Policy Monitor: Early Childhood Program & Policy Update

 

Newfoundland

June 2023 ~ New! - Provincial Government Issues Call for Members for Minister’s Early Learning and Child Care Advisory Committee

Excerpt: "The Provincial Government is issuing a call for members to expand the Minister of Education’s Early Learning and Child Care Advisory Committee. Members of the advisory committee will contribute to the development and implementation of the provincial Early Learning Action Plan 2023-2026. The committee will provide advice to the Minister of Education respecting early learning and child care, programs and services, and funding and activities that support early learning and child care and ensure a high quality and inclusive system"

June 2023 ~ New! - Public Consultations on New Early Learning Action Plan Begin Next Week

Excerpt: "The Department of Education is holding public consultation sessions throughout the province to seek input and recommendations on the development of an Early Learning Action Plan, including a legislative review of the Child Care Act and regulations. The province has been strengthening its efforts to create an affordable, accessible, and quality early learning system in Newfoundland and Labrador. Additional information can be found in backgrounder below. Public consultations on the Early Learning Action Plan offers an opportunity for those in the early learning and child care sector, stakeholders and the public, to provide input and feedback on programs and legislation, and how they can be improved to meet the needs of children and families in Newfoundland and Labrador."

March 2023 - Provincial Government Implements New Wage Grid for Early Childhood Educators in Ongoing Commitment to Increase Capacity in Affordable Child Care

Excerpt: "The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador today announced details of a new wage grid for early childhood educators working in regulated child care centres that are part of the Operating Grant Program. The wage grid takes effect on April 1, 2023 with a base rate of $25 an hour for Level II early childhood educators who hold a two-year diploma. This is the starting rate for a new graduate. Early childhood educators who continue to further their education and are awarded a higher certification level will be placed at Step One of their new level. Each step on the grid lasts 12 months, and are effective as of January 1, 2023."

• Access the Wage Grid

March 2023 - Budget 2023

Excerpt: "Newfoundland and Labrador is a leader in creating access to affordable child care, having moved to $10 a day more than two years ahead of schedule.  Budget 2023 investments will sustain our progress and target the creation of 700 new child care spaces this year.  Budget 2023 investments include: $64 million to increase wages for early childhood educators through the implementation of a wage grid, which comes into effect on April 1 and is retroactive to January 1, 2023; Approximately $6 million for retention and recruitment initiatives; $2.7 million for student bursaries; $3.5 million to expand the Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Program and an additional $1.8 million to create new spaces; $200,000 to attract the return of trained early childhood educators to the sector."

• Access Budget Documents
• Access details about Child Care, Education and Growing Communities

March 2023 - $10-a-day child care now a reality for families in Newfoundland and Labrador

Excerpt: "The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Andrew Furey, today announced that Newfoundland and Labrador families are now benefitting from $10-a-day regulated child care – three years ahead of the national target. With $10-a-day child care, families are now saving an estimated $6,300 per year for each child in care. Newfoundland and Labrador also announced the opening of the first pre-kindergarten centres in the province. Supported by federal funding, these pre-kindergarten centres will allow more children and families across the province to access high-quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care."

October 2022 - Speech from the Throne

Excerpt: "Recognizing that affordable child care is crucial to helping people, particularly women, enter or re-enter the workforce, My Government has been a national leader in lowering costs to $10 a day starting this coming January."

July 2022 - Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with Newfoundland and Labrador

Excerpt: "Newfoundland and Labrador reduced their parent fees from $39 a day in 2019 to $25 a day in 2021, and through the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Canada-wide agreement introduced a further reduction to $15 a day in 2022. With this milestone reduction, the province is exceeding the shared goal to reduce 2019 parent fees by an average of 50% by the end of 2022. This is one of the milestones to achieving an average of $10-a-day early learning and child care in the province in 2023, two years ahead of schedule. The province is also supporting critical services, including new infant, toddler and preschool spaces and a pilot of a new full-day, year-round pre-kindergarten program for 4-year-old children in 2022–2023, with the goal that every child in the province has access to pre-kindergarten by 2025–2026, no matter where they live."

July 2022 - New Needs-Based Grant to Support Early Childhood Education Students in Newfoundland and Labrador

Excerpt: "To meet the growing demand for qualified early childhood educators in Newfoundland and Labrador, a new Early Childhood Education Needs-Based Incentive Grant will provide eligible students in approved programs with non-repayable grants of up to $10,000. Students enrolled at an approved post-secondary institution in Newfoundland and Labrador, pursuing either a full-time Early Childhood Education Certificate or an Early Childhood Education Diploma, are eligible for this grant. This includes students who are entering the second year of a Diploma Program. Currently there are approved programs at College of the North Atlantic, Keyin College and Academy Canada. Students who apply and qualify for the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Student Financial Assistance Program, and who have assessed unmet financial need of at least $100 under that program, will qualify automatically for the new grant without requiring a separate application. The value of the grant for each individual will range between $100 and $10,000, depending on their assessed need."

June 2022 - YMCA-NL to Act as Not-For-Profit Operator of Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Locations

June 21, 2022 the Provincial and Federal Governments announced that YMCA of Newfoundland and Labrador (YMCA-NL) has been selected by the province as the not-for-profit organization that will operate all of the initial locations in the Pre-Kindergarten early learning pilot program set to open in 2022-23.

May 2022 - Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Set to Create Approximately 600 Regulated Early Learning Spaces in 2022-23

Excerpt: "Today the Provincial Government announced more than 30 locations for a pilot Pre-Kindergarten early learning program that will open in 2022-23. The pilot will result in approximately 600 new regulated child care spaces in communities throughout the province. These locations are the first in the Pre-Kindergarten early learning program created through the Federal-Provincial Early Learning Action Plan, set for full implementation by 2025-26. The full list of locations in the pilot can be found in the backgrounder below. As a regulated full-day early learning program, families will pay the regulated child care rate for each child in Pre-Kindergarten ($15 per day for the remainder of 2022, $10 per day starting in 2023). The program will run full-time, including during the summer months. The Pre-Kindergarten program will be run by not-for-profit organization(s), and registration dates for families will be announced by these operator(s) once opening dates are finalized for each site."

April 2022 - Budget 2022 - Change Is In The Air

Excerpt: "Readily accessible and affordable early learning and child care gives children a strong foundation, allows parents to participate in the workforce and leads to stronger families. Building on hundreds of millions of dollars in investment to date, Budget 2022 includes $94.7 million through the Provincial-Federal Action Plan, including: Almost $46 million to continue the reduction in daily fees to $10 per day by 2023; $16 million for the creation of new regulated early learning spaces, including the launch of a pre-kindergarten pilot program. Supports plans to create nearly 6,000 new regulated early learning spaces by 2026; $3 million to increase seats in post-secondary Early Childhood Education programs; $400,000 to support a wage grid analysis and implementation that will ensure early childhood educators are paid a wage that reflects their important work."

• Access Child Care, Education and Growing Communities

April 2022 - Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2021 to 2026

Excerpt: "Infant, toddler and preschool spaces are limited across the province increasing demand for spaces. As of 2021, there are 5,498 regulated infant, toddler and preschool spaces. By working with municipalities, and not-for-profit organizations under the Child Care Capacity Program through work with the soon to be created Early Learning and Child Care Evaluation and Research Team, communities most in need of infant, toddler and preschool spaces will be identified."

March 2022 - Governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador Provide Update on Pre-Kindergarten and the Early Learning and Child Care Action Plan

Excerpt: "A Pre-Kindergarten pilot program will launch by September of this year that will create additional regulated child care spaces. At full implementation, the province-wide Pre-Kindergarten program will create approximately 3,100 regulated spaces for four-year olds by 2025-26, which will open up existing child care spaces for younger children."

December 2021 - New Affordable Child Care Initiatives Introduced through the Federal-Provincial Early Learning and Child Care Action Plan

Excerpt: "With the upcoming reduction to $15 per day for families using regulated child care services under the Operating Grant Program (OGP), today the Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Education, announced corresponding changes to the Child Care Subsidy net income threshold for all child care services. As well, Minister Osborne announced the elimination of parental contributions under that program to support lower-income families in accessing regulated child care at a reduced or no cost. This change will also result in the elimination of parental contribution for all eligible Child Care Subsidy clients and free child care for eligible families using a child care service participating in the Operating Grant Program."

July 2021 - Federal-Provincial Action Plan on Early Learning and Child Care Released

Excerpt: "The plan features targets to achieve several shared priorities between the Federal and Provincial Governments. These include:

Access

• Working with not-for-profit groups, municipalities and family home child care operators to create approximately 5,800 additional regulated child care spaces by 2025-26.
• Introducing a new Pre-Kindergarten program starting in 2023. This optional early learning and child care program will be available full-time to all four year-olds in the province, and will be fully implemented by 2025-26.

Affordability

• Further reducing the cost of regulated child care to $15 per day on January 1, 2022 and to $10 per day in 2023.

Quality

• Working with a consultant to conduct labour force adjustment analysis specific to Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) in order to develop a wage-grid for ECEs by the end of 2022, with full implementation by 2023.
• Creating an Early Learning and Child Care Advisory Committee by March 31, 2023, which will advise the Minister of Education on a wide range of early learning and childcare issues.
• Increasing the percentage of fully certified ECEs working in the sector by 15 per cent by the end of 2023 and to at least 60 per cent by the end of 2025.
• Increasing bursary funding for ECEs through the ECE Graduate Bursary Program, the ECE Trainee Bursary Program and the ECE On-Campus Field Placement Bursary."

January 2021 - Provincial Government Announces Allocation of Safe Restart Funding for Child Care Operators and Early Childhood Educators

Excerpt: "Today the Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Education, announced the allocation of the $10.2 million from the COVID-19 Safe Restart Agreement funding for child care operations in Newfoundland and Labrador. This Federal Government investment will support child care operators and Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) for their important roles in providing child care amidst the COVID-19 pandemic."

October 2020 - Government Making Child Care More Affordable for Families Through $25 a Day Child Care Initiative

Excerpt: "The program will be delivered through the already established Operating Grant Program. Regulated child care services that participate in the program are provided a grant to offset the reduced fees they charge families. That grant amount will be increased to allow them to reduce their fees further and charge just $25 a day."

Access the Operating Grant Program HERE

September 2020 - Budget 2020 – Today. Tomorrow. Together.

Excerpt: "Affordable and accessible child care, coupled with investments in education and skills development, is paramount in a modern economy. These investments, and collaboration with our education partners, will contribute to a stronger economy today and into the future. To help ease the financial pressures on families, especially on women, in Budget 2020 we are committed to $25 a day child care in 2021."

September 2020 - Newfoundland and Labrador to receive federal funding to support child care

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced $10 million in federal support for Newfoundland and Labrador’s child care sector to help ensure that safe and sufficient child care spaces are available to support parents’ gradual return to work."

July 2020 - Canada – Newfoundland and Labrador Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2017-2020

Excerpt: "The capacity initiative provides developmental, capital and start-up funding to not-for-profit community groups who want to develop child care centres. Enhancements (including an innovative expansion to include family child care) will increase the number of regulated child care services particularly in underserviced areas, with a focus on rural communities, linguistic minority communities, and Indigenous communities. These enhancements will increase the grant available for non-profit organizations, which is anticipated to develop up to five new or expanded licensed child care centres with approximately 180 new spaces over three years."

April 2019 - Capital Renovation Grants Assist Child Care Providers in Making Quality Improvements

Excerpt: "The Honourable Al Hawkins, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, announced today that $6.5 million in Capital Renovation Grants has been allocated to 59 child care service providers. The grants are being provided through the $22 million three-year bi-lateral agreement with the Federal Government for early learning and child care investments."

December 2017 - Government of Canada and Government of Newfoundland and Labrador sign bilateral agreement on early learning and child care

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates just over $22 million, over three years, to Newfoundland and Labrador for early learning and child care investments. The funding will support the existing 10-year child care strategy Caring for Our Future: Provincial Strategy for Quality, Sufficient and Affordable Child Care in Newfoundland and Labrador 2012-2022 which will develop and implement innovative approaches to address early learning and child care challenges through subsidies, grants, bursaries and professional learning opportunities."

August 2017 - New Child Care Act and Regulations

"The New Child Care Act includes: Replacing the former Child Care Services Act effective today (July 31); Improving safety and security standards for the well-being of our children at their most vulnerable stages; Clarifying and strengthening licensing exemptions; Removing the cap on the number of spaces per child care centre; Enhancing qualification expectations by requiring entry-level certification to become trainee certification, requiring early childhood educators to upgrade to a post-secondary one-year Early Childhood Education Certificate within a five-year period; Enhancing qualifications for administrators of infant-only family homes to include the requirement of a Level I certification with an infant classification; Ensuring child care providers have a secure building policy and enhanced physical space requirements to increase quality of care; and Committing to a mandatory five-year legislative review with public consultation to allow the opportunity for feedback."

• News Release

May 2017 - Premier's Task Force Report, Now is the Time: The Next Chapter in Education in Newfoundland and Labrador

Recommendation Excerpt: "The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development develop and release by June 2019, a foundational document with an implementation plan for a junior kindergarten program that would be accessible to all four-year-old children in Newfoundland and Labrador, using the phased-in approach and other lessons learned from the models in Ontario and the Northwest Territories."

April 2017 - Budget 2017: Realizing Our Potential

• $2 million to be added to the base amount of $12.5 million to broaden the eligibility for the Child Care Subsidy Program, which will reduce costs for low to middle income families.
• $1.3 million increase to the Early Learning and Child Care Supplement.
• Over $13 million annually for full-day Kindergarten across the province.

March 2017 - Speech from the Throne - The Way Forward to Greater Prosperity

"Indicative of our Government's commitment to early learning and child care, we will increase child care subsidies available to low income families throughout the province by increasing the income threshold eligibility requirement. Our Government will also look to increase the Early Learning and Child Care Supplement for qualifying early childhood educators."

June 2016 - Enhancing Child Care Services

"The following enhancements will be implemented for eligible child care services: All staff funded through the Inclusion Program will be required to obtain a minimum qualification of Entry Level Certification through the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Newfoundland and Labrador; The staffing grant has been extended to cover the cost of a substitute for a staff member to attend multi-disciplinary planning meetings, professional learning opportunities, or other recommended activities to enhance inclusionary practices; Policies for transitional planning will be developed to support smoother transitions for children as they move from one environment to another including from child care to the school system and out of child care at the age of 13; and The inclusion process will promote increased parental involvement and communication with the child care service provider."

April 2016 - Budget 2016

"The Provincial Government will invest over $13 million annually for the implementation of full-day Kindergarten beginning in September 2016, which includes hiring approximately 142 new teachers and providing additional student assistants. $277,000 has been allocated to implement the Premier’s Task Force on Improving Educational Outcomes to examine the K-12 system and focus on outcomes for all children in Newfoundland and Labrador, including our Aboriginal children. $1.4 million is provided for an additional 27 teaching units for inclusive education."

• Also see Focus on Families and Inclusion

October 2015 - Enhancing Child Care Services for Residents

Excerpt: "For child care centres, the following enhancements are being implemented: The Operating Grant Program will allow for increased flexibility by providing up to an additional 15 per cent above current grant amounts for child care centres that can demonstrate the financial need; Existing child care centres where kitchen facilities are unavailable for the provision of meals and snacks will now be eligible to apply for the Operating Grant Program at a reduced grant amount; and; Equipment grant funding will be continued and increased by 30 per cent for all child care centres in the province."

• Caring for Our Future, 2012-2022

September 2015 - Enhancing Child Care Services for Families and Communities - Provincial Government Launches Early Learning and Child Care Directory

The new Early Learning and Child Care Directory is a searchable online database and interactive map that helps parents identify regulated child care centres, family child care as well as family resource centres in their area. Regulated child care service providers may also publicly post any vacancies in their service using the directory's Child Care Availability page.

April 2015 - Budget 2015: Balancing Choices for a Promising Future

Excerpt: "This year, we are investing $926 million in a wide range of initiatives, such as the continued implementation of our 10-year child care strategy, Caring For Our Future, as well as significant investments in our K-12 infrastructure. Caring For Our Future is now in its fourth year of implementation and has been tremendously successful in enhancing the quality, affordability and sufficiency of child care in our province. Since 2003, we have increased the number of regulated child care spaces by 70 per cent and we will continue to build on that momentum by investing an additional $3.2 million to continue the implementation of this strategy, bringing this year’s budget to $45.7 million."

• To read the News Release, Supporting High-Quality Education for a Sustainable Future
• To read the Fact Sheet on Education and Early Childhood Development
• To watch a video of Minister Derrick Dalley speak about Education and Early Childhood Development

November 2014 - Making Child Care More Affordable for Families: To help make child care more affordable for parents, the Provincial Government is launching a voluntary Operating Grant Program. Through a total investment of $9.7 million, an annual operating grant will be given to eligible licensed child care centres to help offset some of the costs associated with providing child care.

November 2014 - Enhancing Regulated Child Care to Meet the Needs of Families. There are six key differences in the new act from the existing legislation. They are: The definitions of a “child care service” and a “child care provider” have been clarified and strengthened to outline specific exemptions to each definition; The capacity limit on a regulated child care licence has been removed which allows licensees to determine the scope of their service but does not impact quality of service for children; An appeals process for a licensing decision has been defined; The Minister, rather than the Lieutenant Governor in Council, will now appoint the Provincial Director of Child Care. The normal public service competition process will apply to that position; Regional managers will not be appointed as inspectors, providing transparency in the inspection process; and A statutory review will be required every five years, including a public consultation.

• to read Bill 30: An Act to Regulate Child Care Services

September 2014 - Premier Paul Davis Unveils New Cabinet, Innovative Approach

Excerpt: "Creation of the new Department of Education and Early Childhood Development: The best education systems integrate early learning activities with the formal education system. The new department will be responsible for the continuum of learning from infancy through high school. It brings together the teams that will spearhead initiatives in early childhood education, the introduction of full-day kindergarten and other advances throughout the primary, elementary and secondary systems."

August 2014 - Provincial Government Increases Toddler Rate Under the Child Care Services Subsidy Program - With a continued focus on strengthening child care throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, the Provincial Government will increase the toddler rate under the Child Care Services Subsidy Program. Effective September 1, 2014, the program’s toddler rate will increase from $30 to $33 per day for those children aged 24 months to under 36 months who are availing of regulated child care services.

April 2014 - In addition to funding for full-day Kindergarten, at a cost of $30.6 million over three years, Budget 2014: Shared Prosperity, Fair Society, Balanced Outlook includes $4.8 million for the continuation of early learning initiatives aimed specifically at infants and toddlers.

March 2014 - The Provincial Government released its 2014 Budget, and it remains committed to enhancing the quality, accessibility, and affordability of regulated child care services for families with young children throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Budget 2014 allocates an additional $11.4 million for child care services, bringing the province’s total child care budget to approximately $42.5 million. This funding will focus on continuing to implement the 10-year child care strategy, Caring For Our Future: Provincial Strategy for Quality, Sufficient and Affordable Child Care in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Additional Resources:

• Budget Speech
• Backgrounder: Investments Enhance Early Learning and K-12 Education
• News Release: Full-day Kindergarten to be Implemented Province-wide in 2016

January 2014 - The Early Literacy Foundations program, designed to give parents and caregivers the tools to promote and enhance early literacy development in children, was launched today (Monday, January 27) at the Michael Donovan Library in St. John’s.

March 2013 - Budget 2013 allocates an investment of $31.1 million in 2013-14 for child care in Newfoundland and Labrador, with a focus on continuing the implementation of Caring For Our Future: Provincial Strategy for Quality, Sufficient and Affordable Child Care in Newfoundland and Labrador. Two Backgrounders were provided outlining Key Investments for Child, Youth and Family Services in Budget 2013 and A Sound Plan for K-12 Education.

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

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. "

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.

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New Brunswick

May 2023 ~ New! - New designated early learning and child-care spaces to be created

Excerpt: "The provincial government will partner with operators in 24 communities to create 603 designated early learning and child-care spaces. “We know there is a need for more high-quality, inclusive and affordable early learning and child-care spaces,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Bill Hogan. “Creating new designated spaces will make a difference for New Brunswick families. We look forward to continuing to work with our early learning and child-care sector on efforts to increase access to these critical services.” The new spaces include 231 for infants (birth to 24 months) and 372 for preschool children (ages 2-5). The breakdown is as follows: francophone spaces for infants: 66; francophone spaces for preschool children: 61; anglophone spaces for infants: 165; anglophone spaces for preschool children: 311."

May 2023 ~ New! - New Brunswick Human Rights Act protects the welfare of all children in the school 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."

April 2023 ~ New! - Education investments to support enrolment growth, inclusion and child care

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."

March 2023 - Budget 2023-24 – Growth and Opportunity: Delivering for New Brunswickers

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."

• Access the Budget documents

March 2023 - $20.8 million to support early learning and child-care services

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."

January 2023 - New process to create more preschool child-care spaces, increase access to infant care

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.”"

October 2022 - Wage Support Program for Early Childhood Educators (WSP-ECE)

Excerpt: "The Wage Support Program for Early Childhood Educators (WSP-ECE) is a wage enhancement program administered by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) to support Operators of Early Learning and Childcare facilities with the recruitment and retention of trained educators. The WSP-ECE aims to: Recognize Early Learning and Childcare as a profession; Encourage educators to participate in higher level training; Provide funding to increase the wages of qualified educators and reduce staff turnover."

June 2022 - Inclusion support workers receive hourly wage increase in line with early childhood educators

Excerpt: "“Inclusion support workers ensure children with additional needs have the support they need to participate in early learning with their peers,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy. “It is important that we recognize all that they do. The department is actively working on many initiatives aimed at developing the existing early learning and child-care workforce and attracting, recruiting and retaining qualified professionals to this sector to promote affordable, high-quality and inclusive early learning and care for every child.” Trained inclusion support workers, who have completed the one-year Early Childhood Education certificate or equivalent, will have their salaries increased to $23.47 per hour. Untrained inclusion support workers will have their hourly wage increased to $16.90. This includes funding provided to operators to address increases in the minimum wage. The increase will come into effect Aug. 1."

April 2022 - Investments to support child care, inclusion and access to technology

Excerpt: "To improve access to good-quality, inclusive and affordable child care, $110 million will be invested in the early learning and child care sector in 2022-23. These investments aim to reduce fees at designated early learning and child-care facilities by 50 per cent this year, increase the wages of trained educators, and provide more professional learning opportunities for educators. This aligns with commitments made under the Canada-New Brunswick Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement."

April 2022 - Canada – New Brunswick Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2021 to 2026

Excerpt: "The Wage Enhancement Program provides funding to operators to help offset the salaries of early childhood educators. It currently provides a top up of $3.15 per hour for an educator without recognized formal training and $7.25 per hour for an educator with college or university training. This program is offered to all licensed facilities who must provide this wage top up over and above the minimum wage which is currently at $11.75 per hour."

April 2022 - Out-of-pocket child-care fees to be reduced by 50 per cent, on average, June 1

Excerpt: "A standardized low-fee model will determine the amount operators can charge families. Families with children aged five and under attending designated facilities can expect the following reductions to average out-of-pocket costs for full-day early learning and care: From $37.50 to $19 per day for infants in small urban and rural areas; From $41.30 to $21 per day for infants in large urban areas; From between $32.60 and $31.30 to $16 per day for preschool-aged children in small urban and rural areas; From between $36.70 and $35 to $18 per day for preschool-aged children in urban areas. “The Government of Canada’s goal is to ensure that, by the end of March 2026, all families in Canada, no matter where they live, will have access to regulated early learning and child care for an average of $10 a day,” said federal Families, Children and Social Development Minister Karina Gould."

March 2022 - Budget 2022-23: Building on Success

Excerpt: "Mr. Speaker, over the course of the pandemic we have seen the importance of keeping our childcare facilities open as parents continued to work throughout the various stages of the pandemic. Families are also seeing rising costs and household budgets are being squeezed. One way our government can help families deal with the current high inflation environment is to make childcare more affordable. Through our bilateral agreements with the Government of Canada, we will be investing $110 million in our early learning and childcare sector in 2022–2023, and over the next five years, we will invest a total of approximately $500 million. These agreements will help lower the cost of childcare for New Brunswick families, while also respecting the investments we have already made in building a world-class early learning education system."

March 2022 - Hausse salariale du personnel éducatif / ECE Wage increase

Excerpt: "Early Childhood Educators approved for Level 1 will have an hourly wage increase from $19.00/hour to $23.47/hour. Through the Wage Support Program for Early Childhood Educators (WSP-ECE), this will increase the wage top up for Level 1 educators from $7.25 per hour to $11.72 per hour, representing a wage increase of 24%. Early Childhood Educators approved for Entry Level will have an hourly wage increase from $14.90/hour to $16.90/hour.Through the Wage Support Program for Early Childhood Educators (WSP-ECE), this will increase the wage top up for Entry Level from $3.15/hour to $5.15/hour, representing a wage increase of 13%."

March 2022 - Canada-New Brunswick Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - New Brunswick Action Plan 2021-2023

Excerpt: "Early Learning and Child Care preschool spaces coverage in New Brunswick is currently 47%. The largest gaps are spaces in rural communities and infant spaces. 16% of New Brunswick communities have less than 25% coverage for children ages five (5) years and under, prior to school entry. The majority of these low coverage areas are rural communities. Many rural communities in New Brunswick have a higher level of seasonal employment which can have an impact on the demand for services. New Brunswick is committed to creating new spaces in rural communities and will consult on ways to best serve these communities’ unique needs."

March 2022 - Parent Portal offers online enrolment for child care

Excerpt: "Updates to the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s Parent Portal will allow families to enrol their children in early learning and child-care facilities online, cutting down on paperwork for families and facility operators. “We have been working to expand the services offered through our Parent Portal to help support both families and operators,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy. “We are pleased to work with early learning and child-care facilities to launch online child enrolment, which we hope will save time for families and our dedicated early learning and child-care providers. This information will also help us in decisions to improve services, child-care subsidies, and programs for early learners.”"

December 2021 - $10-a-day child care for families in New Brunswick

Excerpt: "This agreement will fund critical services, and grow a strong and skilled workforce of early childhood educators, including through the creation of a wage grid and greater opportunities for professional development. The agreement will also support an early learning and child care system that is fully inclusive of children with disabilities and children needing enhanced or individual supports, and ensures all families have equitable access to high-quality, affordable early learning and child care."

September 2021 - Early Childhood Educator Workforce Strategy - 2021-2022

Excerpt: "There is a strong desire for professional recognition to advance their profession. To that end, educators overwhelmingly reaffirmed the importance of a robust profession by having a regulated professional association to promote their profession, to be the voice with government and to regulate the standards of practice. Early Childhood Educators also recommended using the process of certification and pay equity to determine a wage scale."

August 2021 - Government of Canada and Government of New Brunswick announce extension of support for quality early learning and child care across the province

Excerpt: "Under the 2021–2022 to 2024–2025 Canada–New Brunswick Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, New Brunswick will continue to collaborate with the childcare sector and maintain the New Brunswick Early Learning facility designation to ensure all families and children in the province have access to high-quality, affordable child care in the official language of their choice. The agreement focuses on strengthening the early childhood workforce, particularly around inclusive practices through training and mentorship, while addressing recruitment and retention challenges. Actions include implementing a marketing campaign to promote the profession and establishing a process for the recognition of early childhood education credentials obtained outside of Canada."

March 2021 - 2021-22 budget: Reinventing New Brunswick Together

Excerpt: "World-class education: $1.7 million to support the development and delivery of distance learning opportunities; $1.2 million to maintain the additional technicians put in place to provide technical support to teachers and students; $1 million to continue support of the Laptop Subsidy Program, helping an estimated 2,000 students access technology for the upcoming year; A wage increase of 75 cents per hour for qualified early childhood educators."

• Access the Budget Speech
• Access the Economic Outlook
• Access the Gender Impact Statement

November 2020 - Investment of $14-million to help early learning, child-care sector with increased COVID-19 costs

Excerpt: "Funding from the Safe Restart Agreement will be provided through a monthly grant to licensed early learning and child-care facilities that meet the following terms and conditions: using the funding to offset the cost associated with the impact of COVID-19; ensuring hours of operation meet the needs of parents to support workforce participation; ensuring licensed spaces are made available based on demand; and updating space availability monthly on the department’s Parent Portal."

November 2020 - The Government of Canada and the Government of New Brunswick announce additional support for quality early learning and child care across the province

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates nearly $10 million in 2020–21 for early learning and child care investments in New Brunswick. Specifically, New Brunswick will continue to collaborate with the childcare sector and maintain the New Brunswick Early Learning Centres designation to ensure all families and children in the province have access to high-quality, affordable child care in the official language of their choice by 2030."

September 2020 - New Brunswick to receive federal funding to support child care

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced $14 million in federal support for New Brunswick’s child care sector to help ensure that safe and sufficient child care spaces are available to support parents’ gradual return to work."

April 2019 - Wage increase for trained early childhood educators

Excerpt: "The provincial government has announced a 75 cent per hour wage increase for early childhood educators who have completed a two-year college diploma or a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or a related field."

November 2018 - Education and Early Childhood Development Annual Report 2017-2018

Excerpt: "The provincial government has signed a three-year bilat-eral agreement under the Early Learning and Child Care federal framework  The provincial and federal funding will result in the creation of NB Early Learning Centres through  which  families  will  access  affordable  quality  child care  Grants to help pay for the cost of providing vquality child care will be provided through EECD directly to the NB Early Learning Centres  There was a phased-in approach for the designation initiative, Phase 1 began in Q4 2017-2018 with 55 facilities being initially targeted, and subsequently approved, for designation."

January 2018 - 2018-2019 Budget

"In addition to the multi-year bilateral funding, your government is also investing $28 million to support wage increases for early childhood educators. This funding will be rolled out over four years beginning in 2019–2020 and raise wages from $16 an hour to $19 an hour for trained early childhood educators by 2022–2023."

January 2018 - Middle class to receive more financial support for child care

"The provincial government announced today that families with children aged five and under attending a designated New Brunswick Early Learning Centre will not pay more than 20 per cent of their income for child care."

January 2018 - Free daycare for low-income families

"The free daycare program is for parents who are either working or attending school, with children aged five and under attending a designated New Brunswick Early Learning Centre."

January 2018 - Early Learning and Child Care Action Plan released

Excerpt: "Excerpt: "New Brunswick Early Learning Centres will offer services to preschool children aged five and under through a voluntary application process. Daycares are not required to be part of this program. Those that choose to do so will work in collaboration with the government with the aim of offering equitable and affordable access to high-quality early learning and child care services by removing barriers linked to family income, children’s abilities and needs, language and minority settings."

• To access the Action Plan, Everyone at their best… from the start: Early Learning and Child Care Action Plan

December 2017 - New grants to boost early learning experiences for preschoolers

"Operators of child care facilities will be eligible for $12.2 million in grants as part of a plan to designate hundreds of facilities as Early Learning Centres offering high-quality, inclusive and affordable services."

August 2017 - Children and families in New Brunswick to benefit from improved early learning and child care

Highlights:

• Under this agreement, the federal government will invest close to $30 million to improve early learning and child care for preschool-aged children in New Brunswick. The province will contribute an additional $41 million for a total of $71 million.
• Investments will transform at least 300 current child care providers into designated New Brunswick Early Learning Centres which will provide more quality spaces, have lower fee structures, and implement inclusion policies and guidelines for francophone minority communities. Funding will also be used to provide professional development opportunities for early child care educators and to support other initiatives to improve early learning and child care in the province.

April 2017 - Investment in early learning and child care

"The provincial government is investing $1 million to support the Early Learning and Child Care Trust Fund."

February 2017 - Listening Getting Things and Done - 2017-2018 Budget

"Understanding the importance of early childhood education in the years before kindergarten and the struggle many families face over the cost of daycare, our government will increase the amount it provides to New Brunswickers to help pay for the cost of daycare. By January 1, 2018, in keeping with our platform commitment, we will have doubled the budget of the daycare assistance program."

September 2016 - Ten-year education plans focus on results; local authorities will have flexibility on delivery

The plans, entitled Everyone at Their Best for the anglophone sector and Donnons à nos enfants une longueur d’avance for the francophone sector, identify objectives for the early learning and education system and establish clear expectations for standards and performance.

August 2016 - Valuing Children, Families and Childcare Report: The task force had a mandate to provide a path for creating the right conditions for child care and to suggest ways to address the challenges parents face in obtaining access to quality and affordable child care services.

February 2016 - Budget 2016-2017 – Foundations for Our Future

November 2015 - Keeping Children and Youth Safe from Harm in New Brunswick: A Five Year Strategy by New Brunswickers

Excerpt: "New Brunswick’s approach to child rights enforcement is innovative in how it blends children’s rights and wellbeing. It is an approach inspired by the dominant discourses of our time: a) we follow UNICEF and the UNCRC’s child rights-based approach to policy-making4; and b) we combine it with the World Health Organization’s social determinants of health agenda5. Meaningful child rights enforcement is not merely a matter of good process, good laws, accessible remedies and educational efforts. The enjoyment of rights also has to be a demonstrably lived experience. Outcome indicators are the real evidence as to whether a child rights agenda has been meaningfully implemented."

April 2015 - Investment of $1.1 Billion in Children’s Education and Early Development

Excerpt: "New investments in early childhood development represent more than $3.5 million. Total funding allocated to the Early Childhood Development division totals $76.8 million. Of that amount, $23.6 million has been allocated to the Quality Improvement Financial Program to provide wage enhancement to educators working directly with children in regulated childcare facilities. The Preschool Autism Intervention Program has received $15.8 million. In addition, almost $10 million has been allocated to projects such as a new childcare registry, an early intervention program and new licensing technology."

April 2015 - Daycare inspection reports now available online: As of April 2, 2015, all approved Child Day Care Facilities Inspection Reports will be available online.

March 2015 - Facing our Challenges Together - Budget 2015-2016

Excerpt: "Increasing the budget for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development by 3.1 per cent so that strategic investments can be made that will be guided by new, comprehensive plans for both education and literacy."

February 2014 - Budget 2014-2015: Investing in our children and our schools is one of our government’s top priorities. With the challenging financial situation that we face, we must ensure that we get maximum value from every dollar we invest in our learning system. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s (EECD) budget is increasing by one per cent in 2014-2015.

Additional Resources:

• Budget Speech
• News Release
• Main Estimates

March 2013 - The budget contains more than $230 million in spending reduction initiatives across departments that are designed to offset inflationary pressures. Detailed, in-depth reviews are underway in the departments of Health, Education and Early Childhood Development, Social Development, and Transportation and Infrastructure to identify service delivery efficiencies. Various efficiency measures have been rolled out across all departmental budgets to offset inflationary and service demand pressures and allow for select new investments.

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 - 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."

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.

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Nova Scotia

June 2023 ~ New! - Increase in Nova Scotia Child Benefit

Excerpt: "The Nova Scotia Child Benefit is a tax-free payment to help eligible families with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age. Budget 2023-24 invests an additional $8 million in the benefit to help support families with incomes below $34,000. Families receiving the benefit will see: a $250 increase for the first child and each additional child for families earning less than $26,000; a $250 increase for the first child and $125 for each additional child for those earning between $26,000 and $33,999; In the last two years, the annual payment for families at the lowest income level has increased by $600 per child to $1,525."

May 2023 ~ New! - New Child-Care Spaces in Northern Nova Scotia

Excerpt: "Families looking for child care in northern Nova Scotia will see more than 300 new spaces in licensed centres and family homes thanks to provincial and federal funding. They are part of the 1,500 new, licensed child-care spaces the Province plans to create across Nova Scotia.     “Nova Scotian children deserve a quality early childhood education, and families deserve access to affordable and reliable child care,” said Premier Tim Houston. “We are committed to transforming the delivery of child care in our province so more families can benefit.” The YMCA of Pictou County is completing renovations to a new child-care centre that is scheduled to open this fall with room for about 50 infants, toddlers and preschoolers."

April 2023 ~ New! - New Child-Care Spaces in Halifax Regional Municipality

Excerpt: "Families in the Halifax region are starting to benefit from about 500 new and planned child-care spaces thanks to provincial and federal funding. New infant spaces have opened at the East Preston Childcare Centre, and new infant, toddler and preschool spaces were recently added at the Cunard Street Children’s Centre and the Edward Jost Children’s Centre in Spryfield. Several more expansions are planned for the coming months."

March 2023 - Budget 2023-24

Excerpt: "To continue to make early learning and child care accessible, affordable, and inclusive for all families, in 2023-24 EECD will: Continue to take steps to implement the Canada – Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement by developing a 2023-2026 Action Plan and outlining the approach to move toward a $10 a day on average child care by 2025-2026; Develop a space expansion strategy to inform the next stage of growth within the sector; Evaluate and expand the Quality Matters initiative, with a plan for full rollout across the sector, including family home child care and before-and-after care, by 2025-2026; Release the revised Early Learning Curriculum Framework and Educators’ Guide in English and French in fall 2023; Continue to develop and transition to a certification model for Early Childhood Educators (ECEs); Fully roll-out the Advanced Practitioners’ Program; a post-diploma certificate program to advance ECE knowledge and competence in a specialized area of practice, such as infants and toddlers, young children, outdoor play, or pedagogical leadership; Extend professional development opportunities currently being provided through EECD and support sites to family home child care providers; Launch the first in-person French-language ECE diploma program through Université Sainte Anne; Work with the sector to establish a standardized level of health benefits and retirement benefits for ECEs in 2023."

• Access Budget Documents

February 2023 - More Funding for Child-Care Centres

Excerpt: "The Province is investing more in the child-care system that thousands of Nova Scotia families rely on to care for their young children. Child-care operators will receive more funding for infant spaces, rising operational costs and staff wages under new annual agreements with the Province. “It’s important that young children have the best start, and Nova Scotia’s child-care operators are doing their best to provide quality care while also facing rising operating costs,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Becky Druhan. “This agreement increases funding for the year and follows the recent three per cent wage boost for early childhood educators as part of our promise made last fall for regular public sector wage increases.”"
 

November 2022 - Lower Child-Care Fees for Nova Scotians

Excerpt: "A $76-million contribution through the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement will reduce child-care fees for Nova Scotians, effective December 31. Most families will see a decrease in fees, which follows a previous reduction in the spring. The result will be fees that are 50 per cent lower on average than in 2019 for infants, toddlers and preschoolers."

October 2022 - Transforming Nova Scotia’s Child-Care System

Excerpt: "Now more than ever, Nova Scotians need a child-care system that delivers. Children deserve care that gives them the best start in life. Parents deserve care that is affordable regardless of financial means and available where they live and when they work. Nova Scotia deserves childcare that supports our workplaces and our economy. Early childhood educators (ECEs) and operators who nurture and care for our children deserve sustainable funding and support.

To meet these needs, our government is transforming child care in Nova Scotia:

For families: We have reduced fees to make life more affordable, with a 25 per cent reduction already in place and a further reduction on its way. By the end of this year, families will pay 50 per cent less on average than they did at the start of the year.

For communities: We have announced and delivered on the opening of spaces across the province, with 1,500 new child-care spaces coming this winter and new spaces already open in communities like Oxford, Hubbards, Windsor, Lower Sackville, and Lower Onslow, Colchester County."

October 2022 - Higher Wages, Retroactive Pay for Early Childhood Educators

Excerpt: "Highlights of the announcement include: a new wage scale for Level 1, 2 and 3 early childhood educators and directors working in licensed centres and family home child-care agencies that receive funding from the Province; wage increases retroactive to July 4, 2022; the wage increases will be between 14 and 43 per cent, depending on classification level and experience; wage increases will flow through employers (licensed, funded centres and agencies); the cost is estimated at about $100 million a year, cost-shared through the Canada–Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement; the Province currently pays about $25 million a year in wages to operators and the total additional new investment is about $75.4 million."

• Access the Early Childhood Educator Compensation

July 2022 - Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with Nova Scotia

Excerpt: "Through the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-wide agreement, the province has reduced average child care fees for licensed centres that are part of the Canada-Wide and Early Learning Childcare System in Nova Scotia by 25 per cent, retroactive to January 1, 2022, representing a significant step in reaching a 50 per cent reduction in average fees by the end of 2022. The province has also recently announced that 1,500 new licensed early learning and child care spaces will be created across Nova Scotia by December 31, 2022. These spaces are part of the plan for 9,500 new licensed child care spaces expected to be created across Nova Scotia by March 31, 2026."

June 2022 - Increase to Nova Scotia Child Benefit

Excerpt: "The Province is helping Nova Scotian families with lower incomes by increasing their Nova Scotia Child Benefit effective Friday, July 1. The benefit is a tax-free payment to eligible families to help with the cost of raising children under 18. Depending on household income and the number of children, families will now receive as much as $1,275 per child annually, at least $350 more than the previous year."

June 2022 - More Nova Scotia families will have access to licensed early learning and child care

Excerpt: "Today, Karina Gould, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, joined Becky Druhan, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, at East Preston Day Care to announce that 1,500 new licensed child care spaces will be created across Nova Scotia by December 31, 2022. The focus will be on creating spaces in areas of the province with limited access to child care services. The ministers also noted that, as of January 1, families in Nova Scotia with children in licensed child care are benefiting from a 25% reduction in fees, and that they will receive an additional 25% reduction by the end of 2022."

April 2022 - Budget 2022-23

Excerpt: "The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is forecast to be $49.6 million higher than Budget primarily due to $33.0 million for fully recoverable expenses related to the 5-year agreement with the federal government for universal childcare, $10.9 million in fully recoverable Early Childhood Workforce training initiatives, and $6.1 million in COVID-19 related expenses mainly in operating support grants to the childcare sector."

March 2022 - Families Will Pay Less for Child Care

Excerpt: "Families will see their fees for accessing licensed, funded child care reduced by 25 per cent, on average, starting Friday, April 1. Through the Nova Scotia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, parents will save anywhere between $3 and $10.50 per day, per child, based on the child’s age."

February 2022 - Province Provides Stable Funding to Child-Care Centres, Additional One-Time Grant

Excerpt: "Announced today, February 18, the additional funding will offset the 25 per cent fee reductions for parents. It also includes a one-time grant to support the freeze on parent fees. The new agreement will be offered to all child-care providers, including licensed centres that were previously unfunded or partially funded. By accepting the new agreement, centres will have access to the additional supports from the Province. The government’s total investment in the one-time grant is $1 million. The fee reductions have led to increased interest from families in child care, and the new agreement contains a commitment from operators to accept children where they can."

January 2022 - Canada – Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2021 to 2026

Excerpt: "Nova Scotia will develop a new provincial organization that will manage all regulated child care in the province. A provincial executive director, regional directors and centre based managers/pedagogical leaders will lead the organization and be responsible for meeting mandated objectives as determined by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD). The Province will provide the organization with an annual funding agreement to support all regulated child care centres and licensed family home child care agencies that fall under their mandate. Current regulated child care centres will transition from individual contracts with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development to a new governance and infrastructure model on April 1, 2022. The organization will oversee contracts for or manage the overall delivery of provincial child care including managing child care spaces and need in community, ECE compensation and wages/benefits (labour relations), daily parent fees, and centre finances."

January 2022 - Province Moves to Reduce Child-Care Fees by 25 Per Cent

Excerpt: "In addition to reduced fees, there will be 1,500 new not-for-profit child-care spaces beginning this fall, part of the plan for 9,500 new early learning and child-care spaces by March 31, 2026. The new spaces will be made available in more communities across Nova Scotia, with the goal of equitable access to affordable, accessible child care everywhere in the province. Communities with limited care options will soon have access to licensed child care for infants and toddlers, along with before and after school programs."

October 2021 - Province Moves Ahead on Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child-Care System

Excerpt: "Today, October 15, the Province released expressions of intent (EOI) to Nova Scotia’s not-for-profit child-care operators and those delivering the Nova Scotia Before and After Program. The Province is asking them to indicate their interest in expanding as it aims to create 9,500 new spaces for children under six, with a priority on communities where specific services are most needed."

July 2021 - Federal-Provincial Agreement Will Transform Child Care, Reduce Costs for Families

Excerpt: "Nova Scotia’s Early Learning and Child Care System will focus on affordability, accessibility, inclusion and quality. The plan will: reduce child care fees by an average of 50 per cent by Dec. 31, 2022; ensure child care fees are, on average, $10 per day by 2026; create at least 9,500 new early learning and child care spaces by March 31, 2025, including new spaces for infants and toddlers, and a new three-year-old early learning program with priority access given to vulnerable and equity-seeking families; enhance before and after care options at schools."

• Access the Excellence in Early Childhood Education: Nova Scotia’s Workforce Strategy for Early Childhood Educators

July 2021 - Planning and Implementation of the Pre-Primary Program

Auditor General Kim Adair-MacPherson released her July 2021 Report to the House of Assembly. The report examined the planning and implementation of the Pre-Primary Program introduced by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in 2017.

March 2021 - Budget 2021 to 2022 - A fair and prosperous future: path to balance

Excerpt: "Child care and education: $2.1 million increase for the now fully implemented pre-primary program available across the province, for a total of $53.4 million this year; $15 million increase to continue implementing the recommendations from the Commission on Inclusive Education to create a more inclusive education system for all students, bringing the total investment to $60 million; $9.5 million to maintain the enhanced cleaning recommendations from Public Health to support COVID-19 safe schools; $8 million to complete previous initiatives that support the safe reopening of schools and online learning due to COVID-19 during this school year."

March 2021 - Speech from the Throne

Excerpt: "The pandemic has highlighted difficulties faced by women in the workforce, especially around issues of childcare. My government is committed to working with the federal government on a national childcare strategy because childcare is critical to a thriving economy."

October 2020 - Pre-primary Program Implementation Complete

Excerpt: "Every four-year-old in Nova Scotia now has access to pre-primary, a free, universal early learning program."

September 2020 - Nova Scotia to receive federal funding to support child care

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced $17 million in federal support for Nova Scotia’s child care sector to help ensure that safe and sufficient child care spaces are available to support parents’ gradual return to work."

June 2020 - Child Benefit Increasing

Excerpt: "In July, government will expand the Nova Scotia Child Benefit to include more families, while also raising the amount eligible families receive. The $18 million investment, included in the 2020-21 budget, is the largest single increase to the benefit since it was created in 1998. “We’re putting more money directly in the hands of families who need it,” said Kelly Regan, Minister of Community Services. “This is another major investment in the children of our province.” Families with incomes below $34,000 will now be eligible."

February 2020 - Budget 2020-2021

Excerpt: "Budget 2020-21 includes an increase of $17.5 million, for a total investment of $51.4 million. That makes Nova Scotia a leader in Atlantic Canada in pre-primary education. Families have told us that transportation would make it easier to access pre-primary, particularly in rural Nova Scotia. Bus service for all eligible pre-primary children begins this September with new funding of $4 million under Budget 2020-21. Creating this opportunity for young children also means more parents can attend school themselves or return to the workforce and contribute to family income."

August 2019 - Before and After Program, Busing Coming for Pre-primary

Excerpt: "The province will expand the on-site, Nova Scotia Before and After Program to 40 sites this fall, with continued expansion in 2020, where needed."

June 2019 - Hundreds of New Child Care Spaces Created

Excerpt: "Children and families across the province will have more options and improved access to child care with a $4.4 million investment. The money will help create 403 new spaces across the province and provide 108 non-profit child care centres with opportunities to expand or improve their programs."

April 2019 - Province Expands Pre-primary Program

Excerpt: "The expansion of pre-primary will save families thousands of dollars in child care costs and create more opportunities for early childhood educators in Nova Scotia. About 224 more early childhood educators will be needed to support the new classrooms. More than 400 early childhood educators will be employed by the program next year."

March 2019 - Budget 2019-2020

Excerpt: "In September 2017, government launched the first pre-primary program for four-year-olds. This is a free, play-based program that provides all children an opportunity, regardless of their socio-economic situation. It provides parents with an option, and it has been well received across the province. Currently, more than 3,000 four-year-olds and their families are accessing the program in 185 pre-primary classes. With an additional $10.2 million this year, the rollout will continue, and by September 2020, we anticipate that every four-year-old in Nova Scotia will have access to a free, pre-primary, early learning opportunity. Early childhood educators are at the heart of quality child care. To expand services in both child care centres and in pre-primary classroom settings, we are dependent on a well-trained workforce."

September 2018 - Amendments to Day Care Act

Excerpt: "The amendments will: give the department more authority over inspections conducted by family home daycare agencies; change the title of the act from the Day Care Act to the Early Learning and Child Care Act; remove or revise outdated language, terms and definitions."

July 2018 - Province Expands Opportunities in Early Childhood Education

Excerpt: "Creating more opportunities for Nova Scotians who want to pursue a career in early childhood education will strengthen and develop the workforce and help meet the needs of families with young children. Government is working with the Nova Scotia Community College to create 135 new seats in the early childhood education program over the next three years. The total investment is $1.45 million."

March 2018  - Budget 2018-19: Stronger Services and Supports

Excerpt: "$17.6 million to add about 130 new pre-primary classes, as part of a plan to have it available across the province; $15.5 million (federal funding) to add up to 1,000 new regulated child care spaces and to expand the subsidy to make child care more accessible, affordable, and inclusive"

• To access the Business Plan for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development

March 2018  - Province Expands Pre-primary Program

"The province will add 130 new pre-primary classes this fall, in 87 school communities across Nova Scotia."

January 2018 - Government of Canada and Government of Nova Scotia are making early learning and child care more accessible and affordable for Nova Scotian families

Excerpt: "The action plan identifies key priority areas for investment, over three years, aligning with the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework. They are: Making child care more accessible for Nova Scotian families. Targets for the creation of new child care spaces include but are not limited to; 15 new regulated child care centres in communities that demonstrate need; 500 new regulated spaces; half to be in rural and/or vulnerable communities; 35 percent increase in the number of family home day care sites, with 50 percent of those spaces designated for infant care."

July 2017 - First Pre-Primary Locations Named

Excerpt: Excerpt: "Forty-three locations across the province have been selected to offer pre-primary programming to four-year-olds this fall. “For the first time, Nova Scotia families will have access to a free pre-primary program for four-year-olds,” said Zach Churchill, Minister, Education and Early Childhood Development. “This investment will support the futures of our youngest Nova Scotians and save their families thousands of dollars in child care costs.”"

April 2017 - Budget 2017-2018 – Opportunities for Growth

Excerpt: "In 2017-18, the department will introduce play-based pre-primary programming in a number of schools across Nova Scotia. This program will be available to 4 year olds the year before they enter school and will provide them with access to high-quality early learning programs based on Nova Scotia's first ever Early Learning Curriculum Framework."

• To view the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Business Plan

February 2017 - Evaluation of the Nova Scotia Early Years Centres - Year 2 Provincial Report

This report presents the findings of Year 2 of the four-year evaluation of the Nova Scotia Early Years Centre initiative, led by an evaluation team from Dalhousie University, research Power Incorporated, and Mount Saint Vincent University) and funded by the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation.  Key lessons learned and issues for further consideration are provided to support continuous program improvements at the local and provincial levels of the system.

July 2016 - Improved Child Care Subsidy Rates Effective July 1

"Starting on July 1, families with an income of $25,000 or less will be eligible for the maximum subsidy, up from $20,800. About 700 families currently receiving a partial subsidy will be eligible for the maximum. This change will attract about 1,200 new families into the program. Families with an income of more than $25,000 up to $70,000 will be eligible for a partial subsidy."

May 2016 - Affordable, Quality Child Care: A Great Place to Grow!

"Government will make child care more affordable for families while improving wages for early childhood educators. "We know that investing in early childhood education now will provide a direct, immediate benefit for Nova Scotia children, which is why we committed $6.6 million to begin implementing this plan," said Karen Casey, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development."

May 2016 - More Support for Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

"The province has added an additional $3.6 million per year in Budget 2016-2017 to ensure that all preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorder can receive Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention treatment, or EIBI, before they start school at age six."

April 2016 - Budget 2016-2017 - Working Together for a Stronger Nova Scotia

"This year’s budget will recognize the early years as the most important years in a child’s development, investing in child care, and giving a much-deserved increase in wages for workers."

March 2016 - Nova Scotia Review of Regulated Child Care Consultation Report and Recommendations

"Learning does not start on the first day of school. Research shows that the early years are the most important years in a child’s development. It is a critical stage that has a significant impact on their future long-term health, growth and well-being."

September 2015 - Four New Early Years Centres Officially Open

Excpert: "Four communities now have access to increased supports for young children with the official opening of four new early years centres. The expansion means there is now an early years centre in every school board in the province."

April 2015 - Budget 2015-2016

Excerpt: "Providing our youngest with a strong foundation: $1.3-million increase to reduce the wait lists for community-based Early Intervention; $700,000 increase for Early Learning Initiatives; $500,000 increase for four new SchoolsPlus sites.  The additional $20.4 million invested this year will bring the total amount reinvested in our education system to $37.9 million. It’s all part of the four-year commitment to reinvest $65 million in education. A greater focus on Primary to 12 means better-prepared graduates ready for the workforce or post-secondary education."

January 2015 - Minister's Action Plan to Modernize and Improve Education System

• To read the report, The 3 Rs: Renew, Refocus, Rebuild

January 2015 - Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Karen Casey announced Jan. 20, the government will address four key areas of early intervention to improve services to children and their families. The four areas are: improving access to early intervention for families; strengthening early intervention programs across the province; supporting and developing the early intervention workforce; aligning early intervention programs with the early years system and the public school system.

January 2015 - Review of Regulated Child Care to Begin: "The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development wants to ensure Nova Scotia child-care operators have quality programs in place that meet the needs of all children to help them reach their full potential," said Education and Early Childhood Development Karen Casey.

November 2014 - Early Development Instrument Results – Provincial Summary Reports: Primary Students in Nova Scotia, 2012/2013 School Year

October 2014 - The province is being challenged to make significant changes to the way education is delivered in Nova Scotia. The Minister's Panel on Education released a report Oct. 30, that contains seven themes that represent what almost 19,000 Nova Scotians said are the most important issues to improve the system.

• Press Release

September 2014 - Speech from the Throne - Second Session of the 62nd General Assembly of the Nova Scotia Legislature

Excerpt: "My government, through the department of Education and Early Childhood Development, has already started a review of regulated child-care programs. This review is focusing on the safety of children in childcare and identifying ways to make childcare more accessible and affordable for families, enhancing the quality of programming for children, and supporting staff who work with our youngest children. Recommendations from the review will be ready in the spring of 2015."

September 2014 - Early Years Centre Opens in Yarmouth - Families in Yarmouth and surrounding areas, now have access to more services and supports for young children because of the new Early Years Centre for Yarmouth Central School

September 2014 - Online Prenatal and Parenting Program Launched - "In today's digital world, new and expectant parents are looking for credible information online," said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief public health officer. "This new program has been customized according to Nova Scotia standards. It provides the information parents need in the online, mobile format they want."

August 2014 - Changes to Better Protect Children at Child-Care Centres - Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Karen Casey is taking steps to ensure the protection of children at regulated child-care centres across the province. Ms. Casey will introduce regulations that will give the minister the authority to ensure no child-care staff would be allowed to work with children at any time if they did not have their child abuse registry and criminal background checks in place.

April 2014 - Nova Scotia Child Benefit Will Cover More Children on July 1: "The Nova Scotia Child Benefit income threshold will rise from $25,000 to $26,000 on July 1, bringing about 1,300 more children under the program's umbrella.

Other families already in the program will get a modest improvement, on a graduated scale. Families with incomes between $18,000 and $26,000 qualify for partial benefits, and will receive average increases of $40 a year for one-child families, $100 a year for two-child families and $160 a year for families with three children. This will affect about 10,000 children already covered."

April 2014 - Early Years Centres Open in Three Communities: "The early years centres are located in or near schools, which make them accessible, convenient and familiar places for families in their communities. Each centre is tailored to meet the needs of its community by partnering with local organizations to offer programs and services such as early learning programs for four-year-olds, early intervention, before- and after-school programs, regulated child care, and parent education."

April 2014 - Finance and Treasury Board Minister Diana Whalen tabled the 2014-15 provincial budget April 3, clearing the way for private sector growth and reinvestment in education and health care.  Included in the budget this year;

• reinvest in a new direction for education and prepare children for success by conducting a curriculum review, placing limits on classroom sizes, hiring more staff to support students with special needs, and reducing wait times for early intervention programs
• Expand eligibility for the Child Tax Benefit to 1,300 more children from low-income families ($450,000)
• Provide more early education for children and parenting support through Family Resource Centres ($2 million)
• Early Years - Reduce wait lists for community-based Early Intervention Programs ($1.3 million)

For more information;

• News Release - Nova Scotia's 2014-15 Budget Lays Foundation for Work Ahead
• Budget 2014-2015 Address
• Families and Communities
• Education

August 2013 - The province is opening early years centres in four communities to provide families with more access to services and supports for young children. Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Ramona Jennex announced the locations of the province's first early years centres today, Aug. 22, at Rockingstone Heights School, the site for the Halifax Regional School Board's centre.

April 2013 - 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.

April 2013 - The province has developed a multi-year plan - now in its second year, Kids and Learning First is improving the future success of our children through a greater focus on the early years, the basics, and safer, better schools. The plan means more teachers, increased support for special education, and smaller class sizes.  Included in the Budget 2013: Establish children’s centres so it is easier for families to access support services for their young kids and help them make a successful transition to elementary school—$1.2 million; Expand the ability of teachers to assess the developmental health of their students in critical areas like physical well-being, emotional maturity, social skills, and language—$70,000.

March 2013 - During the 2013 Throne Speech it was announced that thegovernment is establishing a Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, to better coordinate and improve the many ways that the province supports infants, young children, and their families in the first years of life. The Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development will outline the immediate action and multi-year goals for Nova Scotia to make the most of the early years, with both prevention and support that will become available as the plan unfolds.

October 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

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Prince Edward Island

November 2022 - Support for licensed home child care centres in Prince Edward Island

Excerpt: "Licensed family home centres can receive financial support to reduce parent fees, fund wages and professional development opportunities, and purchase materials, equipment, or supplies. Current unlicensed home child care providers can also receive funding to help cover costs associated with seeking licensing from the province."

October 2022 - Province helping families with child care fees

Excerpt: "Parents or guardians of school aged children, who had to find alternate child care because of the extended closure of their child’s school between October 3-7, will get help through the Fiona Child Care Allowance Program. If parents accessed care through a licensed centre, the centre will be paid directly to cover up to $20 per day per child. Parents who accessed private care, such as a babysitter or non-licensed program, can apply for funding at Fiona Child Care Allowance Program. The Province will also cover the parent-fees for all families with children in licensed early learning and child care centres, if the centre was not able to open between October 3-7 due to damages from hurricane Fiona. Parents do not need to apply for this, it will be automatically paid to their centre."

July 2022 - Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with Prince Edward Island

Excerpt: "Through the Canada–Prince Edward Island Canada-wide agreement and its investments, the Province has reduced child care fees to $25 a day as of January 1, 2022, representing a meaningful step in reaching an average reduction in fees of 50% by the end of 2022. This is one of the milestones toward achieving an average of $10 a day for early learning and child care within Prince Edward Island’s designated Early Years Centres and  Family Home Centres by the end of 2024, two years ahead of schedule. To increase the supply of early learning and child care spaces, the Province will create 452 new licensed child care spaces by the end of fiscal year 2022–23 to ensure more families can access child care. The Province will create these new child care spaces predominantly in publicly managed early years centres, as well as in family home child care. "

April 2022 - Increasing access to child care

Excerpt: "Prince Edward Island continues to increase access to early learning and child care across the province. More than 230 affordable child care spaces are being added across the province, with five additional early childhood centres receiving an official Early Years Centre designation from the province. Increasing the number of designated Early Years Centres helps to grow access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care services for Island children and families."

March 2022 - Canada ‒ Prince Edward Island Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2021 to 2026

Excerpt: "Prince Edward Island agrees to utilize funding in licensed/regulated settings to support the attraction and retention of a qualified workforce, including through training, professional development, wages, bursary programs, tuition support and grants."

• Also see July 2022 Agreement to amend the Canada – Prince Edward Island Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2021 to 2026

February 2022 - Budget 2022

Excerpt: "Early Learning Employment Investments: $655,300. Increased funding to the ECDA will aim to increase the employability of individuals within the licensed early learning and childcare system. The funding will support up to 100 participants in the development of skills and workforce knowledge while gaining work experience specific to the early learning and child care workforce."

December 2021 - Canada‒Prince Edward Island Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2021 to 2026

Excerpt: "In addition to the requirement for EYCs to meet specific criteria related to workforce/quality, including the requirement for all staff to have a level of certification and adhering to a uniform wage grid and benefits, PEI has taken further steps to support its ECE workforce. Funding provided under the Early Learning and Child Care Bilateral Agreement (2017) resulted in education and training grants being provided to 170 early childhood educators for a total of $366,473 spent since 2017."

November 2021 - More early childhood centres receive Early Years Centre Designation

Excerpt: "Designated Early Years Centres receive operational funding from government to follow a provincial  curriculum framework, recognized as one of the best in the country.  These centres provide government-regulated fees for parents and they are staffed by trained Early Childhood Educators who are on the provincial wage grid. There are now 61 provincial Early Years Centres on Prince Edward Island."

October 2021 - PEI ELCC Wage Grid

August 2021 - Government of Canada and Government of Prince Edward Island announce extension of support for quality early learning and child care across the province

Excerpt: "Through the agreement, the Government of Canada is providing over $16 million in funding over four years to Prince Edward Island to improve access to high quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services. Under the 2021–2022 to 2024–2025 Canada–Prince Edward Island Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Prince Edward Island will allocate funding to increase access to affordable, inclusive and high-quality early learning and child care spaces, including for those with parents who work non-standard hours, for children of all abilities or needing individual or enhanced supports, and to invest in training to support early childhood educators."

July 2021 - $10 a day child care for families in Prince Edward Island

Excerpt: "The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Premier of Prince Edward Island, Dennis King, today announced an agreement that will support an average of $10 a day early learning and child care in the province in three years. PEI is on track to meet this target by the end of 2024, significantly reducing the price of child care for families. Through the agreement, the governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island will work together to improve access to quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services. This includes creating 452 new regulated early learning and child care spaces within two years to ensure all families of children under age six can access child care. The federal funding of nearly $121.3 million over the next five years also includes a one time investment of about $3.6 million in 2021-2022 to support the early childhood workforce."

• Also see Prince Edward Island's news release, Early Learning and Child Care Investments

March 2021 - The Government of Canada and the Government of Prince Edward Island announce additional support for quality early learning and child care across the province

Excerpt: "Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen; and Prince Edward Island’s Minister of Education and Lifelong Learning, Natalie Jameson, announced over $3.5 million in federal funding for early learning and child care investments in Prince Edward Island for 2020–2021."

March 2021 - Budget 2021

Excerpt: "Mr. Speaker, this administration continues to make important investments in our children and we will launch our Universal Pre-K program in September of this year. It will be a community-based, half- day program designed to ensure all children have access to a play-based learning program which will give them a strong introduction to their education journey. This budget commits $2.9 million to introduce and ensure the program is a success."

February 2021 - Speech from the Throne

Excerpt: "My government’s objective is to increase access to childcare by adding an additional 300 childcare spaces this year. This measure will constitute the first steps toward a universal model with a fixed rate for early childhood centres, with the objective to provide our children a strong and healthy start to their educational path in a consistent, caring, and safe learning environment."

December 2020 - Early childhood centres receive additional support

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."

September 2020 - Wage increases for early childhood educators, more support for centres

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."

September 2020 - Prince Edward Island to receive federal funding to support child care

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."

March 2019 - PEI Workforce Strategy Project

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.”"

September 2017 - Province increases child-care funding

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."

August 2017 - New Early Learning and Child Care Investments: PEI Action Plan

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

August 2017 - The Government of Canada and the Government of Prince Edward Island sign a bilateral agreement on early learning and child care

"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."

June 2017 - Early childhood services that work for children, families and islanders

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."

April 2017 - Budget 2017-2018

"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."

May 2016 - Increase to early childhood educator wages

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

April 2016 - Budget 2016

"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."

November 2015 - Learner-Focused Approach to Education to Advance Prosperity of Province

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."

• To learn more

June 2015 - Budget 2015

"We will continue our investment in early learning. Specifically, we will maintain an annual commitment of $1.2 million to CHANCES to provide programs and supports for children from birth to 36 months.  Budget 2015-2016 makes a further commitment of $60,000 a year for five years to support literacy programs for these families."

November 2014 - Province Expands Newborn Screening Program

Excerpt: "“I am extremely pleased to expand our existing newborn screening program to ensure the early detection of even more conditions, including cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia,” said the Minister. “It will also mean better support and follow-up service will be in place for the improved health of Island children.”"

November 2014 - Speech From The Throne - "In 2011, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) ranked PEI’s new early learning and child care system second in Canada, behind only Quebec. Since then, our system has been further enhanced through continued education and training of our early childhood educators and ongoing support to the implementation of our provincial early learning curriculum framework. Earlier today, OISE released its Early Childhood Education 2014 Report, increasing PEI’s rating and moving it to a first place tie with Quebec."

September 2014 - Government will be investing $3.75 million over five years to increase and enhance services to children with complex health needs says Minister of Health and Wellness Doug Currie.

May 2014 - Early Childhood Educators Upgrade Skills - The success of the early childhood education system depends on highly trained and qualified early childhood educators, says Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Alan McIsaac.

“Government recognized that there was a shortage of qualified early childhood educators as a result of moving kindergarten into the school system and we worked with our partners to ensure that early childhood educators received the training they needed,” said Minister McIsaac. “Congratulations to all those who have upgraded their knowledge, skills and abilities and continue to provide excellent early learning and child care to our Island children.”

May 2014 - Kindergarten Teachers Receive Bachelor of Education Degrees - Last weekend, 83 kindergarten teachers graduated with their Bachelor of Education degree, which was an important milestone in the successful transition to a public full-day kindergarten program in our Island school system, says Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Alan McIsaac.

“As part of the transition, kindergarten teachers were required to obtain their Bachelor of Education degree. The University of Prince Edward Island developed a flexible program to accommodate these teachers,” said Minister McIsaac. “Congratulations to each of these graduates. Thank you for rising to this challenge and for your dedication to Island children.”

April 2014 - The 2014-2015 Provincial Budget for Prince Edward Island was presented by Hon. Wes Sheridan, Minister of Finance, Energy and Municipal Affairs and Chair of Treasury Board on April 8, 2014.  Referencing early education: "The mandate of the Ministry is to provide leadership in ensuring high quality early childhood development, learning and educational opportunities for Islanders through the achievement of acceptable results in the following areas: quality of legislation, regulations and policies; quality of programs and services; accessibility and equity of programs and services; and employee satisfaction."

• Budget Address
• Budget Highlights
• Estimates of Revenue and Expenditures
• News Release

September 2013 - This report is the results of the first year’s evaluation of Prince Edward Island’s Preschool Excellence Initiative -- a comprehensive 5-year plan to build a provincial early childhood system for children from infancy to kindergarten. The system’s emphasis is on building a community based, publicly managed early childhood system supporting the early development of children while at the same time supporting parents in balancing their work and family responsibilities.

March 2013 - 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 - 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.

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Quebec

March 2023 - Budget 2023-2024

Excerpt: "The government wishes to support Québec families in a practical way. For most, this means quality educational childcare services. Services that will enhance family work school balance and foster child development. Furthermore, our government wishes to pay special attention to families in vulnerable situations and ensure that they receive the help they need. Converting 5 000 non subsidized childcare spaces: We are committed to gradually converting non subsidized childcare spaces in the network into subsidized spaces. To ensure greater financial equity, I am announcing today the conversion of 5 000 childcare spaces in 2023 2024. This measure will allow more families to benefit from the reduced contribution, which is currently $8.85 per day."

• Access Budget Documents

August 2022 - Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Canada-Quebec Asymmetrical Agreement on the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Component

Excerpt: "Under the agreement with Quebec, the Government of Canada is investing nearly $6 billion over five years to make further improvements to early learning and child care. A significant portion of the funding will address Quebec’s stated child care priorities, including creating more than 30,000 subsidized reduced-contribution child care spaces, increasing the number of qualified child care educators and strengthening the current child care network."

March 2022 - Budget 2022-2023

Excerpt: "To improve assistance and services for families and youth, the government is announcing funding totalling $256 million in this budget to: improve the quality of the educational childcare services network; rovide support to families with special needs and improve targeted services for them; support young people. The financial impact of these measures is $109 million, in light of amounts announced elsewhere in this budget, such as the implementation of the 2022‑2027 government action plan in the community action field."

December 2021 - Canada-Quebec - 2021 to 2026 Asymmetrical Agreement on the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Component

Excerpt: "In order to strengthen the current system, the Government of Quebec announced, as part of its fiscal year 2021 to 2022 budget, investments of $144.2 million over 5 years to:  increase the number of qualified early childhood educators; accelerate the development of child care spaces through measures such as reviewing and optimizing the process related to the development of centres de la petite enfance (CPEs), authorizing the use of temporary facilities, and providing additional incentives for home child care providers; improve the offer of child care services and make it more flexible by promoting the provision of atypical child care and the offer of activities by community drop-in centres"

August 2021 - New agreement to strengthen the early learning and child care system in Quebec

Excerpt: "The governments of Quebec and Canada recognize Quebec’s leadership in early learning and child care and together, they have announced an asymmetric agreement for the federal transfer of nearly $6 billion over five years. This includes a significant portion that will go toward strengthening the early learning and child care system in Quebec and improving working conditions for educators."

• Access the Government of Quebec news release (French) here

October 2020 - Quebec to receive federal funding to support child care

Excerpt: "Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen, announced $137 million in federal support for Quebec’s child care sector to help ensure that safe and sufficient child care spaces are available to support parents’ gradual return to work."

October 2020 - Report of the Auditor General of Québec to the National Assembly for 2020-2021

Excerpt: "FINDINGS: There are not enough places available in subsidized childcare to meet the needs of families in Québec. Families that are unable to find subsidized childcare pay more for a service whose quality does not necessarily meet expectations; The children of low-income families are underrepresented in childcare centres (CPE) that are located in the administrative regions of Laval and Montréal; The Place 0-5 single-window access to childcare services does not allow for the efficient management of access to these services. Theinformation presented on the website is not up-to-date and is not sufficient to meet the needs of parents; The oversight of childcare services by the ministère de la Famille is largely insufficient to optimize access to childcare services, in particular for families with a child who has special needs; The ministère de la Famille is not meeting its objectives for the creation of new places in subsidized childcare that were announced several years ago, which prevents it from meeting the needs of families."

April 2020 - Quality Assessment - Children in childcare services

March 2020 - Budget 2020-21

February 2020 - Rollout of kindergarten classes for 4-year-olds - 60 new kindergarten classes for 4-year-olds in the english- language school boards

Excerpt: "Kindergarten classes for children from the age of 4 is a non-compulsory service made available to families with the passage of Bill 5 in 2019. It is being phased in gradually in schools across Québec. The Preschool Education Program for 4-Year-Olds is intended to facilitate the global development of all children in that age bracket by offering them challenges adapted to their needs and interests in a context where the focus is on play."

March 2019 - Budget 2019-20

Excerpt: "Universal kindergarten for 4 year- olds will be rolled out taking into account the school  system's  current  resources.  The teachers  will  be  supported  by  an educator  or  special  education  technician and a  team  of  professionals.  The government plans to add 250 new classes starting in September 2019"

December 2018 - Update on Québec's Economic and Financial Situation – Fall 2018

Excerpt: "The government will give back to families and seniors nearly $1.7 billion over five years. To do so, it is planning on the following: payment of a more generous family allowance for families with two or more children beginning in 2019; freeze on the additional contribution for subsidized childcare as of 2019."

March 2018  - Budget 2018-2019

Highlights: "Nearly $160 million to enhance the tax credit for childcare expenses; More than $80 million to support families with children:

• Improving the offering of childcare services in order to foster family-work-study balance
• Providing the Fondation du Dr Julien with stronger support for social pediatrics
• Supporting regional and local mobilization for early childhood development"

January 2018 - Investissements sans précédent : près de 740 M$ pour rénover des écoles du Québec en 2018 – Plus de 53,4 M$ dans la région des Laurentides pour la réalisation de 178 projets de rénovation

June 2017 - Maternelle 4 ans à temps plein pour les enfants en milieu défavorisé - Le ministre Proulx annonce l'ajout de 100 classes pour l'année scolaire 2017-2018

June 2017 - 1,5 M$ pour investir en infrastructures dans les CPE

June 2017 - Règles budgétaires 2017-2018 - Agir tôt pour la réussite éducative : 40 M$ supplémentaires dans les services de garde éducatifs à l'enfance

March 2017 - Budget 2017-2017: The Québec Economic Plan

"In order to enhance support for Québec families, the Québec Economic Plan provides for an additional investment of close to $130 million over six years for family services. $20 million will be allocated to the Ministère de la Famille for 2016-2017 to provide community-based financial assistance, including $10 million, which will be drawn from available budget funds over the year. Funding of $7.4 million will also be granted to the Ministère de la Famille for 2016-2017.  These sums will be drawn directly from availabilities during the year. Further more, additional appropriations of $20 million per year for the period from 2017-2018 to 2021-2022 will be granted to the Ministère de la Famille."

March 2016 - Budget 2016-2017

Excerpt: "To ensure that all of the conditions for succeeding are in place at the earliest age, we are adding more resources to ensure quality, sustainable childcare services. As my colleague the Minister of Families announced on February 23, childcare and subsidized daycare centres will receive a lump-sum allowance of $60 million in 2015-2016 to facilitate the transition to the new funding model and improve direct services to children."

February 2016 - Financement des services de garde éducatifs à l'enfance subventionnés - Un nouveau mode de financement juste et équitable pour assurer la pérennité du réseau : une première en 20 ans ! (Translated: Funding of educational childcare in subsidized child - A new way of fair and equitable funding to ensure the network's future: a first in 20 years!)

March 2015 - Budget 2015-2016

Excerpt: "This tax shield, inspired by the Godbout report, will partly offset the decrease in the work premium and the tax credit for childcare expenses following an increase in work income. Our objective is to reward workers and enable them to get more out of their work. Together, building our economy 9 The tax shield amount will vary according to the family situation and income level of households. The tax shield represents annual tax relief totalling $52 million as of 2016-2017. This relief will benefit nearly 400 000 workers."

November 2014 - Le gouvernement du Québec propose des mesures pour  moderniser et assurer la pérennité du réseau de services de garde éducatifs du Québec (Google Translation: The Quebec governemtn proposed measures to modernize and sustain the network of educational childcare in Quebec)

June 2014 - The Childcare Establishment Locator lets you find contact information of all Québec childcare centres and daycare centres and see their location on a map. The locator indicates childcare services in operation and under development that the ministère de la Famille has authorized and that are expected to open within the next 18 months. The locator is updated every week

February 2014 - Budget 2014-2015: To restore fiscal balance in 2015-2016-Program spending growth is being held at 2% in 2014-2015 and the following two years. Our actions: Improve the quality and efficiency of public services: implement patient-based funding in the health network; continue to seek efforts from public bodies to manage their spending; reassess the organizational efficiency and delivery methods of public services over five years. Ensure the funding of public services: gradually raise parents’ contribution to daycare services; review the sharing of costs of university education for students from outside Québec. Continue to fight corruption and tax evasion.

July 2013 - Full day Kindergarten for 4-Year-Olds from disadvantaged areas

• Draft Version of the Program

February 2013 - Quebec Announces New Daycare Spaces: Province Favours Non-Profit Centres

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."

December 2011- Report of the Auditor General of Québec to the National Assembly for 2011-2012. Educational Childcare Services-Audit objectives: Obtain the assurance that the Ministère de la Famille et des Aînés: Had taken measures to set up a quality network of educational childcare services, in accordance with the Educational Childcare Act and sound management rules and practices; Evaluates its performance and makes adequate accountability reports on the quality of educational childcare services.  

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

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Saskatchewan

June 2023 ~ New! - Governments Invest $12 Million to Provide Tuition-Free Training for Prospective and Current Early Childhood Educators

Excerpt: " The Government of Saskatchewan has partnered with 10 post-secondary institutions across the province to increase access to training and professional development opportunities for early childhood educators. Through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement 2021-2026, Saskatchewan is committing over $12 million for the 2023-24 academic year to support existing and prospective early childhood educators to achieve higher levels of training and access to professional development opportunities. Attracting, retaining and growing a strong workforce of early childhood educators is just one of the initiatives by the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. Other initiatives that have been implemented include $10 a day child care and wage enhancements of up to $5 an hour for early childhood educator wages."

March 2023 - Record $3.1 Billion For Education, Child Care And Libraries To Support A Growing Saskatchewan

Excerpt: "The 2023-24 Budget provides $382.4 million, an increase of $72.1 million or 23.3 per cent over last year for early learning and child care that supports young families in our province. This funding will reduce child care fees for families of children up to the age of six to $10 per day as of April 1, 2023. It will also be used to further increase the number of regulated home-based and centre-based child care spaces in the province, as part of the ongoing goal of ensuring families have access to regulated child care."

• Access the budget documents

March 2023 - Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada Provide an Additional $405,000 for Rural Early Learning Mobile Programs

Excerpt: "Families in rural Saskatchewan with young children will have access to further mobile early learning opportunities, thanks to an additional $405,000 investment from the Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada. Funding for KidsFirst Regional programming was $823,500 in 2022-23. This additional investment, recently provided to KidsFirst Regional areas increases the total program funding to $1.2 million. KidsFirst Regional travels to communities across the province bringing unique learning opportunities to children up to age five with programs such as take-home literacy kits, story walks and pop-up preschool events. This increase in funding will allow KidsFirst Regional to reach more children in their own communities with learning initiatives that focus on child development, literacy, nutrition and health and well-being."

March 2023 - Saskatchewan to Achieve $10 A Day Child Care by April 2023

Excerpt: "The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada are pleased to announce that parent fees for regulated child care in the province will be reduced to $10 a day starting April 1, 2023. Saskatchewan is one of the first Canadian provinces to achieve this milestone, which is three years ahead of schedule as outlined in the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement to bring down child care fees to $10 day by 2025-26. "The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to investing in affordable, inclusive and high-quality child care that provides children with a positive start in life while also giving parents the flexibility and choice to build both a family and career," Education Minister Dustin Duncan said. Parents whose children are under the age of six and attend regulated child care on a full-time basis can expect to pay $217.50 per month. The fee reductions will result in families saving an average of $395 to $573 per month for each child under six from the average comparable fees as of March 31, 2021."

January 2023 - Government Announces $44 Million In New Grants For Child Care Facilities

Excerpt: "The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada announce three new, one-time grants to support regulated early learning and child care centres and homes across the province. The $44 million investment in one-time grants aims to help offset costs incurred from inflation, support preventative maintenance and repairs of centres, and provide funding for outdoor winter play equipment."

November 2022 - Over 2,000 More Regulated Child Care Spaces to Open in Saskatchewan

Excerpt: "The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada are investing $28.9 million to develop up to 2,197 new child care spaces in regulated child care centres across the province. "Today our government is pleased to announce a significant expansion in regulated child care, which is so important to Saskatchewan families," Minister of Education Dustin Duncan said. "In our growing province, we are providing funding for nearly 2,200 more children to attend regulated child care, which provides high quality early learning, play and exploration environments for our youngest learners." Of the 2,197 newly funded spaces, 1,599 spaces have been allocated to specific organizations who will either build new facilities or add new spaces within their existing facilities. The remaining 598 funded spaces will be allocated to organizations later this year through an application process."

October 2022 - Saskatchewan Schools Add More Than 400 Educational Assistants Into Classrooms To Support Students

Excerpt: "There are now several hundred more educational assistants in schools throughout the province, providing important in-class support for thousands of Saskatchewan students. Approximately 200 of these positions are provided by the Government of Saskatchewan's $7 million in targeted funding for school divisions to increase the number of educational assistants for the 2022-23 school year. "Educational assistants are valued support staff that provide significant contributions to student learning," Education Minister Dustin Duncan said. "Our government will continue to ensure school divisions have the funding they need to support students, staff and their school communities.""

October 2022 - Regulated Child Care Facilities in Saskatchewan Will Benefit from New Change Management Grant

Excerpt: "The Change Management Grant is a flexible grant that will be available effective immediately and calculated at a rate of $200 per regulated child care space. Child care home and centre providers can use the funds at their discretion to adapt to changes emerging from the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. Among other possibilities, grant money could be used to learn new computer skills, upgrade computer software or hardware or acquire training in administration."

October 2022 - The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada Announce Additional Funding for the Recruitment and Retention of Early Childhood Educators

Excerpt: "Saskatchewan regulated child care centres and group family child care homes will receive a one-time grant of $145 per regulated child care space for children up to the age of six to assist with each facility's unique workforce needs, such as one-time investments into benefit or pension funds, signing bonuses or to attend career fairs. This investment will be made through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement for the Early Learning and Child Care Workforce Enhancement Grant."

September 2022 - Government Invests $5.4 Million For Increased Wages For Early Childhood Educators

Excerpt: "The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada are investing $5.4 million to provide up to $2 an hour increase for Early Childhood Educators (ECEs). This is in recognition of the important services they provide in supporting families who require child care. The investment will assist child care centres in providing improved wages in the recruitment and retention of ECEs. This Wage Enhancement Grant will be funded through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, which also supports future ECEs with free post-secondary training, professional development opportunities and many other programs."

August 2022 - Government of Saskatchewan Offers Free Training for Early Childhood Educators

Excerpt: "Saskatchewan is committing nearly $9 million for training and professional development grants for the early learning and child care sector. This is part of Saskatchewan’s commitment to improve quality in the early years and child care sector, and is just one of many programs delivered through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The province has partnered with Collège Mathieu, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) and Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Sask Polytech) to make Early Childhood Education (ECE) training opportunities available at no charge. The three post-secondary institutions have programming available beginning in 2022-23."

August 2022 - Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with Saskatchewan

Excerpt: "Through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Saskatchewan has already achieved a 50% reduction in average parent fees for regulated child care spaces for children under 6 years of age, retroactive to July 1, 2021. Starting September 1, 2022, parent fees for regulated child care will be further reduced, to an average of 70% compared to March 2021 levels. These fee reductions means families in Saskatchewan are already saving up to an estimated average of $3,910 annually per child, and could save an average of approximately $5,220 a year per child once fees reach an average of $10-a-day. These are significant milestones, and the province is on track to reach an average of $10-a-day early learning and child care fees by March 2026."

August 2022 - Saskatchewan Lowers Child Care Fees by 70%

Excerpt: "The governments of Saskatchewan and Canada have taken another important step to improve affordability and further reduce regulated child care fees for families with children under six. Starting September 1, 2022, parent fees for regulated child care will be reduced by an average of 70 per cent compared to March 2021 levels. This fee reduction, the second announced this year, is part of close to $1.1 billion being invested to transform child care in Saskatchewan through the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement by making regulated child care more affordable for Saskatchewan families. Parent fee reductions represent spending of $13.4 million over the last fiscal year and a total of $74 million for 2022-23."

March 2022 - 200 New Educational Assistant Positions Highlight $2.88 Billion Education Budget

Excerpt: "Saskatchewan's 27 school divisions will receive $1.99 billion in school operating funding for the 2022-23 school year, an increase of $29.4 million or 1.5 per cent. This increase will: provide an additional $6.0 million for learning supports for students; and fully fund the 2.0 per cent salary increase for teachers as part of the Teachers' Collective Bargaining Agreement."

March 2022 - Budget 2022-23: Back on Track

Excerpt: "The 2022-23 Ministry of Education Budget provides record support of $2.9 billion, an increase of $219.9 million or 8.3 per cent over last year, for Prekindergarten to Grade 12 students, early learners and school and child care staff."

March 2022 - Regulated Child Care Centres To Receive Workforce Enhancement Grants

Excerpt: "The Ministry of Education is offering a one-time grant to regulated and operational child care centres to assist them in recruiting and retaining qualified early childhood educators (ECEs). Funds awarded will be calculated at $145 per regulated child care space. This grant is supported by funding provided through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement."

March 2022 - 1,202 New Child Care Spaces Coming To 21 Saskatchewan Communities

Excerpt: "The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan are announcing the addition of 1,202 new licensed not-for-profit child care facility spaces in 21 Saskatchewan communities as they continue to support families by providing better access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care. These additional spaces are part of a shared goal to create 28,000 new child care spaces in the province by the end of March 2026. Today’s announcement follows the December 2021 expansion of 601 new spaces."

December 2021 - Canada–Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2021 to 2026

Excerpt: "In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, Saskatchewan will work to develop a wage grid. Saskatchewan’s renewed funding model will recognize this wage grid and compensation of ECEs as an essential feature of child care funding. The wage grid developed in fiscal year 2022 to 2023 will serve as an anchor for determining appropriate compensation according to certification level. Saskatchewan will work towards implementing the wage grid as part of the renewed funding model."

• Also see July 2022 Agreement to Amend the Canada – Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2021 to 2026

December 2021 - Growing Access To Child Care As 601 New Regulated Spaces Allocated Across Saskatchewan

Excerpt: "The Government of Saskatchewan prioritizes allocating new child care spaces in communities where there is both a high need for child care and a higher level of vulnerability, and to organizations that are ready to move forward with centre development. Organizations will be provided with start-up grants and enhanced space development funding to support the creation of child care centre spaces."

November 2021 - The Governments Of Canada And Saskatchewan Are Making Life More Affordable For Families Through Reduced Child Care Fees

Excerpt: "Since signing the early learning and child care agreements with the federal government in August, the Government of Saskatchewan has delivered a wage increase and training opportunities for early childhood educators (ECEs) ensuring families and their children have access to high quality and inclusive child care in the province.

Today, the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan announced that as a first step toward making child care more affordable for children aged 0 to 5, funding will be provided to licensed facilities that will reduce parents’ out-of-pocket child care fees by about half on average, retroactive to July 1, 2021. This initial reduction is the first step toward reaching the 2025-26 goal of, on average, $10 a day licensed child care in Saskatchewan."

November 2021 - The Governments of Canada And Saskatchewan Announce Wage Increase For Early Childhood Educators

Excerpt: "Today, the Government Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan announced an investment of $9.6 million to fund a wage increase of up to $3 per hour for qualified Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) in the province."

October 2021 - Speech from the Throne

Excerpt: "Since 2007, the number of child care spaces in the province has increased 77 per cent – from 9,305 to 16,475. In August, we signed a $1.1 billion child care deal with the federal government. This plan will reduce child care costs to an average of $10 a day by 2025-26 and create thousands of new child care spaces. By the end of next year, child care fees will be reduced by 50 per cent."

August 2021 - $10 A Day Child Care for Families in Saskatchewan

Excerpt: "In addition to significantly reducing the cost of child care, federal funding of close to $1.1 billion over the next five years will lead to the creation of 28,000 new regulated early learning and child care spaces to help ensure Saskatchewan families with children under six years old can access child care spaces that meet their needs.  Federal funding will support the expansion of these new child care spaces in not-for-profit child care centres, small child care facilities and home-based child care."

• Also see Remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance announcing an agreement to bring $10 per day early learning and child care to Saskatchewan families

May 2021 - Saskatchewan Kids Return To Play

Excerpt: "The Active Families Benefit will provide families with an annual income of less than $60,000 up to $150 per year, per child or $200 per year, per child for children who are eligible for the federal Child Disability Tax Credit. This benefit helps with the costs associated with enrolling children in sport and recreation activities. This investment is part of the 2021-22 Budget and will be retroactive to January 1, 2021. Parents who enroll their children in sport, culture and recreation activities in the 2021 calendar year are therefore reminded to keep their receipts so they may claim the benefit with their 2021 tax filings."

April 2021 - Government Of Saskatchewan And United Way Launches Website To Help Families Find Licensed Child Care Services

Excerpt: "Today, the government announced the creation of an online portal called Parent Central to help parents or caregivers find and access licensed child care, information, programming or services for children from the ages of zero to six. "Our government remains committed to supporting families with necessary access to quality child care in their communities," Education Minister Dustin Duncan said.  "This new website will help families find these services nearest to where they work or live.""

April 2021 - Saskatchewan Provincial Budget 21-22

Excerpt: "An increase of $2 million, including an increase of $1.1. million for community-based organizations, in this Budget brings child care funding up to $75.5 million and will create an additional 176 new licensed home-based spaces and 51 new licensed centre spaces as part of the province’s four-year commitment to provide 750 new licensed child care spaces."

March 2021 - Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan provide additional support for quality early learning and child

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates approximately $13.6 million in federal funding in 2020–21 for early learning and child care investments in Saskatchewan. Specifically, Saskatchewan will invest in continuing to support access to licensed early learning and child care, creating early learning opportunities for children experiencing disability, supporting Francophone early learning and child care, and training opportunities for educators and staff."

November 2020 - Speech from the Throne 2020

Excerpt: "My government will also fulfill its campaign commitment to help families by adding 750 new childcare spaces over the next four years and by restarting the Active Families Benefit."

July 2020 - Canada-Saskatchewan Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2017-2020

December 2018 - Nearly 150 More Licensed Child Care Centre Spaces Allocated

Excerpt: "“We are very excited to be able to allocate more licensed child care centre spaces,” Hargrave said.  “Today’s announcement brings our total allocation to nearly 1,200 new spaces across the province this year.  Access to affordable, high-quality child care is important to families across Saskatchewan and we are very pleased to make child care accessible for more families in Prince Albert.”"

April 2018 - Province Allocates Nearly 600 Child Care Centre Spaces

Excerpt: "The Government of Saskatchewan has now allocated nearly 600 of the 1,015 licensed child care centre spaces committed to through the Canada-Saskatchewan Early Learning Child Care Agreement.  Signed earlier this year, the agreement provides Saskatchewan with nearly $41 million to improve early learning and child care over three years, including 1,500 licensed group and family child care home spaces."

April 2018 - Provincial Budget 2018-19: On Track

Excerpt: "There is also $20.8 million in new funding from the federal government through the recently signed Canada-Saskatchewan Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The funding allows for the continued support of more than 16,000 licensed child care spaces and for the addition of 2,500 more by 2020."

March 2018  - Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan are improving quality, accessibility and affordability of early learning and child care for families

Except: "The agreement allocates just over $41 million, over three years, toward accessibility, inclusivity and quality in early learning and child care. The investment will support: establishing and expanding access to new licensed child care spaces; enhancing the quality of early learning and child care experiences for children; inclusive early learning opportunities for preschool-aged children who require intensive supports; and expanding Francophone early learning and child care for French language minority communities."

March 2017 - Meeting the Challenge - Provincial Budget 2017-2018

"$55.8 million for child care funding – 889 childcare spaces created"

May 2016 - Saskatchewan’s Early Years Plan 2016 – 2020

"Through the Early Years Plan, parents can expect: Prenatal and early childhood support for mothers and children; Better access to high quality early learning and child care options; Support for families in their role as parents and caregivers; And programs that make sure children and families receiving support don’t “slip through the cracks.”"

January 2016 - Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan Make it Easier for Parents of Newborns to Apply for Benefits - Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Saskatchewan Health Minister Dustin Duncan, today announced the Bundled Birth Service which will give Saskatchewan parents the option to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) and Canada child benefits for their newborn at the same time that they register their child’s birth.

May 2015 - High School Students Can Now Receive High School and Early Childhood Educator Dual Credit - The Government of Saskatchewan has expanded its dual credit partnership with Saskatchewan Polytechnic to offer high school students three more courses that will be recognized as a credit toward both high school graduation and an Early Childhood Education certificate or diploma.  The courses will be available province-wide to all Grade 11 and 12 students, including students in First Nations schools.

March 2015 - Keeping Saskatchewan Strong: Budget 2015-16

Excerpt: "Government’s investment in early learning and child care includes a $2.14 million increase for ongoing costs of recently developed child care spaces and a $546,000 increase to support full-year Pre-kindergarten costs of recently implemented programs."

June 2014 - New Booster Seat Laws Effective June 27 - Booster seats will be mandatory for children under age seven, effective June 27.  To help encourage parents to comply with the change, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) and Canadian Tire are working together to support child safety, offering coupons for a free booster seat to drivers when they’re caught without one.

June 2014 - Education Minister Don Morgan announced that more than 500 new spaces are being allocated in eleven communities across Saskatchewan.

May 2014 - No Change Coming to Daycare Regulation - "The Saskatchewan government has no plans to introduce closer oversight of unlicensed daycares. Last August, then-education minister Russ Marchuk and Social Services Minster June Draude said they were open to considering changes to the rules, after a Kijiji ad warning parents of an unlicensed daycare was shared on social media. The Saskatchewan government can issue provisional licenses for violations at licensed day cares and child care homes. They are also inspected. Unlicensed daycares aren't subject to provisional licenses or inspections. Instead, the province will investigate if it receives complaints from the public."

March 2014 - Investment in to the education of our children begins even before they reach kindergarten. This budget provides $20.4 million–an increase of more than 6 percent over last year–to support 15 new pre-K programs. This will bring the total number of pre-K programs across Saskatchewan to 316. The number of childcare spaces in Saskatchewan is also expanding. The 2014-15 Budget provides $52.7 million, an increase of 4.3 percent compared to last year, to expand the number of childcare spaces by 500.

• News Release
• Budget Highlights
• Minister of Finance’s Budget Address

December 2013 - The Child Care Amendment Regulations

December 2013 - Child Care Licensee Manual

May 2013 - Education Minister Russ Marchuk announced the names of 15 communities that will receive new child care spaces as a result of this year’s budget.

March 2013 - 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.

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Alberta

March 2023 - Budget 2023: Securing Alberta’s future

Excerpt: "The government is also investing $59.3 million in 2023-24 to create thousands more licensed child-care spaces as part of opening a total of 68,700 new spaces by the end of March 2023, increasing access and choice so parents can go to school, work and participate in the economy. Affordability grants to child-care operators and subsidies for parents will further lower the cost of child care, with the Alberta federal-provincial child-care agreement already reducing fees by an average of 50 per cent in 2022 for young children."

January 2023 - More options for affordable, accessible child-care spaces

Excerpt: "Agreement on the Cost Control Framework and For-Profit Expansion Plan with the federal government was a next step to creating more child-care spaces in Alberta. Now, up to 22,500 additional licensed private child-care spaces may become eligible for funding supports over the next three years for a total of 68,700 new licensed child care spaces by the end of March 2026. These supports will help increase access to child-care across the province and reduce child care fees for Alberta parents. Of the 22,500 new spaces created, up to 1,600 private spaces may be eligible for funding almost immediately, with up to 2,000 more eligible as soon as licensing requirements are completed, a move that will reduce parent fees for more Alberta families. The remaining spaces will be created by 2026, as part of Alberta’s commitment to ensure increased access to licensed child care for families across the province."

• Also see Government of Canada release, New cost control framework to support the growth of 22,500 additional quality child care spaces in Alberta

January 2023 - Alberta Child Care Grant Funding Program

Excerpt: "Licensed daycare, out-of-school care and preschool programs, as well as licensed family day home agencies can apply for grant funding to support the recruitment, retention and professional development of their certified educators. Available supports include wage top-up, professional development funding and release time grant funding. Read the Alberta Child Care Grant Funding Guide to see if you are eligible and learn about the process to apply for wage top-up, professional development and release time grant funding."

• Access the January 2023 Alberta child care grant funding guide : for wage top-ups and professional development

December 2022 - More support for early childhood educators in Alberta

Excerpt: "All employed ECEs with claimed hours in October and November 2022 who worked an average 30 hours-plus per week and continue to work in December will also be eligible to receive a one-time payment of $900. Those averaging fewer than 30 hours per week will be eligible for a $450 payment. The one-time payment and wage top-up represents an investment of over $174 million in federal and provincial funding through to the end of the fiscal year 2025-26."

November 2022 - Speech from the Throne

Excerpt: "Under this legislation, households earning under $180,000 will be provided with a tax-free payment of $600 over six months starting this January for each senior, to parents for each dependent child under 18, and to each vulnerable Albertan collecting AISH, PDD and Income Support."
 

November 2022 - Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with Alberta

Excerpt: "Alberta has already reduced average child care fees for regulated spaces that are part of the Canada-wide early learning and child care system, and is working towards creating 42,500 new child care spaces among regulated not-for-profit, public and family-based child care providers by the end of March 2026. Alberta is also supporting the valuable work of the early childhood educator workforce, who are at the heart of the Canada-wide early learning and child care system, by providing them with higher wages as well as new training and development opportunities."

October 2022 - Supporting early childhood educators in Alberta

Excerpt: "Alberta’s government has expanded the paid hours that are eligible for existing wage top-ups for front-line certified ECEs. As of Oct. 1, all paid hours are now eligible for the existing wage top-ups, including indirect time and employer-paid vacation time. These measures represent an investment of nearly $90 million in federal and provincial funding through to the end of fiscal 2025-26. Provincial funding will support this enhanced wage top-up for certified ECEs working in out-of-school care programs."

August 2022 - Supporting the mental health of kids in child care

Excerpt: "The Alberta Home Visitation Network Association will use $1.5 million in federal funding for in-person and virtual workshops to provide opportunities to early childhood educators working in licenced child-care centres to enhance their knowledge of the social and emotional needs of children up to 12 years old. The workshops will include an introduction to infant and early childhood mental health that focuses on the importance of understanding behaviours and cultural self-awareness. Training for educators working with children aged 6 to 12 will also include mental health first aid for helping kids in crisis, and youth mental health supports."

August 2022 - Helping early childhood educators support kids

Excerpt: "Funding of $5.2 million is being provided to the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Alberta (AECEA) and the Alberta Resource Centre for Quality Enhancement (ARCQE) that will give early childhood educators opportunities to enhance their understanding of early childhood brain science and childhood development. These organizations will use the funding to train educators and reimburse them for their training time."

July 2022 - $50M now available to create child-care spaces

Excerpt: "The $50 million is being invested to increase the number of non-profit child-care spaces especially in communities with limited or no licensed child care, or in communities where there is a high demand for service. This funding is provided through the Alberta Canada Early Learning and Child Care agreement. The made-in-Alberta agreement invests $3.8 billion of federal funding over five years to strengthen child care for families by improving access to quality child care and lowering fees for parents with children kindergarten-aged and younger who access licensed child care."

May 2022 - Canada – Alberta Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2021 to 2026

Excerpt: "Alberta agrees to use funds provided by Canada under this Agreement to support the expansion of licensed child care, and prioritize not-for-profit (including publically delivered and family day home child care) early learning and child care programs and services,for children 0 to K, where: licensed programs and services are defined as those that meet standards that are established and/or monitored by Alberta; not-for-profit providers/operations, which includes publically delivered operations, are defined as those that provide child care services to a community for a purpose other than generating a profit, typically improving family and/or child well being and/or development. Providers may generate a profit, but the surplus earnings, or other resources, are directed towards improving child care services rather than distributed for the personal benefit of owners, members, investors or to enhance asset growth. Early learning and child care programs and services are defined as those supporting direct care and early learning for children in settings including, but not limited to, regulated child care centres, regulated family child care homes, early learning centres, preschools and nursery schools."

• Also see May 2022 Agreement to amend the Canada – Alberta Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2021 to 2026

April 2022 - Improving access to inclusive child care

Excerpt: "As part of Alberta’s approach to supporting inclusive child care, an additional $3.6 million in funding is being provided through a bilateral agreement with the federal government, bringing the investment to $7 million. Funding will go to five regional partner agencies across Alberta. These agencies will work with licensed child care operators so they can better support children with special needs. Continuing on the work they have done over the past few years, $2.7 million is also being invested into GRIT to continue training on their inclusive child care model across the province."

April 2022 - Learning assessments key to student success in early years

Excerpt: "In response to the learning loss identified in a pilot during the 2021-22 school year and the Child and Youth Well-being Review Panel recommendations, school authorities will now be required to administer literacy and numeracy screening assessments, selected from an approved list, starting in September 2022. The implementation of language and math assessments for students in grades 1 to 3 was one of the Alberta government’s key platform commitments. Fulfilling this commitment, while also addressing COVID-19-related learning loss, will ensure both parents and teachers understand and assess progress in the critical early years to help struggling learners. Many other provinces already collect assessment information about students at this age."

February 2022 - Budget 2022: Moving forward

Excerpt: "Following through on child care: Budget 2022 provides $666 million in operating expense funding in 2022-23 for a total of over $2.6 billion dollars by 2024-25 in support of the child care agreement with the federal government; Since the program was announced, Alberta parents are already experiencing lower costs, with the price of child care targeted to average $10 per day by 2026; To ensure families can choose the child care that works best for them, 42,500 new licensed child care spaces will be added over the next five years; The Alberta Child and Family Benefit also provides up to $5,120 annually to lower income families."

November 2021 - Changes to Alberta’s child care system

Excerpt: "The Alberta government is directing $4.13 million of this funding to support wage top-ups for certified early childhood educators in preschool, previously only available for certified educators in licensed daycare and out-of-school care programs. This will provide: $2.14 to $6.62 per hour in additional wages, varying by certification level, and will start September 1, 2021; wage top-ups for up to 1,300 early childhood educators working in licensed preschools"

November 2021 - $10-a-day child care for families in Alberta

Excerpt: "The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Premier of Alberta, Jason Kenney, today announced that both governments have reached an agreement that will support an average of $10‑a‑day care in the province, significantly reducing the price of child care for families. The agreement includes creating 42,500 new regulated early learning and child care spaces by the end of March 2026. With federal funding of almost $3.8 billion over the next five years, Alberta will also see a 50 per cent reduction in average parent fees for children under the age of six in regulated child care by the end of 2022."

• Access the Overview

November 2021 - Extra support for child care operators in Alberta

Excerpt: "Funding to support the sector includes: $20.57 million for a child care staff recovery and retention program to help attract and retain qualified and certified educators to the sector, and to acknowledge long-term staff who have worked throughout the pandemic; Approximately $15 million in unspent (due to lower than expected enrolment and expenditures) bilateral funding from the federal government for COVID-19 relief to further support operators as quickly as possible."

September 2021 - Alberta child care grant funding guide

Excerpt: "This document is a reference guide for the official grant agreement between licensed child care programs in Alberta and the Alberta government. This document outlines the process, eligibility, conditions and accountability requirements for eligible licensed facility-based programs and licensed family day home agencies to access grant funding from the Alberta government for wage top-ups and professional development."

July 2021 - Canada and Alberta reach renewed child care agreement

Excerpt: "Through the agreement, the Government of Canada is providing over $290 million in funding over 4 years to Alberta to improve access to high quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services."

December 2020 - Child Care Licensing (Early Learning and Child Care) Amendment Act, 2020

September 2020 - Federal Government provides support for child care in Alberta

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development announced that the Government of Alberta will receive $72 million of the $625 million in federal support for Canada’s child care sector to help ensure that safe and sufficient child care is available to support parents’ gradual return to work. This funding is in addition to the $45 million Alberta is receiving through the 2020-21 Canada-Alberta Early Learning and Child Care Bilateral Agreement to support child care programs and services for Alberta families."

July 2020 - Canada - Alberta Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2017-2020

July 2020 - Canada-Alberta Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2020-2021

July 2020 - The Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta reaffirm their commitment to support access to quality early learning and child care across the province

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates more than $45 million in 2020–21 to Alberta for early learning and child care investments. In particular, Alberta will create new licensed child care spaces through capital and program grants, provide child care subsidies to more families, support evidence-based training for child care staff and offset costs for child care centres associated with COVID-19 closures and reopening."

March 2020 - Ending accreditation of child care centres

Excerpt: "Effective April 1, the Government of Alberta will no longer administer a child care accreditation system parallel to licensing. No other province in the country duplicates licensing and accreditation.

Eliminating accreditation lets child care providers spend more time with kids and families. Child care centre operators and workers have been clear that the accreditation process added unnecessary red tape, causing workers to spend hundreds of hours on paperwork rather than focusing on care for children."

February 2020 - Budget 2020 - A plan for jobs and the economy

Excerpt: "In 2020-21, $123.0 million is allocated to provide funding for the certification of child care staff based on educational qualifications; support the recruitment and retention of qualified and educated staff through professional development and tiered wage top ups; and the licensing, support and monitoring of child care programs under the Child Care Licensing Act. "

March 2019 - Early Learning and Child Care Centre Pilot

Excerpt: "As of March 2018, the availability of ELCC Centres supported an estimated 328 Albertans to enter or re-enter the workforce. 92% of parents said their children’s enrolment at a child care centre enabled them to return to work or school."

March 2019 - Speech from the Throne

Excerpt: "That’s why we established a $25-a-day child care pilot program and expanded it to 7,300 spaces across 122 licensed child-care centres. But even still, child care is far too expensive for far too many women and families. That’s why, this year, your government will undertake a major new program to help young mothers and families save thousands of dollars and help make child care more affordable for everyone."

June 2018 - Evaluation of early learning and child care centres : final report - year one (2017-2018)

Excerpt: "The ELCC Centre Initiative is positively impactingfamily and child well-being. The quality of care at ELCC Centresis providing children with a solid foundation for their growth and development, advancing children’s growth and development and improving children’s behavior. Additionally, the ELCC Centre Initiative is enabling parents/caregiversto return to school or work and to exercise more freedom of choice regarding their career and work arrangements. It is also reducing parents/caregivers’ stress and providing them with peace of mindas well as contributingto reducing the financial burdenof daycare that families’face; thereby enablingthem to make ends meet, pay off debts, save for the future and afford to do fun activities with their children."

April 2018 - Making child care more affordable for families

Excerpt: "Premier Rachel Notley announced 82 locations where existing programming will soon transition to $25-a-day child care. Another 18 new centres will be added in future months as additional programs are licensed and obtain not-for-profit status. In total Budget 2018 supports 7,300 affordable child care spaces in communities all across the province."

April 2018 - Governments of Canada and Alberta are improving quality, accessibility and affordability of early learning and child care across Alberta

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates just over $136 million, over three years, to Alberta for early learning and child care investments. Funding to the province will focus on increasing access to quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care through the expansion of Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Centres across the province. In 2017, the Government of Alberta launched 22 pilot ELCC Centres, based on a maximum fee for all parents of $25 per day to support children and their families accessing affordable, quality, flexible and inclusive child care. With this new funding, approximately 78 additional Early Learning and Child Care Centres will be launched across Alberta in 2017–2018, an increase of more than 350%."

March 2018  - Budget 2018 - A recovery built to last

Excerpt: "This year, more new moms will have an easier time joining the workforce and more young families will benefit from affordable child care. We are expanding upon and learning from our $25-per day childcare pilot program. This year, we will create an additional 4,500 affordable childcare spaces across Alberta."

June 2017 - Children's Services Annual Report 2016-17

Excerpt: "$4.4 million increase in Child Care due to higher than anticipated child care and pre-accredited programs being accredited with the corresponding higher funding rates for staff."

March 2017 - Budget 2017

Excerpt: "The newly established Ministry of Children’s Services creates an increased focus on ensuring Alberta’s children are provided with services and supports they need to thrive; Budget 2017 provides stable funding for the child intervention system and provides a solid foundation to strengthen the system; The Alberta Child Benefit provides $174 million in 2017-18 with up to $2,785 each year to Alberta’s most vulnerable families, in support of about 200,000 children; The Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit supports working families with children by providing a maximum annual credit of $773 for families with one child, and up to $2,038 for families with 4 children or more."

November 2016 - Improving Access to Quality, Affordable Child Care

Excerpt: "Each new child-care centre will receive up to $500,000 in operating funding in the first year, with the opportunity to receive two more years of funding. The locations of new child-care centres, targeted to where demand is greatest, will be announced early in 2017."

October 2015 - Budget 2015: Supporting jobs, supporting families. The Alberta way.

Excerpt: "Proposals were put before this House by the previous government to cut funding to Alberta’s elementary, secondary and post-secondary school systems – even though education is the single most important investment our province can make in the welfare of our children, and the success of our future economy. In this budget, we confirm we are restoring funding to the education and advanced education budgets that were cut by the former government."

March 2015 - Budget 2015

Excerpt: "There is $297 million budgeted in 2015-16 for child care programs, a $10 million or 3.5% increase from 2014-15. This budget maintains full child care subsidies for families with a household income of less than $50,000, as introduced in Budget 2012."

June 2014 - Strathcona County’s new Child Care Information Bank is a response to an identified service gap, namely, difficulty finding childcare and knowing how to choose safe, quality child care.

April 2014 - How are our Young Children Doing? Community Profiles of Early Childhood Development in Alberta

June 2013 - The Alberta Approach to Early Childhood Development aims to change that by improving supports and services so that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential.  Our plan is to create connected networks rooted in communities – to build a systematic approach to early childhood development that ensures every Alberta baby, toddler, child, and their family has access to high quality programs and services. Our plan means working together more effectively. The Ministries of Human Services, Health and Education are collaborating with each other and with communities to make this happen.

• to read Together We Raise Tomorrow - An Alberta Approach to Early Childhood Development

May 2013 - Government, stakeholders and service delivery partners have identified opportunities to enhance legislation, tools, processes and policies to improve the security, education, health, safety and well-being of children and youth in Alberta.  The Children First Act was brought before the Legislative Assembly on May 7 and is currently being debated in the house.

March 2012 - 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 2013â€�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.

• Budget Speech

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.

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British Columbia

May 2023 ~ New! - Extra school playground funds mean more fun for more kids, families

Excerpt: "This year, the PEP will provide $5 million toward 25 new school playgrounds across 25 school districts. The Province has increased the amount of funding that school districts will receive per playground to $195,000. Playgrounds are expected to be designed, built and installed over the next year. The program significantly reduces parent-led fundraising that was previously needed to help build playgrounds. Playgrounds promote physical activity, while encouraging students to share and develop conflict-resolution skills. They also provide students with opportunities to learn new things, reduce anxiety, improve focus, increase attention span, and enhance gross-motor, social, emotional and sensory development."

May 2023 ~ New! - More kindergartners, families will benefit from pilot expansion

Excerpt: "Seamless Day Kindergarten integrates before- and after-school care into the kindergarten classroom, delivered by certified early childhood educators (ECEs) who work alongside the classroom teacher. The program makes the best use of available school space, existing classrooms, outdoors, school gyms and libraries outside of school hours."

May 2023 ~ New! - More people can pursue in-demand careers as early childhood educators

Excerpt: "In partnership with public post-secondary institutions, the Province is accelerating the expansion of early childhood education programs so more than 1,300 people will have the opportunity to access this education over the next three years, with public post-secondary spaces in B.C. expected to increase by approximately 50%."

May 2023 ~ New! - Canada and British Columbia invest in ventilation improvements in Burnaby elementary schools

Excerpt: "Terry Beech, Member of Parliament for Burnaby North—Seymour and Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and the Honourable Rachna Singh, B.C. Minister of Education and Child Care, announced a joint investment of more than $1.4 million to support ventilation improvements in two elementary schools in Burnaby. Through this funding, Edmonds Community Elementary and Gilpin Elementary will install new energy recovery ventilation units with heat pumps. These new units will increase air flow, which will reduce the schools’ energy consumption and create a healthier and more comfortable environment for students and school personnel."

February 2023 - Budget 2023 takes action on issues that matter most

Excerpt: "Approximately 75% of families with children are eligible for the BC Family Benefit. Starting in July 2023, these families will see a 10% increase in their monthly payments. Single parents will receive as much as an additional $500 per year on top of the 10% increase, also to be delivered in July."

February 2023 - Speech from the Throne

Excerpts: "In December 2022, child care costs were reduced again, this time by as much as $550 more a month for each child, or over $6,000 a year in additional savings. This has been life changing for many parents. ... And this fall, the significant child care savings your government delivered for children who are kindergarten age and younger will be extended to parents with school‑age kids."

February 2023 - More children will be supported with inclusive child care

Excerpt: "The Province is committed to creating a future where inclusive child care is a core service that families can rely on by embedding inclusion and equitable access into all aspects of child care in B.C., and by partnering with the federal government to expand supports for children with support needs. This additional investment of $31.8 million in 2022-23 was provided through the 2021-2026 Canada-B.C. Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and the bilateral 2021-2025 Canada-B.C. Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. This funding will increase the number of children getting the support they need to fully participate in child care settings, while helping to build inclusive child care capacity by training child care providers."

January 2023 - 12,700 spaces at $10-a-day centres saving families thousands

Excerpt: "More than 725 child care spaces are joining the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program in February, bringing the number of spaces to 12,700 and helping families across the province save thousands of dollars per year. These spaces help reduce costs for families in British Columbia and further develop high-quality, affordable and accessible child care as a core service in the province."

January 2023 - More families in B.C. benefit from $10-a-day child care

Excerpt: "Spaces in the $10-a-day program reduce the average cost of child care from $1,000 a month for full-time, centre-based infant care to $200 a month for the same service, saving families an average of $800 a month per child."

December 2022 - Families in B.C. getting ahead as child care fees are reduced

Excerpt: "“As of yesterday, we cut child care fees in half on average across British Columbia – saving families up to an additional $550 a month per child,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “Our plan to make life more affordable is delivering concrete results for parents who are struggling with the rising cost of living and ensuring every child can get the best possible start in life. We’re going to continue to be there for people as we work toward delivering $10-a-day child care across the country and build an economy that works for all Canadians.” Increased reductions in child care fees of up to $550 more per child per month took effect on Dec. 1, 2022, and are helping approximately 69,000 families with the cost of child care. This is in addition to the savings of up to $350 per month per child that were introduced in 2018 and which participating child care providers were already passing on to families."

November 2022  - Families can start planning, knowing child care savings are coming soon

Excerpt: "With new cuts to child care fees coming into effect in December 2022, an online tool is available to help families estimate the amount of savings they will see on their bill. The estimator can be found here: https://mychildcareservices.gov.bc.ca/ccfri-estimator Starting Dec. 1, 2022, parents in British Columbia will save as much as $550 more per month for each child they have in participating licensed child care facilities. This funding will lower fees for children kindergarten age and younger by up to $900 per month."

September 2022 - Families will save big as child care fees cut as much as $550 more per month

Excerpt: "The Province is directly funding licensed child care centres so families will not need to apply for these savings. This funding will lower fees for children, kindergarten-aged and younger. These additional savings, which build on earlier fee cuts introduced as part of the Province’s $2.7-billion investment in ChildCareBC since 2018, are being funded through the five-year, $3.2-billion Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement."

• Also see News Release from Government of Canada, Lower child care fees for British Columbia families

September 2022 - New centre for childhood studies doubles child care spaces

Excerpt: "The Province is making education accessible by working with Capilano University (CapU) on a new centre for childhood studies that will more than double the available child care spaces on campus. Slated to open late 2024, the centre will add 74 affordable new child care spaces for a total of 143 on-campus spaces for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers. Students, employees and community members are all eligible to apply for space for their children at the new centre."

September 2022 - Education by the numbers

Excerpt: "The Ministry of Education and Child Care is investing $8.2 billion to support students, invest in schools and support the transition and delivery of child care. Of this total, there is $7.4 billion for kindergarten to Grade 12 education this year, which is $1.8 billion more than in 2016-17. This is a total increase of 32%."

August 2022 - B.C. expands early childhood education dual-credit programs for high school students

Excerpt: "More students in grades 11 and 12 will be able to earn both high school and post-secondary credits toward careers in early childhood education with the introduction of 30 new dual-credit programs at school districts throughout B.C."

August 2022 - Early childhood educator bursaries support career growth for key professionals

Excerpt: "A one-time $49.2-million investment by the Government of Canada through the 2021-22 to 2024-25 Canada-British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Agreement will better support workforce development in the child care sector. This includes $25.5 million to help provide ECE bursaries for three academic years, which began in September 2021. Since the launch of ChildCareBC in 2018, the ECE Education Support Fund has provided 12,300 bursaries to support more than 6,500 students pursuing a career in early childhood education."

July 2022 - Families in Canada to benefit from innovative early learning and child care

Excerpt: "The University of British Columbia is receiving a total of $1,294,439 in federal funding over 24 months, starting in April 2022, for their project titled PROmoting Early Childhood Outside (PRO-ECO). In partnership with 10 early learning and child care sites in Greater Vancouver, the University of British Columbia will research the effectiveness of outdoor play intervention. This project aims to create a locally guided and sustainable method for enhancing outdoor play environments that will be scalable to other early learning and child care centres across Canada."

June 2022 - Expansion of $10 a day child care to benefit thousands more B.C. families

Excerpt: "Applications are being accepted from child care providers to join the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program this year, which will enable them to offer low-cost child care, making life more affordable for thousands more families in B.C. Spaces in the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program reduce the average cost of child care from $1,000 a month (for full-time, centre-based infant care) at facilities participating in the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI) to $200 a month, saving families an average of about $800 a month per child."

May 2022 - (revised) Canada – British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2021 to 2025

Excerpt: "BC will allocate funds through its existing contract to support students for 3 to 4 academic years (fiscal year 2021 to 2022 through fiscal year 2023 to 2024 or fiscal year 2024 to 2025) and will ensure collaboration with Indigenous partners and rights holders on approaches to funding specific to Indigenous students. Students will continue to be able to apply for the student bursary stream at $500 per course (maximum of 8 courses per semester) to assist with tuition and living costs. Individuals actively working in child care who wish to upgrade their credentials will be able to continue to apply for the workforce bursary stream of up to $5,000 per semester to assist with tuition and other expenses such as loss of wages or travel. Amounts for the Indigenous bursary stream will be determined in consultation with Indigenous partners. Students can apply for bursaries for each semester they are taking courses, so one student can potentially receive multiple bursaries. BC commits to continuing to report out on outcomes for as long as the program is available through this funding."

April 2022 - Northern families benefit from new child care spaces

Excerpt: "More parents in northern B.C. will be able to pursue work, school and other opportunities while knowing their children are cared for as the Province invests in nearly 280 new licensed child care spaces. "For years, parents in B.C. were left with a patchwork system where child care was treated as a luxury. As we enter the fifth year of our 10-year ChildCareBC plan, we are making significant progress to reverse this," said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. "We've been working to turn the corner by building new spaces, lowering fees and training the skilled professionals needed to offer quality child care as a core service available to every family that wants it at a price they can afford.""

April 2022 - Thousands of B.C. families benefit from expansion of $10 a Day ChildCareBC

Excerpt: "Under Budget 2021, the Province committed to expanding the number of $10 a Day spaces in B.C. by converting 3,750 licensed child care spaces into low-cost spaces for families. The B.C. government has now surpassed this goal by creating 4,015 $10 a Day spaces for families in communities throughout B.C."

April 2022 - More early childhood educators receive increased wages

Excerpt: "On April 1, 2022, the eligibility for these wage enhancements expanded to ensure more ECEs will benefit. Previously, the $4-an-hour wage enhancement program was only available to front-line ECEs working directly with children. Budget 2022 is providing nearly $80 million over the next three years to expand this enhancement to all ECEs directly employed by licensed child care programs, including Supported Child Development and Aboriginal Supported Child Development professionals with ECE certification."

March 2022 - Health-care workers, ECEs focus of changes to B.C.’s immigration program

Excerpt: "Early childhood educators are skilled professionals who care for children at the most important time of their lives. We can’t deliver child care without them and will need about 10,000 ECEs to join the profession over the next 10 years. The PNP program will help us address the ECE staff shortage throughout B.C. by helping us recruit more ECEs. We are also raising wages, expanding education and training, and offering bursaries for people who want to enter this rewarding and in-demand career."

February 2022 - Budget 2022: Stronger Together

Excerpt: "Budget 2022 brings B.C. closer than ever to government’s planned $10-a-day child care; Through a new agreement with the federal government, fees for full-day infant and toddler care will be reduced by 50% to an average of approximately $20 a day by the end of 2022; Budget 2022 builds on that investment by cutting average fees for preschool and before- and after-school care to less than $20 a day for the 2023-24 school year."

• Also see News Release, Families will save more on child care through Budget 2022

February 2022 - Investing in early childhood educators creates a StrongerBC, Canada

Excerpt: "Federal early childhood workforce funding will be allocated through several ECE support streams and may be adjusted incrementally to better support programs in high demand, including: $25.5 million to continue providing ECE student bursaries for the next three to four years; $11.6 million to support the development and delivery of a recruitment and retention incentive program to encourage new ECEs who become certified through the ECE Registry to work in the sector, and to improve information and understanding about ECE retention; $7.5 million in professional development, inclusion support and deaf/hard-of-hearing training, and peer mentoring, including $3 million to be funded through West Coast Child Care Resource Centre for bursaries to assist child care professionals in accessing affordable professional learning; $2.3 million toward a work-integrated approach that gives ECE students the opportunity to become certified while maintaining employment as a child care professional; $1.15 million for the dual credit program so high school students can more quickly get their ECE certification (with the Province contributing an additional $575,000 in 2021-22); and $750,000 to translate francophone ECE credentials or those from other countries to help certify new British Columbians to work as ECEs."

• Access A plan for today, a vision for tomorrow

February 2022 - Speech from the Throne

Excerpt: "EXPANDING CHILD CARE: The pandemic shone a light on how important reliable and affordable child care is. It gives kids an early start on the path to learning and it helps parents return to work and pursue opportunities. For too long, investing in child care was not the priority it should have been. Many parents felt left behind by rising fees and long waiting lists. Your government has been working hard to change that. Families are already benefiting from thousands of new spaces and saving up to $19,000 a year in lower fees. Your government will build on the progress made by more than doubling $10-a-day spaces and reducing average fees by as much as 50% by the end of this year. Our province is closer than ever to having the first new social program in a generation. A future where child care is a core service – available to every family that wants it, when they need it, at a price they can afford. As part of that work, your government will move responsibility for child care into the Ministry of Education this year, which will manage child care programs through new regional offices. This new, regional approach will allow your government to better understand local needs as it continues to build more spaces for families. Over time, this will bring certainty and reliability to child care. The same way that parents feel knowing that they have a public school to send their kids to."

January 2022 - Early childhood education expansion helps kids get the best start

Excerpt: "People looking to build careers in child care will have more educational opportunities with the addition of 147 early childhood educator (ECE) seats at eight public post-secondary institutions throughout the province."

December 2021 - Canada-British Columbia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2021 to 2026

Excerpt: "BC and Canada agree on the goal of $10 per day child care, and will work together towards achieving this goal for ages children aged 0 to 5 within 5 years. The ability to afford child care remains a significant barrier for families in BC. The fiscal year 2020 to 2021 average fees for group/centre-based care varies from $1,000 per month per child for infant care (after the $350 per month CCFRI fee reduction) to $470 per month per child for before/after school careFootnote 6. The introduction of CCFRI in 2018 rolled back child care fees; however, as fees continue to rise each year due to inflation, increased wages, etc., fees for some care types have returned to pre-CCFRI levels."

November 2021 - Interior families benefit from more licensed child care spaces

Excerpt: "More parents in B.C.’s Interior will be able to pursue their work or education goals, thanks to 84 licensed child care spaces and a further 79 spaces that are expected to open by March 2022."

October 2021 - Seamless Day Kindergarten pilot program expands

Excerpt: "The Seamless Day Kindergarten pilot program will employ certified early childhood educators to provide before- and after-school care in kindergarten classrooms and to support learning alongside the classroom teacher. The program makes use of existing classrooms, outside of school hours, and does not require new rooms or buildings."

August 2021 - The Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia announce an extension of support for quality early learning and child care across the province

Excerpt: "Through the agreement, the Government of Canada is providing over $272 million in funding over four years to British Columbia to improve access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services. In addition, the Government of Canada is making a one-time investment of  $48.8 million in 2021–2022 to support British Columbia’s early childhood educator recruitment and retention efforts. "

July 2021 - Canada announces historic first early learning and child care agreement

Excerpt: "Under this agreement, the governments of Canada and British Columbia will work together to improve access to quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services. British Columbia and Canada agree on the goal of $10 a day child care, and will work together towards achieving an average parent fee of $10 per day for all regulated child care spaces for children under 6 by the end of the five-year agreement. By the end of 2022, British Columbians will see a 50 per cent reduction in average parent fees for children under the age of 6 in regulated child care.

This agreement will lead to the creation of 30,000 new regulated early learning and child care spaces for children under the age of 6 within five years, and 40,000 spaces within seven years. These spaces will be focused on community investments that are long-term and run by public and non-profit institutions.

The agreement will fund critical services and support early childhood educators, including through the development of a wage grid."

• Access the agreement
• Also see Remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance to highlight the Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with British Columbia

June 2021 - New legislation moves B.C. toward inclusive universal child care

Excerpt: "The proposed ELCC act will increase transparency and accountability by requiring the Province to produce annual reports on its progress towards building an inclusive, universal child care system. The report will also include how the Province is collaborating with Indigenous peoples to support Indigenous-led child care. The ELCC act will also give the minister responsible the authority to create new regulations, including the ability to set limits on child care fees for parents. This will help ensure child care is more affordable for families."

June 2021 - Families benefiting from B.C.’s fastest creation of child care spaces

Excerpt: "More families than ever are benefiting from better access to quality, affordable child care, thanks to the fastest creation of child care spaces in B.C.’s history. The Province has exceeded its original three-year goal and has funded nearly 26,000 new licensed child care spaces since the 10-year Childcare BC plan was launched in 2018. Nearly 70% of these spaces are expected to be open for families within the next year."

April 2021 - Budget 2021, A stronger BC for everyone

Excerpt: "Budget 2021 will: More than double the number of children who can get care for $10 a day or less through an expansion of the Universal Child Care Prototype Program. This investment will add 75 more child care centres to the program, increasing the number of spaces by approximately 3,750; Help more families access child care on school grounds by expanding the Seamless Day pilot program from four school districts to 24; Support approximately 11,000 ECEs in licensed child care centres, and encourage better recruitment and retention in the sector by doubling the ECE wage enhancement to $4 an hour..."

• Access the Backgrounder, Child care: supporting B.C. families now and into recovery

January 2021 - Fee cap keeps new child care spaces affordable

Excerpt: "A cap on fees for new child care facilities receiving the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI) will help keep new child care spaces affordable for B.C. families."

• Access the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI) FundingGuidelines 2021/22

September 2020 - British Columbia to receive federal funding to support child care

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced $83 million in federal support for British Columbia’s child care sector to help ensure that safe and sufficient child care spaces are available to support parents’ gradual return to work."

July 2020 - Canada – British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2017-2020

February 2020 - B.C. families to benefit from school-age child care on school grounds

Excerpt: "This legislation puts into the School Act – for the first time – recognition that school boards can directly operate before and after school care. Currently, if boards want to offer child care they must offer it through a separate, licensed provider. Boards will be required to have a child care policy in place that addresses reconciliation and inclusive education commitments, while prioritizing available space on their properties not being used for K-12 students."

February 2020 - A Stronger BC, for Everyone

Excerpt: "Launching this fall, the new BC Child Opportunity Benefit will help lift up thousands of kids and give them the opportunities they deserve, now and down the road.
Families with one child will be eligible to receive up to $1,600 annually. For two children, that goes up to $2,600, and it's up to $3,400 for three kids. People can bank on this tax-free support up until their child's eighteenth birthday. On top of the new benefit, this will be the first full year that people won't have to pay the unfair MSP premium. Together, these two measures could save families thousands of dollars that they can put towards what really matters: setting up the next generation for success.

For many, that starts with access to affordable, high-quality child care. Child care for all is closer than ever to becoming a reality in our province. Thousands of new licensed child care spaces are opening, and some parents are saving nearly $20,000 annually. Budget 2020 builds on the progress with total investments reaching $2 billion over three years for child care in British Columbia. Child care is critical to achieving equality in the workplace, helping to close the gender pay gap, and giving more parents — particularly women — the opportunity to take their careers to the next level.

We are also investing in B.C.'s early childhood educators — again, almost entirely women — with more bursaries and increased wages. Additionally, B.C.'s minimum wage will rise to more than $15 per hour by 2021. For the almost 140,000 people who currently earn minimum wage, more than half of which are women, this will provide a much-needed boost."

February 2020 - Speech from the Throne

Excerpt: "CREATING AFFORDABLE CHILD CARE: Two years ago, this government put B.C. on the path to universal child care. Tens of thousands of families are already feeling the benefits. Fee reductions and the affordable child care benefit have put more money back in families' pockets. And parents are bringing their skills back into the workforce, benefiting local business and the economy. There is more work to do to help British Columbians find quality child care they can afford. Government continues to train more Early Childhood Educators, to make sure B.C. has the professional, caring and skilled child care workers it needs. Those Early Childhood Educators are now earning higher wages, with an additional $1-per-hour increase coming April 1 for those working in licensed care. As work on universal child care continues, this government will work to increase the number of spaces for school-aged children, and partner with school districts to create more before- and after-school care."

September 2019 - Partnerships working to create more child care spaces in B.C.

Excerpt: "Municipalities and regional districts can now apply for up to $4 million to buy land for child care centres and create new licensed child care spaces in their communities."

July 2019 - Over 600 new Indigenous early learning and child care spaces for B.C.

Excerpt: "Indigenous families in over 30 communities throughout the province will benefit from more than 600 new, free licensed child care spaces and expanded Aboriginal Head Start (AHS) programs."

April 2019 - Program expanded to meet demand for early childhood educators

Excerpt: "The extra bursaries build on the success of the ECE bursary program that approved approximately 1,100 applications for just over $2 million in the fall of 2018. A new $1.9-million investment through the Province’s Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with the Government of Canada means more potential and current ECEs will benefit. This is in addition to the $10 million that was previously announced in September 2018 to expand the ECE Education Support Fund, which is administered by the Early Childhood Educators of British Columbia (ECEBC)."

February 2019 - Speech from the Throne

Excerpt: "Last year, government took its first steps to make quality child care more affordable and available to more B.C. families. A $1 billion dollar investment over three years – the most significant child care investment in B.C. history – will reduce child care costs, increase the number of spaces and deliver the highest quality care.

Tens of thousands of B.C. families are already enjoying the benefits. With child-care costs reduced by hundreds of dollars a month, young families can consider home ownership for the first time. More parents can participate fully in the workforce, confident their children are getting high-quality care from early childhood educators who know their work is valued.

This year, government will set the foundation for the full implementation of B.C.’s affordable child care program. A key element of this effort will be a collaborative process to develop new legislation to give universal access to quality, affordable childcare the force of law."

November 2018 - Child care facilities will prototype universal, affordable child care for parents

"The B.C. government is moving forward with 53 prototype projects around the province to deliver child care that will cost families a maximum of $200 per month per child.

The prototype sites are the next major step in government’s 10-year ChildCare BC plan and will model what high-quality, affordable, universal child care may look like for B.C. families. The prototypes are being funded through an investment of $60 million under the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Agreement with the Government of Canada. In all, parents of about 2,500 children will benefit from the prototype projects."

October 2018 - BC-Canada Early Learning and Child Care AgreementReport on Progress and Results Achieved in Year 1 (2017/2018)

Excerpt: "In the 2017/2018 fiscal year, the Ministry allocated $10 million to expand and enhance the Early Childhood Educator Bursary Program delivered through Early Childhood Educators of BC (ECEBC). ECEBC is the provincial association of ECEs, which promotes professionalism and improved educational preparation for its members, as well as on the development of professional support and resources to improve the quality of early childhood experiences for the children with whom they work. Since 2007, ECEBC has delivered an Early Childhood Educator Bursary Program, with financial support from the BC Ministry of Children and Family Development, to assist bursary recipients with the costs associated with pursuing their ECE credentials."

October 2018 - ECE Education Support Fund Application Guide

The Early Childhood Educators of BC (ECEBC), in partnership with the Province of British Columbia, has enhanced and expanded the ECE Bursary Program, now known as the ECE Education Support Fund.

This new program contains two funding programs: 1. The Early Childhood Education (ECE) Student Bursary Program; and 2. The new ECE Workforce Development Bursary Fund Program.

September 2018 - New benefit helps 60,000 more families with child care expenses

"Over 80,000 B.C. families are now eligible for some level of support through the benefit. Under the previous subsidy, only 20,000 families were eligible. The benefit amount for infant/toddler care has also been increased, with some families now eligible for up to $1,250 a month per child, up from $750 per child, marking a 67% increase."

September 2018 - Thousands of early childhood educators to benefit from new supports and wage boosts

Excerpt: "Under this strategy, ECEs and prospective ECEs will benefit from:

• A $1-per-hour (approximately $2,000/year) wage enhancement in early 2019, for those who work at licensed facilities that have been approved for the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (retroactive to Sept. 1, 2018). There will be a further $1-per-hour lift in April 2020 (to bring the total increase to approximately $4,000/year).
• A $10-million investment, through the federal-provincial Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, to create an enhanced and expanded ECE Education Support Fund that will be administered by the Early Childhood Educators of BC. This fund will provide:
  • Increased ECE Student Bursary funding ($500 per course, up from $300 per course).
  • A new payment schedule to reimburse students sooner for the cost of their education.
  • Access to a new ECE Workforce Development Fund for current employees within child care programs, which will provide up to $5,000 per semester to assist with the completion of upgrading credentials, including paid time to complete practicum placements and reimbursement of travel costs.
• A $7.4-million investment through the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training to fund spaces for 620 new ECE graduates at post-secondary institutions throughout B.C. over the next three years.
• Access to a variety of professional development opportunities – such as peer networks and courses – that will support ECEs to undertake ongoing professional learning and stay current on emerging research, trends and practices in the early care and learning sector.
• A pilot program to test the feasibility of alternative pathways to training, such as work-integrated learning, that may offer more flexibility to students working in the child care sector.
• A process to review the Child Care Occupational Competencies and create new ECE standards of practice to make sure they reflect the current methods and quality standards of the child care sector."

July 2018 - Province improves access to early childhood education training online

Excerpt: "With a $350,000 investment over three years, the B.C. government is helping UBC add a new part-time early childhood education (ECE) certificate program online for 72 students. The first group of 36 students will begin in September 2018 and the second will begin in January 2019."

February 2018 - Governments of Canada and British Columbia are making early learning and child care more accessible and affordable for families

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates $153 million, over three years, to: create of 1370 new infant/toddler child care spaces through capital grants; provide operational funding to care providers to administer low-cost infant/toddler spaces and reduce parent fees for at least 1786 children; apply new streams of bursaries and grants to recruit and retain early childhood educators and support up to 4000 current and future educators in obtaining or upgrading their Early Childhood Educator certification; direct new funds into the existing systems to expand culturally-based Indigenous child care to create on- and off-reserve programming, 390 new spaces, and benefit approximately 590 families; and enhance inclusive programs for approximately 7278 children with special needs."

February 2018 - Budget 2018: Working for You

Excerpt: "Over three years, an investment of more than $1 billion dollars will set the Province on the path to a universal child care plan that will make child care affordable for parents and caregivers, creat more than 22,000 child care spaces across the province, and ensure those spaces meet rigorous quality and safety standards."

• To access the Child Care BC, Caring for Kids, Lifting up Families section

December 2017 - New child-care spaces will help families around B.C.

Excerpt: "The projects include 61 new builds and 42 renovations to create: 847 infant and toddler spaces; 535 spaces in Indigenous communities; 1,153 spaces on school grounds."

September 2017 - Building a Better B.C. for Everyone

Excerpt: "As well, to assist hard-working parents and guardians, to strengthen our economy, and to assist businesses with recruitment and retention, we’re moving forward with plans to provide a quality, accessible, and affordable child care plan for families. Our first step is moving forward with $20 million in new child care investments that will increase our spending on early childhood development and child care to $330 million this year and support more than 4,000 new child care spaces."

September 2017 - Speech from the Throne

"We will deliver a provincewide universal child care program that is safe, accessible and affordable. We will start by creating more spaces to help families waiting months or years for quality care and training more early childhood educators. And this fall, government will consult with families and child care providers on the best way forward."

February 2017 - Balanced Budget 2017

"To increase accessibility of child care, $20 million of that investment in 2017-18 will support the creation of up to 2,000 new, additional, child care spaces. These spaces are in addition to government’s current goal of creating 13,000 new licensed child care spaces between 2014 and 2020, announced as part of the B.C. Early Years Strategy."

• To read the Ministry of Children and Family Development Service Plan 2017/18 - 2019/20

October 2016 - EDI BC: 2016 Provincial Report

Explore EDI vulnerability rates & trends for BC kids via our new interactive EDI BC 2016 Provincial Report.

May 2016 - New Child-Care Spaces Are On Their Way

Excerpt: " Families in 30 B.C. communities will soon benefit from 1,818 new licensed child-care spaces, thanks to a nearly $11.3-million investment from the Province through the Child Care Major Capital Funding Program, announced Minister of Children and Family Development Stephanie Cadieux from the BC Institute of Technology (BCIT) Student Association Child Care Centre."

May 2016 - The B.C. Early Years Strategy: An Update

Excerpt: "The B.C. Early Years Strategy is the Province’s long-term plan to ensure our youngest citizens have the best possible start in life. It was released in 2013 and builds on the Province’s $1-billion annual investment in the early years."

May 2016 - $500,000 for Early Childhood Educator Training

Excerpt: "Students participating in early childhood education programs can apply for up to $300 per course, to a maximum of $1,500 per semester. Priority will be given to Aboriginal students, students attending programs with an Aboriginal focus and students working to achieve an infant/toddler educator designation."

February 2016 - Budget 2016

December 2015 - Autism Research Project to Help B.C. Parents of Young Children

November 2015 - Growing Up In BC – 2015

"Children who have developed a range of key skills and abilities before starting Kindergarten are more likely to do well academically, graduate and enjoy success as adults."

August 2015 - Evaluation Report 2015 - Early Years Centres (EYC)

In the Fall of 2015, the Human Early Learning Partnership was engaged by the provincial Early Years Office to complete an early stage evaluation of the lessons learned from the first twelve Early Years Centres (EYCs) funded under the government’s Early Years Strategy. This report documents the findings from this evaluation.

June 2015 - 1,488 new child-care spaces will help B.C. families

March 2015  - $1 million for early childhood educator training: Government will provide $1 million to continue a bursary fund for students enrolled in early childhood education programs, Children and Family Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux announced today at the BC Early Years Forum in Richmond. The Early Childhood Educators of BC established the ECE Student Bursary program in April 2014 with support from a provincial investment of $513,000.

February 2015 - Balanced Budget 2015

Excerpt: "Approximately 180,000 families will begin receiving the B.C. Early Childhood Tax Benefit starting April 1, 2015. It provides up to $660 a year for each child under the age of six, to help with the cost of child care. The cost of this program will be $146 million annually beginning in 2015-16. Also available starting this year is the Training and Education Savings grant—a one-time payment of $1,200 for every child resident in B.C. who was born since January 1, 2007. As many as 40,000 children may be eligible every year, once they turn six."

January 2015 - Child-care capital funding, ECE bursaries available - Child-care providers throughout B.C. can now apply for the second phase of major capital funding under the B.C. Early Years Strategy, which will create 1,000 new licensed child-care spaces in 2015-16. These spaces are in addition to the 1,006 new child-care spaces government announced Nov. 2014.

November 2014 - 1,006 New Child-Care Spaces Coming to B.C. Families: Families in 28 communities throughout B.C. will benefit from 1,006 new licensed child-care spaces, announced Children and Family Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux and Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Minister John Rustad today at the Victoria Native Friendship Centre.

September 2014 - Four-year Capital Plan includes significant investments for Vancouver - Priorities for capital investments: Childcare ($30 million); Highlights of the plan: Create 1,000 new childcare spaces over four years.

To read the more about the capital plan>

August 2014 - Parents and families in several B.C. communities will soon be able to connect to early learning, health and family services in one convenient location. Twelve community organizations throughout the province have been selected to host new BC Early Years Centres that will help support families with children aged 0-6.

July 2014 - City of Vancouver - 2015-2018 Capital Plan proposes major investments in affordable housing, childcare, transportation: 1,000 new childcare spaces; proposed investment $30 million.

May 2014 - Child-care providers throughout the province are encouraged to apply for a total of $14.8 million in major capital funding to create new licensed child-care spaces for B.C. kids.

Starting today, non-profit child-care providers can apply for up to $500,000, while private child-care organizations can apply for up to $250,000. Funding can be used to:

• Build a new child care facility, including the cost of buying land or a building.
• Assemble a modular building and develop a site.
• Renovate an existing building.
• Buy eligible equipment (including playground equipment) and furnishings to support new child-care spaces in an existing facility.

April 2014 - New bursary supports early childhood educators - The B.C. government is investing $513,000 to help increase the number of early childhood educators throughout the province. The funding is going to the Early Childhood Educators of BC to establish a bursary fund for students enrolling or enrolled in early childhood educational programs.

January 2014 - The new Provincial Office for the Early Years will focus on the needs of families with children up to age six and help ensure they have easy access to a range of early-years services no matter where they live in B.C., announced Minister of Children and Family Development Stephanie Cadieux at the UBC Early Years Conference in Vancouver.

January 2014 - From the British Columbia Teachers' Federation, 2013–14 Canadian Teacher Salary rankings: Provinces and territories.

November 2013 - New Kindergarten to Grade 9 Curriculum Framework for feedback - Four new features:

• The reduction in the number of content learning standards places greater emphasis on acquiring and developing key disciplinary thinking skills. These skills are built around six major historical and geographical thinking concepts: significance, evidence, continuity and change, cause and consequence, perspective, and ethical judgments. While the Social Studies curriculum focuses on topics from the disciplines of history, geography, political science, and economics, Social Studies can draw topics from disciplines across the humanities and social sciences, such as archeology, philosophy, or anthropology
• This focus on disciplinary thinking means that students will take part in actively building their own understanding of important concepts and topics. Social Studies covers many interesting topics with no agreed-upon answer, such as questions about the causes of major historical events or debates about which policy decisions government should make to address a societal problem. Using disciplinary thinking tools, students will learn to develop and support their own answers to these questions, as well as challenge the answers and information obtained through various sources.
• Less detailed and less prescriptive content allows teachers and students to go in directions of particular interest or local relevance.
• In order to build greater understanding of Aboriginal history and culture, the study of these important topics and perspectives are embedded throughout all grades.
   

• To read more about the curriculum
• To access the BC Education Plan

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

February 2013 - Since launching the Families First Agenda, the BC government has had the opportunity to engage with British Columbians from across the province. Through the website, face-to-face meetings and by using social media, we have received thoughtful comments and practical, useful advice on how to improve our programs, refocus our planning, and better orient government so that our significant yearly investments of taxpayer money make a positive difference in the lives of British Columbians. In the Families First Agenda, we were clear that work to support British Columbia’s children is an essential part of our plan to support families.

February 2013 - This year’s Service Plan sees the ministry moving forward to improve the quality of programs delivered to children and their families across key service areas: Early Years; Services for Children and Youth with Special Needs; Child and Youth Mental Health; Child Safety, Family Support and Children in Care Services; Adoption Services and Youth Justice Services.

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

• to read the report

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.

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Yukon

June 2023 ~ New! - Yukon Child Benefit maximum increases to $876 per child

Excerpt: "The Government of Yukon is committed to making life more affordable for parents and families, now and in the long term. To help address inflation and the costs associated with raising children, the rate of the Yukon Child Benefit will increase by 6.8 per cent on July 1, 2023. Future annual increases will match the Whitehorse Consumer Price Index to ensure that the benefit keeps pace with the rising cost of living. In 2023–24, the maximum amount will increase to $876 per child for the year, with most benefit recipients receiving $56 more than last year. Approximately 1,200 Yukon families receive the Yukon Child Benefit."

May 2023 ~ New! - Understanding the Early Years course provides opportunities for culturally competent early childhood educator training

Excerpt: "“Understanding the Early Years” is a Yukon First Nations designed and developed course that will be offered in Whitehorse and in rural communities, with special focus on communities that have limited access to professional development. The course provides opportunities for both employees of licensed programs currently working without a certificate level and Yukoners wanting to enter the early childhood education field. Yukoners who successfully complete the course will receive a Level 1 certificate to practice as an early childhood educator from the Yukon Department of Education’s Early Learning and Child Care Unit."

April 2023 ~ New! - Minister of Education delivers 2022 Annual Report

Excerpt: "Additional highlights include: The historic creation of the First Nation School Board with eight schools voting in January 2022 to join the new school board. The eight schools transitioned to the First Nation School Board authority for the 2022-23 school year and in November five trustees were elected to the board; Progressing Ready-to-Learn Schools at St. Elias Community School in Haines Junction, Nelnah Bessie John School in Beaver Creek and Grey Mountain Primary School, Jack Hulland Elementary School, Takhini Elementary School and Selkirk Elementary School in Whitehorse; Key capital projects to build or renovate schools to ensure they reflect modern learning practices, including: advancing the Whistle Bend elementary school project, the Kêts’ádań Kù Burwash school project, modular classrooms at Robert Service School and planning to replace École Whitehorse Elementary School; and, Collaboration with Yukon University on programs and infrastructure, including meeting the demands for early childhood educators and licensed practical nurses in the Yukon."

• Access the Annual Report

March 2023 - Department of Education releases progress report to Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Excerpt: "Since 2019 the Department of Education has launched a number of initiatives to address the gaps in Yukon’s education system and to improve student outcomes. These include: Launching the Universal Child Care model; Launching enhanced early kindergarten and full day kindergarten in most rural communities; Working with the Chiefs Committee on Education to establish the First Nation School Board; Finalizing a Collaboration Framework with Yukon First Nations; Completing the Review of Inclusive and Special Education; Advancing the Reimagining Inclusive and Special Education (RISE) work plan, which was developed with partners; Launching the Ready-to-Learn Schools initiative; Creating a data sharing agreement with Yukon First Nations and releasing publicly available student data reports; Initiating work and engagement on a Student Outcomes Strategy, which will look at root causes of poor student outcomes, develop targets and evaluate progress on closing gaps."

• Access the report, 2023 progress report to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts

September 2022 - Ready-to-Learn Schools program launched in more Yukon schools

Excerpt: "The Ready-to-Learn Schools program was first launched as a pilot project at Takhini Elementary School in 2019 and was adopted by Selkirk Elementary School in 2021. This school year the program will be implemented at St. Elias Community School in Haines Junction, Nelnah Bessie John School in Beaver Creek and Grey Mountain Primary School and Jack Hulland Elementary School in Whitehorse. Responsive instructional approaches will eventually be implemented in all Yukon schools."

August 2022 - New web hub, learning and professional development resources now available for Yukon early childhood educators

Excerpt: "Early childhood educators can access up to $500 in enhanced bursaries for learning and development opportunities. Bursary funding will also be available to assist Yukon residents studying in the field of early learning, supporting both full- and part-time studies, and credited and non-credit coursework. Additionally, early learning program operators and partners will be contracted to create and deliver professional development opportunities for early childhood educators."

July 2022 - Celebrating the one-year anniversary of signing the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with the Yukon

Excerpt: "With support through the Canada-Yukon Canada-wide agreement, the Yukon has already surpassed its commitment to create 110 new licensed early learning and child care spaces within five years, to help provide Yukon families with access to early learning and child care. The territory focuses on supporting the creation of spaces in licenced non-profit, for-profit, family day home and First Nations government-operated centres. The governments of Canada and Yukon have created an implementation committee to monitor progress on early learning and child care commitments in consultation with partners and stakeholders. The Government of Canada is represented on the committee by the Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care."

May 2022 - (revised) Canada – Yukon Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2021 to 2025

Excerpt: "Under the new program, the Government of Yukon provides licensed operators with $700 per month for each child in full-time child care, which must be fully and immediately applied to reduce the monthly payments made by parents (this is pro-rated for children in part-time child care). The new program also includes fee increase limits to ensure that fees charged to parents remain both sustainable and affordable and in line with rates charged by other local providers delivering the same type of child care. Under Yukon’s universal child care program, average parent fees are now less than $10 per day, among the lowest in Canada."

March 2022 - Budget 2022

December 2021 - Canada – Yukon Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2021 to 2026

Excerpt: "Yukon commits to using federal funding to increase the net number of regulated child care spaces for children under age 6 by 110 spaces, which is the number of new spaces required to achieve a coverage rate of 59% by fiscal year 2025 to 2026. In creating these 110 child care spaces, Yukon commits that: federal funding will be exclusively used to support creation of regulated spaces in not-for-profit and public child care providers/operators, as well as family-based child care; federal funding will be exclusively used to support licensed child care delivery by licensed providers."

December 2021 - The governments of Canada and Yukon support benefits program for early childhood educators

Excerpt: "The program provides compensation for up to 8 per cent of staff wages for employers to select and offer a comprehensive benefits package that meets the needs of their employees from a registered Canadian insurance provider. A combined total of $800,000 in funding from the governments of Canada and Yukon is available to every licensed ELCC program in the Yukon, including operators currently offering benefits for employees. Those operators can also receive retroactive funding for providing their employees with benefits from April 1, 2021."

August 2021 - Early Kindergarten Policy

Excerpt: "Early Kindergarten in-school programming is for children who are 4 years old on or before December 31 of the school year. It provides a literacy rich, play-based learning environment which encourages children to learn through authentic experiences and enhances a child's emotional, social and cognitive development. Early Kindergarten programs can support and enrich children’s early learning experiences through building strong relationships, nurturing well-being and belonging, promoting communication and literacies, and helping children to build a positive personal and cultural identity."

August 2021 - The Government of Canada and the Government of Yukon announce extension of support for quality early learning and child care across the territory

Excerpt: "Under the 2021–2022 to 2024–2025 Canada–Yukon Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Yukon will allocate funding to further build universal access to early learning and child care for all Yukon families, including increasing the current subsidy system and increasing training and certification opportunities for child care providers. The current Yukon Early Learning and Child Care Funding Program reduces parent fees by up to $700 per child per month for full-time participation in licenced child care programs, and provides a minimum wage of nearly $30 an hour to fully qualified educators.

This four-year agreement builds on the commitments made in the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework and ensures that funding continues to be available to support child care programs and services for Yukon families until March 2025."

July 2021 - Canada and Yukon announce major expansion of $10 a day child care

Excerpt: "Today’s announcement includes the creation of 110 new regulated early learning and child care spaces within five years to help ensure families of children under six years old can access child care spaces that meet their needs. The Government of Canada’s investment builds on Yukon’s efforts to date to ensure that all families have access to an average of $10 a day out-of-pocket parent fees for full-time regulated child care spaces for children under age six. This agreement will fund critical services, and attract, retain and grow a strong and skilled workforce of early childhood educators, including through greater opportunities for professional development. This agreement also supports the ongoing implementation of Yukon’s wage grid, which provides a minimum wage of nearly $30 an hour to fully qualified early childhood educators— the highest minimum wage for early childhood educators in the country."

• access the agreement
• Also see Remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance to Announce the Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with Yukon

March 2021 - Universal child care program will make life more affordable for Yukon families

Excerpt: "To support Yukon families and make their lives more affordable, the Government of Yukon is investing more than $25 million in 2021–22 towards early learning and child care initiatives. This includes approximately $15 million for a new Yukon-wide universal child care program."

February 2021 - Universal childcare and early kindergarten will support Yukon families

Excerpt: "Yukon families will have increased access to high quality, affordable childcare options for their children starting on April 1, 2021. Additionally, full-time early kindergarten programs will be offered in all rural Yukon schools starting in the 2021–22 school year."

October 2020 - Canada-Yukon Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2020-2021

July 2020 - Canada - Yukon Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2017-2020

April 2020 - Child care operators receive additional funding

Excerpt: "If a child care centre remains open, the Direct Operating Grant will provide 100 per cent of eligible building costs for March, April, May and June 2020, as well as wages for all working staff, including the employer’s contribution for Employment Insurance, the Canada Pension Plan and the Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board.
If a child care centre is closed, the grant will cover 100 per cent of eligible building costs for March, April, May and June 2020. Staff are encouraged to access supports from the Government of Canada."

March 2020 - Budget 2020-21

February 2018 - Governments of Canada and Yukon are improving quality, accessibility and affordability of early learning and child care for families

"The agreement allocates slightly more than $7 million to Yukon over three years for early learning and child care investments. Yukon’s Action Plan outlines how these funds will be invested. This funding will provide additional child care subsidy supports for grandparents who take care of their grandchildren, increase resources to assist Early Childhood Educators, help retain trained early childhood staff, and increase support to improve inclusive child care programming for children who are most in need."

April 2015 - Budget 2015-16

Excerpt: "School will never be a replacement for a healthy home, but if the fundamental promise of our education system is to develop the “whole child”, then we cannot ignore students non-academic needs in school. To that end, we will be focusing specifically on assessing what resources our schools and our educators require to ensure that those needs can be met."

April 2014 - The well-being of children and families in Yukon is the focus of a new plan issued today by Minister of Health and Social Services Doug Graham. On the Path Together: Wellness Plan for Yukon’s Children and Families provides evidence-based strategies for improving the health and well-being of children and youth that will be used to help plan and set priorities and provide practical information on healthy living. The plan sets out three pathways to improve wellness: Giving kids a good start in life (0-5 years); Raising kids who flourish (6–19 years); Healthy living for all.

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Northwest Territories

May 2023 ~ New! - What We Heard - Proposed Amendments to the Child and Family Services Act

Excerpt: "There continues to be many systemic issues within the Child and Family Services system that contribute to the inequities of services delivered to families and the overrepresentation of Indigenous children and youth in care. The larger goal of system reform has been long identified, and amendments to the Child and Family Services Act are part of this work. In April 2022, Northwest Territories (NWT) residents were invited to provide comments on the “Child and Family Services Act: Proposed Amendments Discussion Paper”. The Discussion Paper sets out amendments under consideration by the Department of Health and Social Services (Department). The Department identified eight key elements to serve as an outline for the proposed changes and help respondents navigate the proposed amendments."

February 2023 - GNWT Further reduces child care fees for families and increases funding for licensed operators

Excerpt: "Effective April 1, families with children attending licensed early learning and child care programs will receive an increase in their Child Care Fee Reduction subsidy from the department of Education, Culture and Employment, which will reduce their total child care fees. Previously, through the Canada-wide Canada-NWT Early Learning and Child Care Agreement (Canada-wide ELCC Agreement) the GNWT was paying an average of 50 per cent of child care fees, which will now increase to an average of 60 per cent. Also, licensed programs will be able to increase their fees by two to six per cent, depending on the total fee rates being charged by that program for infant and preschool spaces, and by a flat rate of $10 per month for out-of-school."

February 2023 - GNWT releases final budget of the 19th Legislative Assembly

Excerpt: "We have implemented the first steps toward more affordable licensed early learning and
childcare programming in the territory, with the goal of reducing families’ childcare costs to
an average of $10 a day by 2026. This initiative is supported through federal funding and
with proposed funding of $10.3 million in 2023-24 we are aiming to increase access to high-
quality, inclusive, affordable, early learning and childcare spaces. The new investment will
make childcare fees more affordable for families while providing early childhood educators
with increased professional learning and post-secondary opportunities."

• Access the Budget Address and Budget Papers
• Access Budget Highlights

October 2022 - R.J. Simpson: Early Learning and Child Care Update

Excerpt: "The GNWT will provide funding directly to operators, which will then flow the money to their employees. In the first year, licensed childcare centres will receive $12,750 for every fulltime position that is required under legislation, keeping in mind that some centres have more than the minimum number of required employees. In the second year, the amount increases to $16,250. Childcare centres will be able to decide how they distribute the funds to their employees, so actual pay increases will vary based on the particular centre. This two-year program will bridge a gap until we implement a wage grid in the 2024-2025 fiscal year."

October 2022 - Director of Child and Family Services: Annual Report 2021 – 2022

Description: "The Annual Report provides an opportunity for residents of the Northwest Territories (NWT) to see the type of support and services delivered through Child and Family Services (CFS) and understand why they are offered. The report identifies trends, including how the Child and Family Services system can improve and where there has been a positive impact on the people served."

September 2022 - GNWT releases What We Heard report on Child Day Care Act

Excerpt: "The department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) invited Indigenous governments, licensed early learning and child care program operators, early childhood educators, and the public to provide their feedback on the proposed amendments. These amendments seek to establish an NWT certification process and wage grid, increase inclusion and reporting measures, establish cost control measures, protect the rights of families, and update language used in the Act. The What We Heard Report includes a summary of feedback from engagement that took place in June 2022."

• Access the report, What We Heard Report - Proposed Child Day Care Act Amendments

March 2022 - Canada – Northwest Territories Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement

Excerpt: "In considering affordability, it is important to consider overall operating costs which are higher in the North and the increased cost of living for early childhood educators who are typically paid low wages. Any increases to wages, to address recruitment and retention, will need to be considered in offsetting operating costs for licensed early learning and child care programs."

• Also see News Release, Government of Canada and Government of the Northwest Territories: child care fees in NWT to reduce by 50 per cent on average

February 2022 - Budget 2022-2023

Excerpt: "We propose to spend $211 million directly on education-related programs in next year’s budget including $7.3 million in new funds. We cannot educate our children for their futures without teachers. This budget includes $4.7 million for increased teachers’ salary and benefits. We are also allocating funding for training for teachers to teach multi-grade classes and for enhanced supports for principals in small schools. Furthermore, we have committed $1.8 million for inclusive schooling and education for children with complex needs and for modernizing the K to 12 Curriculum."

December 2021 - $10-a-day child care for families in the Northwest Territories

Excerpt: "The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Premier of the Northwest Territories, Caroline Cochrane, today announced an agreement that will support an average of $10‑a‑day child care in the territory, significantly reducing the price of child care for families. Through today’s agreement and previous agreements, the governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories will work together to improve access to quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services. This includes creating 300 new licensed early learning and child care spaces by the end of March 2026. All of these spaces will be provided exclusively by not-for-profit providers, including community and non-profit organizations as well as family day home providers. With federal funding of over $51 million over the next five years, the Northwest Territories will also see a 50 per cent reduction in average parent fees for children under the age of six in licensed child care by the end of 2022."

November 2021 - 2020-2021 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services

Excerpt: "The 2020-2021 Annual Report presents data on the delivery of child and family services across the Northwest Territories from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. An important trend identified in the report shows that since 2011-2012, there has been a decrease of children and youth in permanent care from 193 to 93. This decrease speaks to the importance of family and community support in the lives of children and youth. It also highlights the benefits to children and youth that come from remaining connected to their family, community, and culture while receiving services."

• Access the report

August 2021 - Government of Canada and Government of the Northwest Territories announce extension of support for quality early learning and child care across the territory

Excerpt: "Under the 2021–22 to 2024–25 Canada–Northwest Territories Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, the Northwest Territories will invest in: improving access to post-secondary education programs and professional development for early childhood educators; distributing cultural education resources; ensuring health and safety in child care centres; offsetting the cost of equipment supporting quality play-based environments; and increasing the number of child care spaces. This four-year agreement builds on the commitments made in the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework and ensures that funding continues to be available to support licensed early learning and child care programs and services for families in the Northwest Territories until March 2025."

March 2021 - The Government of Canada and the Government of Northwest Territories announce additional support for quality early learning and child care across the territories

Excerpt: "Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen, and Northwest Territories’ Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, R.J. Simpson, announced over $2.4 million in federal funding for early learning and child care investments in Northwest Territories for 2020–2021."

August 2020 - GNWT announces new funding for early learning and child care infrastructure

Excerpt: "The GNWT has established a new funding program to provide non-profit organizations and Indigenous governments with funding for infrastructure repairs and retrofits to support the creation of new centre-based child care spaces in communities."

July 2020 - Canada – Northwest Territories Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2017-2020

August 2019 - Supporting Access to Child Care in the NWT, 2019-2020 - Supplementary Action Plan

Excerpt: "Accessible early learning and child care means that opportunities areavailableto residents, regardless of income or geographic location. It also means that care is non-compulsory and offered through a range of servicesthat are based on the needs identified by the community and parents. The  territorial  implementation  of JK provided  free,  play-based  learning  opportunities  for  all children in the NWT. This was a fiscally responsible and feasible option as all communities hadthe required  infrastructure  available  in schoolswith  utilization  rates  that  provided  enough  space  for JK students."

February 2019 - Caroline Cochrane: Developments in Early Childhood Programs and Services

Excerpt: "The Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development, at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, released its 2017 Early Childhood Education Report. This report assesses early childhood education programming in Canada by province and territory. From 2014 to 2017, the Northwest Territories’ rating increased from 6.5 to 8.0 out of 15, which places the NWT exactly in the middle of all of the provinces and territories. This ranking shows that as a government we have made early childhood development a priority and are investing in our youngest residents; a commitment that must continue."

March 2018  - Governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories are improving quality, accessibility and affordability of early learning and child care across the Northwest Territories

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates more than $7 million, over three years, to the Northwest Territories for early learning and child care investments. The funding will support: delivery of high-quality early learning and child care; culturally relevant professional development and training for all staff working within licensed early childhood programs; an increase in the number of qualified early childhood development professionals in licensed programs; and access to early learning and child care opportunities within all communities in the Northwest Territories."

June 2017 - Early Childhood Development Action Plan 2017-2020

Excerpt: "The Department of ECE is also continuing work to increase the number of qualified ECD professionals in licensed programs and developing a dual-credit ECD program for senior secondary students. A focus on improving the quality of licensed early childhood education and care programs is evidenced by the Department of ECE’s efforts to implement the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale in licensed early childhood programs."

February 2017 - 2017-18 Budget

$1.5 million to help offset the costs of the junior kindergarten program as it is rolled out in all NWT communities for four-year old children and a commitment to spend an additional $2.7 million for schools before the end of the 18th Legislative Assembly to ensure that this critical program can be implemented in all communities.

June 2015 - Feasibility Study of Universal, Affordable Daycare in the Northwest Territories

February 2015 - Budget 2015-16 provides $4.9 million in funding for actions in support of improving health and well-being, including: $1.12 million to support the Early Childhood Development Action Plan and enhance community-based early intervention service delivery to improve the care of youngsters.

• To view Budget Highlights

September 2014 - Investments in early childhood guided by new early development data - "New data released today by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) confirms that actions the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is undertaking to support the healthy development of children in the NWT are focused on areas of greatest need. The information was collected over three years using the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a standardized method of measuring readiness to learn that is used across Canada and in several other countries."

June 2014 - Minister Lafferty tabled a Junior Kindergarten Information Kit that provides background on Junior Kindergarten, the Government of the Northwest Territories’ (GNWT) financial investment in the education system, dedicated funding for Inclusive Schooling and the NWT’s Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR). The information kit also looked at the projected impact of implementing Junior Kindergarten on the two Yellowknife school boards, Yellowknife Catholic Schools (YCS) and Yellowknife Education District No. 1.

• Junior Kindergarten Fact Package

February 2014 - An action plan outlining the Government’s future priorities for programs and funding.

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]

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Nunavut

May 2023 ~ New! - Five schools chosen for full-day kindergarten pilot project

Excerpt: "The Department of Education is piloting a project to test the feasibility of implementing a full-day kindergarten program in Nunavut. Nanook School (Apex), Victor Sammurtok School (Chesterfield Inlet), Qaqqalik School (Kimmirut), Jimmy Hikok Ilihakvik (Kugluktuk), and Inuglak School (Whale Cove) will be running a full-day kindergarten pilot starting this fall. These schools were chosen for the pilot based on the amount of capital renovations each would need to support the program and to represent each region."

February 2023 - Budget 2023-24

Excerpt: "2023-24 will be the third year of a three-year commitment to improve the student-educator ratio in our schools. This budget provides the Department of Education $3.7 million to continue the next phase of hiring new educators, student support assistants, school community counsellors, and other education support workers to help parents and families prepare the next generation of Nunavummiut to succeed."

January 2023 - Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with Nunavut

Excerpt: "Nunavut is the first jurisdiction to achieve $10-a-day fees for licensed child care centres under the Canada-wide early learning and child care system. As of December 1, 2022, families in Nunavut with children under age 6 at licensed child care centres and licensed home day cares have access to child care for $10-a-day. Nunavut joins the Yukon and Quebec in providing families with regulated child care for $10-a-day or less. This milestone was achieved a full 15 months ahead of the schedule set out in Nunavut’s Action Plan, and more than three years ahead of the March 2026 federal goal for Canada-wide implementation. With $10-a-day child care, families in Nunavut could save up to $55 per day for each child in care, when compared to previous rates.Nunavut continues to provide a recruitment and retention fund to all licensed child care centres, which supports wage enhancements for early learning and child care educators in approximately 283 current workforce positions."

November 2022 - $10-a-day child care becoming a reality for families in Nunavut in December 2022

Excerpt: "As a result of today’s announcement, families in Nunavut with preschool-aged children at licensed child care centres and licensed home day cares will be able to access child care for $10-a-day as of December 1, 2022. This milestone was achieved a full 15 months ahead of Nunavut’s Action Plan schedule, and more than three years ahead of the March 2026 federal goal for Canada-wide implementation. With $10-a-day child care, families in the territory could save up to $55 per day for each child in care, when compared to current rates. This will provide tangible benefits to families in the territory experiencing a rise in the cost of living."

June 2022 - Canada-Nunavut Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2021 to 2026

Excerpt: "Nunavut agrees to use funds provided by Canada under this Agreement to support the expansion of regulated child care, and prioritize not-for-profit (including publically delivered) early learning and child care programs and services, for children under the age of 6, where: regulated programs and services are defined as those that meet standards that are established and/or monitored by provincial/territorial governments and Indigenous governments and authorities;  not-for-profit providers and operations, which includes publically delivered operations, are defined as those that provide child care services to a community for a purpose other than generating a profit, typically improving family and/or child well being and/or development. Providers may generate a profit, but the surplus earnings, or other resources, are directed towards improving child care services rather than distributed for the personal benefit of owners, members, investors or to enhance asset growth. Early learning and child care programs and services are defined as those supporting direct care and early learning for children in settings including, but not limited to, regulated child care centres, regulated family child care homes, early learning centres, preschools and nursery schools."

May 2022 - Canada – Nunavut Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2021 to 2025

Excerpt: "Challenges related to training, recruitment and retention of qualified ELCC staff is seen across Nunavut. Very few ELCC educators have any type of formal early childhood educators (ECE) training which reduces the desire to work within the field. Many centres hire staff who are willing to work for low wages, but due to lack of training and competitive wages, many chose to leave the field within a short time. This creates a revolving door of ELCC educators which decreases the ability to keep centres open to full capacity and provide high quality childcare. Competitive wages are needed to recruit and retain interested people to work within the ELCC sector. Enhanced training and understanding of children’s needs, programming and day to day operations of a high-quality childcare system is also highly needed. Providing specialized training to support the growth of understanding and services provided to children and competitive wages is key to the growth and stability of ELCC in Nunavut."

March 2022 - Budget 2022

January 2022 - $10-a-day child care for families in Nunavut

Excerpt: "The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, virtually joined the Premier of Nunavut, P.J. Akeeagok, today to announce an agreement that will support an average of $10‑a‑day licensed child care in the territory by March 2024, two years ahead of the federal target. By the end of 2022, parent fees for licensed child care will be reduced by 50 per cent on average, saving families hundreds of dollars per month. This would mean a family in Iqaluit would save an estimated total of up to $14,000 per year on child care fees. This will apply to parents with children up to six years old in licensed child care spaces. Through the agreement, the governments of Canada and Nunavut will work together to improve access to quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services. This includes creating 238 new licensed early learning and child care spaces by the end of March 2026, with federal funding of $66 million over five years."

August 2021 - The Government of Canada and the Government of Nunavut announce extension of support for quality early learning and child care across the territory

Excerpt: "Through the agreement, the Government of Canada is providing over $10 million in funding over four years to Nunavut to improve access to high quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services. In addition, the Government of Canada is making a one-time investment of over $2.8 million in 2021-2022 to support Nunavut’s early childhood educator recruitment and retention efforts. Under the 2021–2022 to 2024–2025 Canada–Nunavut Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Nunavut will allocate funding to continue supporting and maintaining access to affordable early learning and child care programs by supporting the healthy development of children, creating more spaces in underserved communities, investing in training and professional development opportunities for early childhood educator and developing culturally appropriate educational programming resources."

November 2020 - Government of Canada is providing immediate assistance to Territorial government, communities and Inuit partners in Nunavut to address the COVID-19 pandemic

Excerpt: "$513,000 to support early learning and child care (ELCC) programs with the impacts of COVID-19 including training for ELCC workers, mental health supports for children and families, home-based learning kits, and food hampers to replace breakfast or lunch programs."

September 2020 - Canada-Nunavut Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2020-2021

September 2020 - Canada-Nunavut Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2017-2020

September 2020 - The Government of Canada and the Government of Nunavut announced additional support for quality early learning and child care across the territory

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates nearly $2.4 million in 2020-21 to Nunavut for early learning and child care investments. Nunavut’s priority areas of investment include supporting and maintaining access to affordable early learning and child care programs through operations funding, creating child care spaces in underserved communities, promoting training and professional development opportunities for early childhood educators, and developing teaching resources and programming materials in all of Nunavut’s official languages."

September 2017 - The Government of Canada and the Government of Nunavut sign a bilateral agreement on early learning and child care

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates just over $7 million, over three years, to Nunavut for early learning and child care investments. The territory`s funding will focus on early learning and child care programs and services to support parents, families, and communities to ensure the best possible future for children in the territory."

May 2017 - Government of Canada supports healthy children, families and communities in Nunavut

Excerpt: "The Government of Canada will provide $189 million in funding over 10 years to the Government of Nunavut for community-based programs covering four broad areas: healthy children, families and communities; healthy living; mental wellness; and home and community care."

February 2017 - Budget 2017-2018

Excerpt: "$1.6 M to the Nunavut Arctic College to support a new law program in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan, launching this fall. The GN is also providing $1.3M to help the College fund its Social Worker and Early Childhood Education programs."

February 2015 - Budget 2015-2016

Excerpt: "Early childhood education is essential to our success. It gives children a head start in preparing for modern life. It gives parents opportunities to enter the workforce or take training. In this budget our government is increasing support for early childhood education by 14% to $7.4 million. The Education department is also thoroughly reviewing all early childhood education programs and services to improve their results. In making these investments, we also recognize our responsibility to ensure that Nunavut’s child care centres and schools are safe and secure. As this house knows, the Auditor General reported last year on a number of deficiencies. The Department of Education and the Department of Community and Government Services are working to ensure proper inspections and safe working practices. The Nunavut Teachers Association has joined us to implement proper methods for school safety and training for school staff."

July 2014 - Understanding the Training Needs of Early Childhood Educators Across Inuit Nunangat: "This document summarizes information on training gaps in the field of early childhood education in Inuit Nunangat. It was developed to inform future investments in early childhood education, as well as policy and program development in the field. While this project did not undertake a rigorous research process, nor an exhaustive literature review, Inuit regional partners were engaged at every stage. The resulting document gives a voice to representatives working on the ground with child care centres."

November 2013 - Responsibility for ensuring the safety of students in schools and children in childcare facilities is shared by the Department of Education and the Department of Community and Government Services. We looked at how the departments of Education and Community and Government Services have carried out their responsibilities in this area, focusing on the inspections they are required to conduct in school and childcare facilities.

May 2013 - The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Nunavut, announced funding for a project to provide capacity to expand the availability of preschool programs for children ages 3 to 5 years of age living in communities across 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."

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Aboriginal

March 2019 - The Government of Canada and the Métis National Council sign historic Early Learning and Child Care Accord

• To access the Accord

September 2018 - Government of Canada, Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Métis National Council announce the first Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework

Exerpt: "In support of the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework, the Government of Canada is committing up to $1.7 billion over 10 years to strengthen early learning and child care programs and services for Indigenous children and families starting in 2018–19. This is part of the commitment of $7.5 billion over 11 years the Government has made to support and create more high-quality, affordable child care across the country in Budget 2016."

• Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework

July 2013 - The Government has now concluded the first phase of consultation on a proposed framework for legislation on First Nations elementary and secondary education. As the consultation process moves forward, the Government has released a Blueprint for Legislation which sets out the Government of Canada’s proposed approach to a First Nation Education Act and has been informed by the work of the National Panel on First Nation Elementary and Secondary Education, and recent consultations undertaken between December 2012 and May 2013.

July 2013 - In Budget 2010 the Government committed to work with First Nations to develop options, including new legislation, to improve the governance framework and clarify accountability for First Nations elementary and secondary education. In 2011, the Government and the Assembly of First Nations launched a National Panel, which made a number of recommendations for reforming First Nations education in its February 2012 report.  In response to the Panel’s report, the Government is working with partners to introduce a First Nation Education Act and have it in place for September 2014. The purpose of this legislation is to establish the structures and standards to support strong and accountable education systems on reserve. This will set the stage for more positive education outcomes for First Nations children and youth. The Government will also work to explore mechanisms to ensure stable, predictable and sustainable funding for First Nations elementary and secondary education.

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."

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, Aboriginal education.

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."

 

Canada-wide

June 2023 ~ New! - Families in Canada to benefit from innovative early learning and child care practices

Excerpt: "The University of British Columbia is receiving a total of $239,765 in federal funding over 24 months, effective January 2023, for their project titled Professional Development for ELCC Workers Through an Indigenous-ECE Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). This project focuses on providing early childhood educators with professional development opportunities to receive training on incorporating Indigenous perspectives, worldviews and pedagogies into early learning and child care environments through the development of an online course. The goal is that by widely offering this free online training across Canada, more ECEs will have these critical skills. This means that more Indigenous families and children will have access to affordable, culturally appropriate early learning and child care."

June 2023 ~ New! - Investment in early learning helps create new licensed child care spaces in Ottawa

Excerpt: "Today in Ottawa, the Honourable Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board of Canada, on behalf of the Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, joined the Honourable Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Education, to announce the creation of just over 2,900 new affordable child care spaces in Ottawa. As part of the Canada–Ontario Canada-wide ELCC Agreement, the Government of Canada is providing more than $10.2 billion toward early learning and child care in Ontario. Under this agreement, Ontario is on track to create 86,000 new spaces by the end of 2026, including up to 42,000 by the end of 2023. The agreement with Ontario is part of the larger Canada-wide plan to create 250,000 new child care spaces across the country. These new licensed spaces will be predominantly among not-for-profit, public and family-based child care providers."

June 2023 ~ New! - Delivering on our promise of high-quality, inclusive, and affordable child care for families

Excerpt: "The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced the establishment of the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund to help public and not-for-profit child care providers deliver affordable child care for families by funding the cost of physical infrastructure needed to create more spaces like real estate and building materials. This new Fund will provide an additional $625 million to provinces and territories to create spaces in communities that currently do not have enough of them. The Fund will support child care spaces for underserved communities, including in rural and remote regions, high-cost and low-income urban neighbourhoods, and communities that face barriers to access, such as racialized groups, Indigenous Peoples, official language minority communities, newcomers, as well as parents, caregivers, and children with disabilities."

May 2023 ~ New! - The Government of Canada invests in artificial intelligence and teaching French as a second language from early childhood

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, announced more than $2 million in funding to Voilà Community Help for two projects that use metaverse technology to support French-language teaching. Minister Petitpas Taylor was joined by Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament (London West). Thanks to this innovative investment, the organization has created Artificial Intelligence for Official Languages, a project conducted in partnership with more than 35 school boards. The project aims to optimize Voilà Learning, an engaging interactive virtual platform that allows students to improve their language skills while having fun. Students on Voilà Learning’s virtual campus can interact with each other, do homework, write on a board, create videos, interact with facilitators, and get help from qualified teachers."

May 2023 ~ New! - The Government of Canada invests in artificial intelligence and teaching French as a second language from early childhood

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, announced more than $2 million in funding to Voilà Community Help for two projects that use metaverse technology to support French-language teaching. Minister Petitpas Taylor was joined by Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament (London West). Thanks to this innovative investment, the organization has created Artificial Intelligence for Official Languages, a project conducted in partnership with more than 35 school boards. The project aims to optimize Voilà Learning, an engaging interactive virtual platform that allows students to improve their language skills while having fun. Students on Voilà Learning’s virtual campus can interact with each other, do homework, write on a board, create videos, interact with facilitators, and get help from qualified teachers."

May 2023 ~ New! - Government of Canada invests $6.5 million in research to support the health and mental wellbeing of young children

Excerpt: "The Government of Canada is committed to improving the health and mental wellbeing of children and youth in Canada. Early childhood experiences influence a child’s mental health for life—and with 70% of mental health and substance use problems having origins in childhood, understanding how to better identify and treat young children at risk of developing or living with a mental health issue is crucial. Today, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced an investment of $6.5 million over five years for six projects funded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Mental Health in the Early Years (MHITEY) initiative."

April 2023 ~ New! - Helping families in Canada to benefit from innovative early learning and child care practices

Excerpt: "Today, the Minister of International Development, Harjit S. Sajjan, on behalf of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, announced funding for Langara College for their project entitled Innovating Virtual Reality in Inclusive and Anti-biased Early Learning and Child Care Training, which is being funded through the Early Learning and Child Care Innovation Program. Through this program, Langara College is receiving a total of $2,671,771 in federal funding over a three-year period from February 2023 to January 2026."

March 2023 - A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy, Healthy Future

Excerpt: "The federal government’s historic investment in a Canada-wide early leaning and child care system is making life more affordable for families, helping to give children across Canada the best start in life, and strengthening our workforce. Today, fewer women have to choose between their family and their career, and in February 2023, the labour force participation rate for women in their prime working years reached a record 85.7 per cent. By April 2, 2023, six provinces and territories will be providing regulated child care for an average of just $10-a-day or less—significantly ahead of schedule. All other provinces and territories remain on track to achieve $10-a-day child care by 2026. In Quebec, federal investments are continuing to make the existing child care system more accessible through the creation of new spaces."

• Access Budget Documents

January 2023 - Bill C-35, Second Reading by Families Minister Karina Gould (video)

December 2022 - Government of Canada introduces historic bill to enshrine principles of Canada wide early learning and child care system into law

Excerpt: "In addition to establishing a permanent, legislated commitment to federal funding for early learning and child care, Bill C-35, if passed, would require the federal government to report to the public on federal investments and progress being made on the Canada-wide system. It would also enshrine in law the National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care. The role of this recently announced council is to provide third-party expert advice to the Government of Canada and serve as a forum for engagement on issues and challenges facing the early learning and child care sector."

November 2022 - Government of Canada announces members of new National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care

Excerpt: "Now, more than ever, increased access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care is crucial to meet the needs of children and families across Canada. That is why the Government of Canada is making a historic investment of $30 billion over five years to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system in collaboration with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners. In support of this commitment, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, announced today the members of a newly created National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care. The Council brings together a committed and diverse group of 16 members, including academics and advocates, practitioners and caregivers. The chairperson, Don Giesbrecht, has previously served as both President of the Board of Directors and CEO of the Canadian Child Care Federation."

November 2022 - Legislation to cover dental care for children and to support low-income renters receives Royal Assent

Excerpt: "The Canada Dental Benefit will provide eligible parents or guardians with up to $650 tax-free per year for two years to cover dental expenses for children under 12. This benefit, which will support an estimated 500,000 children, is available to families without access to private dental insurance and with an adjusted family net income under $90,000. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will begin receiving applications and processing payments for the benefit starting December 1, 2022."

November 2022 - Fall Economic Statement 2022: Building an Economy That Works for Everyone

Excerpt: "Canada-wide early learning and child care transfer payments are expected to increase from $4.5 billion in 2022-23 to $7.7 billion in 2027-28, and include funding of $625 million over four years, beginning in 2023-24, to Employment and Social Development Canada for an Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund."

October 2022 - Families in Canada to benefit from innovative early learning and child care practices

Excerpt: "The 16 projects, funded through the Early Learning and Child Care Innovation Program, are receiving a total of $27.4 million in federal funding over three years, and will be completed by March 31, 2025. The call for proposals focused on projects that foster cutting-edge practices to support the changing nature of early learning and child care, placing a priority on projects that address the needs of families grappling with the impacts of the pandemic."

• Access the Backgrounder for a list of the approved early learning and child care innovation projects across Canada

July 2022 - Families across Canada will see increase in Canada Child Benefit

Excerpt: "The Government of Canada remains committed to supporting families and children as we weather the lasting impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, on its 6th anniversary, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, highlighted that the maximum annual Canada Child Benefit will increase to help families cope with the rising cost of living. For the 2022–23 benefit year, families most in need can receive up to $6,997 per child under the age of six and $5,903 per child aged six through 17."

June 2022 - Government of Canada invests in accessible and disability inclusive early learning and child care system across Canada

Excerpt: "Building a barrier-free country is a key priority for the Government of Canada. That is why it is working closely with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners to create an early learning and child care system that is high quality, affordable, accessible and inclusive. These efforts will help ensure that all families in Canada – including those with children with disabilities – have access to child care that is adapted to their needs, and inclusive from the start. Today, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, joined with Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, to announce $12.5 million in funding  support for 225 regulated and/or licensed early learning and child care centres across Canada through the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) small projects component of the Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF)."

April 2022 - Budget 2022 - A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable

Excerpt: "In less than a year, the federal government reached agreements with all 13 provinces and territories. This means, by the end of 2022, that Canadian families will have seen their child care fees reduced by an average of 50 per cent. By 2025-26, it will mean an average child care fee of $10-a-day for all regulated child care spaces across Canada. Most provinces and territories are also moving ahead with faster than anticipated initiatives to support access to affordable high-quality child care spaces.

Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories have already cut child care fees in half. In Ontario, fees will be reduced by an initial 25 per cent retroactive to April 1, 2022. Yukon has already put in place a $10-a-day target for child care spaces as of April 1, 2021, five years ahead of schedule. Prince Edward Island is targeting $10-a-day spaces by the end of 2024."

• Access Supporting Early Learning and Child Care

March 2022 - Delivering for Canadians Now

Excerpt: "Making life more affordable for people...through introducing an Early Learning and Child Care Act by the end of 2022, ensuring that childcare agreements have long-term protected funding that prioritizes non-profit and public spaces, to deliver high quality, affordable child care opportunities for families."

December 2021 - Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Mandate Letter

Excerpt: "To realize these objectives, I ask that you achieve results for Canadians by delivering the following commitments.

• Supported by the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, continue advancing the creation and sustainability of a Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system, including:
  • Concluding negotiations with remaining provinces and territories and implementing agreements:
    • Reducing fees for regulated child care by 50 per cent on average by the end of 2022 everywhere outside of Quebec,
    • Reducing regulated child care fees to $10 a day on average by the end of fiscal year 2025-2026 everywhere outside of Quebec, and
    • Building 250,000 new high-quality child care spaces and hiring 40,000 more early childhood educators by the end of fiscal year 2025-2026;
    • Introducing federal child care legislation to strengthen and protect a high-quality Canada-wide child care system;
    • Establishing a National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care;
    • Continuing to advance work with provinces and territories to reduce fees for families for before and after school care; and
    • Ensuring the Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care is fully resourced and operational by early 2023."

December 2021 - Government of Canada funds improved access for inclusive early learning and child care centres across the country

Excerpt: "Up to $25 million over two years will be allocated through this call for proposals to projects that will help to improve the accessibility and safety of regulated and/or licensed early learning and child care centres across the country. This funding could benefit approximately 350 child care centres, and support accessible infrastructure improvements such as ramps, doors, washrooms, elevators, lifts, and play structures. Accessible information and communication technology projects are also eligible for funding support."

November 2021 - Throne Speech: Building a resilient economy: a cleaner & healthier future for our kids

Excerpt: "The Government will also continue building the first-ever Canada-wide early learning and child care system. By the end of 2022, average fees for regulated child care will be cut in half in most of the provinces and territories. And in some places, this will even happen as early as the start of the year. Families will save thousands of dollars. Four jurisdictions have not yet reached agreements on child care. Two are territories with unique infrastructure challenges, and the Government will keep working together to ensure we meet the needs of the North. The Government will continue working with the remaining two provinces to finalize agreements that will deliver $10-a-day child care for families who so badly need it."

July 2021 - Canada Country Background Report – Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care

Excerpt: "The Canada Country Background Report provides descriptions of Canadian policies in place at all levels of government that support process quality in ECEC. Information presented in the report is representative of policy contexts and efforts as of early 2021. Initial data collection occurred through the 2019 OECD policy review questionnaire, with updates and content development occurring throughout 2020 and early 2021. Specific attention is given to the policy context for ECEC, along with descriptions of early learning curriculum frameworks, pedagogical practices, and policies, programs, and initiatives to support workforce development."

June 2021 - Starting Strong VI, Country Note

Excerpt: "All frameworks build on the idea of active and capable children who are co-constructors of their learning, and they recognise play as crucial for children’s development, including different types of play. For example, curricula in Alberta and New Brunswick incorporate “dizzy play”, understood as rough and tumble play where children experience exhilarating physical release and laughter. For example, New Brunswick’s English curriculum framework incorporates “dizzy play” as an activity where children take pleasure in being on the edge. Alberta’s curriculum recognises that important learning and development happens with “dizzy play”, which allows children to create disorder and reorder within playful experiences."

May 2021 - Up to $1,200 more per child for 1.6 million families across Canada

Excerpt: "The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue and the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development announced today that the CCB young child supplement (CCBYCS) will take effect later this month. The Government of Canada recognizes that young families in particular have been impacted by the unpredictable expenses of the COVID-19 pandemic. This money will help pay for things such as short-term child care arrangements, healthy food, clothes, and activities they can do at home as a family. Families could receive up to $1,200 in support per child under the age of six in 2021. This will benefit about 1.6 million Canadian families and about 2.1 million children under the age of six. In 2021, families that are entitled to receive the CCB with a net income of $120,000 or less, will receive $300 per payment for each child under the age of six."

April 2021 - A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience

"There is agreement, across the political spectrum, that early learning and child care is the national economic policy we need now.

This is social infrastructure that will drive jobs and growth. This is feminist economic policy. This is smart economic policy. That is why this budget commits up to $30 billion over five years, reaching $8.3 billion every year, permanently, to build a high-quality, affordable and accessible early learning and child care system across Canada.

This is not an effort that will deliver instant gratification. We are building something that, of necessity, must be constructed collaboratively, and for the long-term.

But I have confidence in us. I have confidence that we are a country that believes in investing in our future; in our children; and in our young parents. Here is our goal : Five years from now, parents across the country should have access to high quality early learning and child care, for an average of $10 a day.

I make this promise to Canadians today, speaking as your Finance Minister and as a working mother: We will get it done.

In making this historic commitment, I want to thank the visionary leaders of Quebec, particularly Quebec's feminists, who have shown the rest of Canada the way forward.

This plan will, of course, also provide additional resources to Quebec, which might well use them to further support an early learning and child care system that is already the envy of the rest of Canada, and indeed, much of the world."

February 2021 - Federal, provincial and territorial ministers work together to continue improving early learning and child care for Canadian families

Excerpt: "The Ministers recognized the efforts of provinces and territories to deliver high quality child care to families across Canada through well-established child care systems, particularly during the pandemic. Ministers agreed to initiate discussion for renewed bilateral funding agreements in accordance with the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework, noting some common interests, challenges and perspectives on early learning and child care, including support for workforce participation."

December 2020 - Statement by the Prime Minister on the 50th anniversary of the Report by the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada

Excerpt: "“Canada is deeply committed to advancing gender equality and continuing to make progress on the recommendations laid out in the report. To help more women enter and remain in the workforce, the government is making historic investments in women’s and equality-seeking organizations, training opportunities, recruitment programs, child care, and parental leave. As promised in the Speech from the Throne, we are also working to create a Canada-wide early learning and child care system. In the Fall Economic Statement, we announced our proposed plan to bring partners together toward a common vision, including through the creation of a Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care. We will also work with provinces and territories to support early childhood educators. For instance, we will engage them on future sustained investments in support of an Early Childhood Educator Workforce Strategy. Finally, in Budget 2021, we will lay out a plan to provide affordable, accessible, inclusive, and high-quality child care from coast to coast to coast."

November 2020 - Fall Economic Statement 2020

Excerpt: "On the eve of this anniversary, the federal government is committed to historic investments that will make this promise a reality. Budget 2021 will outline a plan to provide affordable, accessible and high-quality child care from ocean, to ocean to ocean. This is a feminist plan, to be sure. It also makes sound business sense and is supported by many of Canada’s corporate leaders, who have witnessed the economic toll this crisis has taken on women, families and children – and therefore on Canada’s bottom line."

November 2020 - Early Learning and Child Care Bilateral Agreements

September 2020 - The Government of Canada is creating a Canada-wide early learning and child care system

Excerpt: "The Government of Canada will build on previous investments that have created close to 40,000 new child care spaces, and work with all provinces and territories, as well as with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation governments, to ensure that high-quality care is accessible to all."

September 2020 - A Stronger and More Resilient Canada - Speech from the Throne

Excerpt: "It has been nearly 50 years since the Royal Commission on the Status of Women outlined the necessity of child care services for women’s social and economic equality. We have long understood that Canada cannot succeed if half of the population is held back. Canadians need more accessible, affordable, inclusive, and high quality childcare. Recognizing the urgency of this challenge, the Government will make a significant, long-term, sustained investment to create a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system. The Government will build on previous investments, learn from the model that already exists in Quebec, and work with all provinces and territories to ensure that high-quality care is accessible to all. There is broad consensus from all parts of society, including business and labour leaders, that the time is now. The Government also remains committed to subsidizing before- and after-school program costs. With the way that this pandemic has affected parents and families, flexible care options for primary school children are more important than ever."

July 2020 - The Government of Canada is providing funding to support child care for returning workers

"Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced $625 million in federal support for Canada’s child care sector to help ensure that safe and sufficient child care spaces are available to support parents’ gradual return to work. Along with the agreements under the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework, this investment means the Government of Canada will invest almost $1.2 billion to support child care in 2020-2021, a 67% increase over the next highest year in history, 2005-2006, when $700 million were announced."

July 2020 - Economic and Fiscal Snapshot 2020 – House Speech

"We are proposing to invest in a safe, sufficient and adequate supply of child care, so that parents, especially mothers, don’t have to choose between going to work and ensuring their children are taken care of."

March 2020 - The Government of Canada is making life more affordable for young families

Excerpt: "The Parental Sharing Benefit gives new parents, including adoptive and same-sex parents, more time to share the responsibility of raising their children. Eligible parents who agree to share benefits are now able to access an additional five weeks of Employment Insurance standard parental benefits, or an additional eight weeks if they choose the extended parental benefit option. This means more flexibility for families."

December 2019 - Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Mandate Letter

March 2019 - Budget 2019: Investing in the Middle Class to Grow Canada's Economy

March 2019 - Extra weeks of Employment Insurance parental benefits available March 17

Excerpt: "The new measure will be available to parents, including adoptive or same-sex parents, for a child born or placed for the purpose of adoption on or after March 17, 2019—as long as they are eligible for and share their Employment Insurance parental benefits. When parents agree to do so, they will benefit from one of the following: five additional weeks of parental benefits when choosing the standard option; or eight additional weeks for those who choose the extended option."

November 2018 - Government of Canada supports early childhood development

"This project will promote the evidence-based Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development through a variety of digitals tools and e-learning products, to all Canadians, including families and services providers working directly with parents and children. These innovative tools and products will help to create a better understanding of the science of early childhood development and improve the quality of early childhood practices."

June 2018 - Charlevoix Commitment on Equality and Economic Growth

The 2018 G7 Summit held in Charlevoix, Quebec in June made important commitments towards gender equality including several promises relating to to child care and parental leave.

February 2018 - Budget 2018: Equality & Growth, A Strong Middle Class

"We are giving more children the best possible start in life through investments in early learning and child care. We now have agreements in place with nine provinces and territories to help create more of the high-quality, affordable child care spaces we know Canadian families need—tailored to their local realities. And think about the fact that the vast majority of single moms receiving the Canada Child Benefit make less than $60,000 a year, and now get about $9,000 on average in total benefits, tax-free."

June 2017 - Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework

"Early learning and child care needs across the country are vast and diverse. Investments in early learning and child care benefit all children, particularly those who are vulnerable. In support of this Framework, the Government of Canada commits that the annual allocation until 2027 and 2028 will be no less than the allocation of 2017 and 2018. In keeping with the guiding principles of this Framework, provinces and territories will use investments allocated by the Government of Canada to further build early learning and child care systems by addressing local, regional and system priorities that have an impact on families more in need, such as lower-income families; Indigenous families; lone-parent families; families in underserved communities; those working non-standard hours; and/or families with children with varying abilities. The Government of Canada will work with provinces and territories over time to build long-term capacity in the early learning and child care sector."

• News release, Historic Agreement between the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Governments on a Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework

March 2017 - Budget 2017 - Building a Strong Middle Class

"Budget 2017 proposes to invest an additional $7 billion over 10 years, starting in 2018–19, to support and create more high-quality, affordable child care spaces across the country. A portion of this investment will be dedicated to early learning and child care programs for Indigenous children living on- and off-reserve.

"To ensure that Canadian families have better access to high-quality, affordable child care, the Government is working with the provinces and territories to develop a National Framework on Early Learning and Child Care, focusing on best practices and new approaches to best serve families."

"In addition, a distinct Indigenous Framework on Early Learning and Child Care, will be created in cooperation with Indigenous partners. The distinct Indigenous framework will reflect the unique cultures and needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children across Canada."

February 2017 - Employment Insurance Special Benefits Consultations - Release of Summary Findings

"Overall, the most common challenges experienced while on maternity or parental leave are regarding financial hardships, restrictions in the qualification criteria for those self-employed or on contract, and difficulties finding childcare. When asked about their challenges while being in maternity or parental leave, the most common challenges mentioned are related to finances, especially among those with single income families, twins, and multiple births; difficulties finding suitable and affordable childcare; and problems qualifying for EI benefits while being self-employed or working on contract."

August 2016 - New tax credit for educators will benefit Canada's children

"Budget 2016 proposes to introduce a teacher and early childhood educator school supply tax credit for 2016 and subsequent taxation years. This measure will allow an employee who is an eligible educator to claim a 15% refundable tax credit based on an amount of up to $1,000 of purchases of eligible teaching supplies by the employee in a taxation year."

March 2016 - Growing the Middle Class: Budget 2016

"For Canadian families, high-quality, affordable child care is more than a convenience—it’s a necessity. The Government recognizes the deep connection between child care and the economic security of families, and proposes to invest $500 million in 2017–18 to support the establishment of a National Framework on Early Learning and Child Care. Of this amount, $100 million would be for Indigenous child care and early learning on reserve."

December 2015 - Making Real Change Happen - Speech from the Throne to Open the First Session of the Forty-Second Parliament of Canada

November 2015 - Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Mandate Letter

April 2015 - Budget 2015: Strong Leadership - A Balanced Budget, Low Tax Plan For Jobs, Growth And Security

Excerpt: "A typical two-earner family of four will receive tax relief and increased benefits of up to $6,600 in 2015, as a result of the Family Tax Cut, the Universal Child Care Benefit, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate reduction, the introduction of new credits, such as the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit, and broad-based income tax relief including the reduction in the lowest personal income tax rate (Chart 1.3)."

• To access Helping Families Make Ends Meet

October 2014 - PM announces tax cuts, increased benefits for families. The proposed new measures include: The Family Tax Cut, a federal tax credit that will allow a higher-income spouse to transfer up to $50,000 of taxable income to a spouse in a lower tax bracket; Increasing the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) for children under age six; Expanding the UCCB to children aged six through 17; Increasing the Child Care Expense Deduction dollar limits by $1,000, effective for the 2015 tax year.

October 2014 - PM Announces Intention to Double the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit - Parents will be able to take advantage of the new $1,000 maximum limit in the spring of 2015 when they file their tax returns for 2014. The credit will be made refundable as of the 2015 tax year, increasing benefits to low-income families claiming it for that year and subsequent years.

• Also see Enhancing the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit

May 2014 - Federal Court of Appeal Clarifies Nature and Scope of Family Status Protections 

"On May 2, 2014, the Federal Court of Appeal unanimously upheld the findings of the Federal Court concerning an employer's obligation to provide workplace accommodation for an employee's childcare needs in Canada (Attorney General) v. Johnstone, a case that has garnered significant media attention. As the first decision from an appellate-level court on this issue in more than a decade, this ruling serves as the most authoritative statement to date on a difficult issue that has generated a lot of uncertainty for workplace participants."

Also see Employers Can’t Punish Parents over Child Care Needs

April 2014 - Current Canadian Leave Policies

April 2014 - Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants: Recommendations from Six to 24 Months

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.

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