Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "The ministry will be extending funding for the school districts included in the child care on school grounds pilots (Seamless Day Kindergarten, School Age Child Care, Just B4 licensed preschool, and the Integration Inquiry Project) to ensure the existing child care spaces families depend on are operational next school year."

Excerpt: "The Welcoming a Child Hub offers a personalized checklist and highlights key benefits from the government. This ensures parents can plan Employment Insurance leave, the Canada Child Benefit, Dental Care and may other benefits available to them through the Government of Canada. It also shares relatable stories inspired by real experiences. Similar to the recently launched Retirement Hub and the What to Do When Someone Dies Hub, this initiative demonstrates the Government’s commitment to improving services and supporting Canadians through major life events and unique challenges."

Excerpt: "These increases are partially offset by a $67.5 million decrease in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program due to construction delays, a $47.8 million decrease related to the Canada-Nova Scotia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement due to timing delays associated with various action plan initiatives, and a $12.3 million decrease in municipal contributions for correctional facilities and public housing related to the service exchange agreement"

Excerpt: "As we create new child care spaces, we also need more talented early childhood educators to support them. To help build this incredible workforce, the governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing in professional training and education, including $5.8 million for a tuition reimbursement program that provides early childhood education students with up to $5,000. There’s also dedicated funding to support newcomers and Indigenous students entering the field, ensuring more trained professionals are ready to meet the demand."

Excerpt: "Proposed changes to the Canada Student Financial Assistance Regulations and Canada Student Loans Regulations, pre-published today in the Canada Gazette, Part I, will allow early childhood educators, dentists, dental hygienists, pharmacists, midwives, teachers, social workers, psychologists, personal support workers and physiotherapists to be eligible for student loan forgiveness. These changes are expected to increase the number of loan forgiveness beneficiaries by about 8,000 starting in 2025–26 and by up to 19,000 in 2034–35. It is estimated that over 10 years, more than 27,000 professionals would be encouraged to move to rural and remote areas due to this benefit."

Excerpt: "The new dual-track French and English K-8 school will be located on Castlebrook Drive between Landover Drive and Skyline Drive. It will also include 74 infant and preschool child-care spaces. The Pembina Trails School Division has seen a 17 per cent growth in students since 2019 and this school will be designed with potential future expansion in mind to accommodate enrolment growth into the coming years, said the minister."

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the Honourable Susan Holt, Premier of New Brunswick and the Honourable Claire Johnson, New Brunswick’s Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, announced an agreement that will enable New Brunswick to support school breakfast programs at an additional 160 schools across the province, reaching over 57,000 additional kids this school year. This will help New Brunswick reach their goal of establishing a universal breakfast program across all New Brunswick schools."

Excerpt: "This budget proposes $10.5 million to make child care more affordable, helping parents participate more fully in the formal labour force. The Government of the Northwest Territories will continue to advocate to the federal government to increase compensation levels of early child care staff to align with education assistants in the K-12 system."

Excerpt: "Children and families in Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and East Hants will have more options and improved access to child care with up to 286 new spaces. Through Nova Scotia’s child-care space creation programs, the Province is providing $7.6 million to support six child-care operators to add the spots. “These investments are opening more access to affordable child care to help families in our fastest growing regions,” said Brendan Maguire, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. “By investing in child care, we invest in families to participate in the workforce and grow our economy.”"

Excerpt: "Families in Cape Breton Regional Municipality are getting more access to child care with the addition of up to 49 spaces in Glace Bay. New Dawn Enterprises, a non-profit community organization, received funding to create the spaces, which will be located in its Glace Bay Youth and Family Centre."

Excerpt: "Alberta’s government and the Government of Canada are investing $53 million over two years in the Building Blocks Capital Grant Program to encourage the creation of new child-care spaces. The funds will help Alberta’s child-care providers create more affordable, high-quality spaces where Alberta families need them most. The grant will provide non-profit and public child-care providers the capital to build, expand, upgrade and make repairs to their existing facilities. These improvements must support the creation of new child-care spaces."

Excerpt: "Starting Apr. 1, parents with children zero to kindergarten age attending full-time licensed daycare facilities and family day home programs across the province will be eligible for a flat parent fee of $326.25 per month, or roughly $15 a day. Parents requiring part-time care will pay $230 per month. To support these changes and high-quality child care, about 85 per cent of licensed daycare providers will receive a funding increase once the new fee structure is in place on Apr. 1."