (Northern Quebec), Nunatsiavut (Northern Labrador) and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the Northwest Territories."