Policy Monitor

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."

Excerpt: "The government is committed to addressing these challenges by increasing access to licensed child care and by making it more affordable for families: 24,000 more children up to four years old will have access to child care in 2017-18. This is part of the province's plan to help 100,000 kids access child care over five years, as announced in the 2016 Ontario Speech from the Throne; Parents will receive more financial support to increase affordability, including subsidies for approximately 60 per cent of new child care spaces."

Excerpt: "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."

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

Excerpt: "Ontario is also investing in smaller class sizes for students in full-day kindergarten (FDK) and Grades 4-8. FDK classes, which are supported by a teacher and an early childhood educator, will now be capped at 30 students next school year, falling to 29 students in 2018-19, and average no more than 26 students per class within each school board. Support will also be provided to ensure that for students in grades 4-8, all school boards have average class sizes of 24.5 or fewer students."

$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.

Excerpt: "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."

Excerpt: "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."

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

Excerpt: "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."

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."

Excerpt: "The Manitoba government is committing $6,181,500 for 15 community-based capital projects that will create up to 739 new licensed child-care spaces and is launching new measures to increase the efficiency of the licensed early learning and child-care system by addressing regulatory barriers for operators, Families Minister Scott Fielding announced today."