Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "That’s why, today in Charlottetown, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food, on behalf of the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, joined the Honourable Natalie Jameson, Prince Edward Island’s Minister of Education and Early Years, to announce $10.1 million over four years to help build more inclusive child care spaces across the province through the Government of Canada’s $625 million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. This investment will further help Prince Edward Island, which has already exceeded the shared goal of building 452 new child care spaces by 2026."

Excerpt: "But more families need access to affordable child care. That’s why, today in Yellowknife, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, joined the Honourable Caitlin Cleveland, Northwest Territories’ Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, to announce $10.6 million over four years, with $7.8 million through 2025–2026, to help build more inclusive child care spaces across the Northwest Territories through the Government of Canada’s $625 million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. This investment will help the Northwest Territories reach the shared goal of building 300 new child care spaces by 2026. Through this Fund, all provinces and territories will be able to make further investments in child care, so more families can save up to $14,300 on child care every year, per child."

Excerpt: "That’s why, today in Winnipeg, the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, on behalf of the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced $30.39 million over four years, with approximately $20.9 million through 2025–2026, to help build more inclusive child care spaces across Manitoba through the Government of Canada’s $625 million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. This investment will help Manitoba reach the shared goal of building 23,000 new child care spaces by 2026."

Excerpt: "More families will save time, money and stress as the Province moves forward with fully integrated before- and after-school care on school grounds. This initiative will use existing school space as well as school district resources and staff to provide seamless care without additional pickups and dropoffs."

Excerpt: "But more families need access to affordable child care. That’s why, today in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, joined the Honourable Becky Druhan, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, to announce a federal investment of an additional $19.8 million over four years to help reach our goal of building 9,500 $10-a-day child care spaces in Nova Scotia by March 2026. Today’s investment to build more spaces in Nova Scotia through the new $625 million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund will help more families save up to $6,000 per year, per child. This includes creating more spaces for underserved communities, including Indigenous, rural, and remote communities, as well as for children with disabilities and French language minority communities."

Excerpt: "Penticton children and their families are benefiting from 34 new before- and after-school child care spaces at the Leapin Lizard’s Daycare Centre located on the grounds of Columbia Elementary school. “Finding access to affordable, quality and inclusive child care can be extremely stressful for families,” said Mitzi Dean, Minister of State for Child Care. “Investments like these are life-changing for everyone. These new child care spaces will serve the Penticton community well and our government looks forward to creating more positive changes for families in the coming months and years.” The Province partnered with Okanagan Skaha School District (SD67) to build the additional child care spaces with approximately $2.25 million from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund. The funding supported the building, as well as the purchase of accessible playground equipment."

Excerpt: "But more families need access to affordable child care. That’s why, today in Regina, the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, and the Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, on behalf of the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, joined Sameema Haque, Assistant Deputy Minister of Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Education, to announce $27.7 million over four years, with $19.1 million through 2025–2026, to help build more inclusive child care spaces across Saskatchewan through the Government of Canada’s $625-million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. This investment will help Saskatchewan reach the shared goal of building 28,000 new child care spaces by 2026. Through this Fund, all provinces and territories will be able to make further investments in child care, so more families can save up to $14,300 on child care every year, per child."

Excerpt: "The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the Government of Canada is providing Ontario with $201.87 million to create child care spaces and support inclusive child care services across the province, especially in underserved communities. This investment, part of the previously announced $625 million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund, will help Ontario reach our goal of creating 86,000 new child care spaces by 2026 – meaning more families in Ontario can access affordable spaces. It will mean more spaces in rural and remote regions, high-cost and low-income urban neighbourhoods, and communities that face barriers to access, including racialized groups, Indigenous Peoples, official language minority communities, newcomers, as well as parents, caregivers, and children with disabilities. We are working with all other provincial and territorial partners to reach similar funding agreements."

Excerpt: "Every child deserves the best start in life. That’s why, today in Montreal, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport and Quebec lieutenant, and the Honourable Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, announced $123 million over four years, with $82 million through 2025-2026, to help build more inclusive child care spaces across Quebec through the Government of Canada’s $625 million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. This investment will help Quebec reach the shared goal of building 30,000 new child care spaces by 2026. The funding announced today builds on previous investments made under the asymmetrical agreement between the governments of Canada and Quebec on early learning and child care. Funding from the Government of Canada will enable Quebec to support its priorities in terms of early childhood education and care, and measures to improve inclusiveness."

Excerpt: "But more families need access to affordable child care. That’s why, today in Whitehorse, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, joined the Honourable Jeanie McLean, Yukon’s Minister of Education and Minister responsible for the Women and Gender Equity Directorate, to announce $10.5 million over four years, with $7.7 million through 2025–2026, to help build more inclusive child care spaces across the Yukon through the Government of Canada’s $625-million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. The Yukon has already far exceeded the shared goal of building 110 new child care spaces by 2026, and this investment will further help the territory. Through this Fund, all provinces and territories will be able to make further investments in child care, so more families can save up to $14,300 on child care every year, per child. These investments will aim to support families in rural and remote communities, as well as families in communities that face barriers to access, such as racialized groups, Indigenous Peoples, newcomers, official language minority communities, and children, parents and employees with disabilities. Funding may also be used to support infrastructure to provide care during non-standard hours."

Excerpt: "Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) will add more spaces to its child study centre in Halifax and expand the age groups it serves with funding support from the provincial and federal governments. This will help meet the need for child care in the community and enhance the education and professional development of aspiring early childhood educators in the university’s child and youth study program, while offering research opportunities in the field. “We are pleased to support the expansion of MSVU’s child-care facility. Families need greater access to reliable and affordable child care, and we need more professionals to provide that care,” said Becky Druhan, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. “We’re proud of the work MSVU is doing to help meet the needs of families in the community.” The larger facility will add an additional 82 spaces and introduce up to 32 infant spaces. Parents who are on the existing wait list will be given priority."

Excerpt: "Manitoba’s early learning and child-care wage grid sets recommended starting-point and target wages for various positions within the early learning and child-care sector. The province provides facilities with a wage grid supplement. This additional funding helps facilities increase wages to meet the wage grid levels. Funding for wages in 2024-25 will increase by 2.75 per cent beginning July 1 for a total additional funding contribution of $10.9 million: $10.3 million from the government of Canada and $600,000 from the Manitoba government."