Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "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."

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."

Excerpt: "The proposed regulations will provide information for child care providers, parents/guardians and the general public about how new legislation will be put into practice. The proposed regulations would come into effect when the legislation is proclaimed, and would address four priority areas: licensing clarity, enforcement, licensing standards and special needs. This document also includes information about transition regulations that would support the transition to the new Act."

Excerpt: "The Manitoba government is taking the next step to launch a commission to redesign the province’s early learning and child-care system and create more universally accessible care for Manitoba families who need it, Family Services Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross announced today."

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."

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.

Excerpt: "The Manitoba government continues to create smaller classes for students in kindergarten to Grade 3 by providing an additional $3 million in new funding for schools, Education and Advanced Learning Minister Peter Bjornson announced today as he toured the brand new Amber Trails Community School."

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."

Except: "The Manitoba government has established a commission to look at ways to redesign Manitoba’s early learning and child-care system to guide future plans including developing options to create universally accessible early learning and child care for all Manitoba families who need it, Family Services Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross said today."

Excerpt: "A stronger emphasis on math and literacy in the early grades is one of the initiatives parents and students will see next September from a new five-year education action plan."

Excerpt: "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."

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.