Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "More than $62 million is being invested to create more than 750 new licensed child care spaces throughout B.C. through the accelerated space-creation programs. Once operational, these spaces will be eligible for the government’s fee reduction program, ensuring affordability for families. "As Langford continues to grow, ensuring affordable and high-quality child care spaces for families in our community remains a top priority,” said Scott Goodmanson, mayor of Langford. “We are grateful for the support from both the provincial and federal governments in addressing this need and helping us move forward. Partnerships like these are essential for achieving our shared goals.” Additionally, between March 1 and April 1, 2025, families will benefit from 770 new $10-a-day spaces at 22 child care centres throughout B.C., including in Surrey, Parksville and Williams Lake."

Excerpt: "The progress report highlights the Department of Education's dedication to meaningful systemic changes designed to improve student outcomes. Since 2019, the Department of Education has launched several initiatives to address the gaps in the 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; developing a Comprehensive Mental Health and Wellness Approach that aligns with the Yukon’s Forward Together: Mental Wellness Strategy; launching the Ready-to-Learn Schools initiative; creating a data sharing agreement with Yukon First Nations and releasing publicly available student data reports; and initiating work and engagement on an Integrated Outcome for Yukon Learner Strategy, which will look at root causes of poor student outcomes, develop targets and evaluate progress on closing gaps."

Excerpt: "Education and Early Childhood Learning reflects an increase of $247 million from the prior year budget, largely due to negotiating fair deals with educators and adding 630 more educators to the schools, increasing operating funding for schools by nearly five per cent to address growing enrolment, increased classroom
needs, a universal food program to help Manitoba kids learn, as well as a continued commitment to extending
the $10-a-day child care program to school-aged children on non-school days."

Excerpt: "The 2025-26 Budget delivers increased opportunities and support for kindergarten to Grade 12 students, parents and teachers across Saskatchewan. It also funds the new teacher collective bargaining agreement while addressing growing student enrolment. 2025-26 Budget highlights: Over the last two years, the Government of Saskatchewan has invested more than $5 billion in kindergarten to Grade 12 education; For the upcoming fiscal year, the Ministry of Education will receive $3.5 billion, an increase of $183 million, or 5.5 per cent, over the previous year; $130 million to fund the new teacher collective agreement and address the pressures of growing student enrollment and the challenges facing today’s classrooms; Increase of $186 million, or 8.4 per cent, in school operating funding (total: $2.4 billion); $2 million for kindergarten to Grade 3 literacy; $413.3 million for early learning and child care. Delivering for families includes access to safe, reliable and affordable child care. The Government of Saskatchewan remains committed to adding more regulated home-based and centre-based child care spaces across Saskatchewan."

Excerpt: "The Sectoral Table on the Care Economy builds on the Government of Canada’s historic investments to strengthen social infrastructure. These investments have included transformative improvements in early learning and child care, improved tax support for caregivers through the Canada caregiver credit, and improved access to long-term care and other continuing care services through the Aging with Dignity agreements signed with each province and territory."

Excerpt: "To provide the support students and teachers need and help stabilize classroom learning environments, the government is investing an additional $32.4 million for educational assistants and behavioural intervention mentors. Other investments include: An additional $19 million for a school lunch program, using local foods where possible; $10 million to ensure children and youth with exceptional needs and trauma receive consistent levels of high-quality support; Nearly $8.7 million to support early detection and intervention in matters where the well-being of children or youth may be at risk, using the child-centred approach at the core of the Child and Youth Well-Being Act; $200 million over five years as part of a larger program to subsidize more than 17,000 child-care spaces across various programs; An increase of nearly $16.4 million for more teachers to help address growth in student enrolment; $4 million to increase teacher recruitment and retention and address the shortage of teachers; An increase of just over $2.1 million for academic support teachers."

Excerpt: "The Government of Nunavut’s Department of Education is pleased to announce a five-year extension of federal early learning and child care funding agreements totaling $109.9 million. The extension of these funding agreements will support the ongoing implementation of important Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) initiatives: $10-a-day Child Care to keep child care affordable; ELCC Wage Scale to value and strengthen the workforce; ELCC Infrastructure Funding Program to increase access to licensed child care; Support inclusion and equity in ELCC programs; Support the development and delivery of high quality ELCC programs through the ELCC Quality Framework Action Plan."

Excerpt: "Work is underway to increase child care for health care professionals, with one child care centre in St. John’s dedicated to providing child care for health care professionals. In addition, there are child care centres in St. John’s, Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Wabush that prioritize spaces for health care workers based on need. We have introduced medical benefits to support the professionalization of the early learning workforce. There are also thousands of parents using the Early Learning Gateway, and we are continuously adding features such as a substitute list for early childhood educators that is available to all regulated child care services. We are making great progress increasing affordable early learning and child care spaces. We will continue this work so that all children and families are able to access the early learning and child care services they need while contributing to an inclusive and thriving province."

Excerpt: "The Department of Education’s Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) division is accepting funding proposals aimed at increasing licensed child care spaces across the territory. Over $6 million in federal funding is available to support projects that strengthen access to quality early learning child care for children aged 0-6. This program is already making a significant impact in Nunavut. The newly-expanded Iqaluit Inuktitut daycare Tumikuluit Saipaaqivik in Apex has created 16 additional spaces for children with the support of this program. Additionally, funding has been provided to support the active renovation of the highly-anticipated new licensed child care centre for 20 children in Grise Fiord. The department is committed to creating 238 new licensed child care spaces by March 2026. Since signing the Canada-wide ELCC agreement, Nunavut has created 181 new licensed child care spaces, resulting in a total gain of 104, as some existing spaces are no longer available. Even more spaces are on the way as we continue to expand access for families."

Excerpt: "The federal government is investing $876.3 million over five years beginning in 2026-27 to extend that agreement and the Canada New-Brunswick Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. This will be used to subsidize more than 17,000 child-care spaces in the New Brunswick Early Learning Centre and New Brunswick Early Learning Home designation program, as well as spaces that have been allocated but are not yet open. Additionally, the Canada-New Brunswick Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Funding Agreement is being extended for one year."

Excerpt: "On February 24, 2025, the Government of Yukon, in partnership with the Government of Canada, signed a five-year extension agreement for the Canada-Yukon Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, which will now run through March 31, 2031. This agreement will provide the Yukon with approximately $74 million, including a three per cent annual funding increase for four years starting in 2027–28. This funding is aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the early learning and child care system in the territory and supports the final year of the Infrastructure Fund (2026–27), which is critical for further strengthening child care services. “This extension builds on the universal child care system that our government introduced in April 2021, part of a $25 million annual investment in our early learning and child care system to provide access to high-quality, inclusive and affordable licensed early learning and child care to all Yukon families. It also builds on the Canada-Yukon Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, signed in July 2024 with the Government of Canada, which is providing nearly $42 million over five years to support the growth of the Yukon’s child care system and the professional development of early childhood educators and to ensure that all families have access to an average of $10 a day out-of-pocket parent fees for full-time regulated early learning and child care spaces for children under age six."

Excerpt: "The National School Food Program is a direct investment into the middle class—making life a little easier for working families. It is also a safety net for the kids who need this support the most. As part of this agreement, the Government of Canada will invest approximately $15.8 million over the next three years. This investment will mean that school food programs will be available in more schools, to more students."