News & Stories: Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "The Ontario government continues its support for families and children by re-introducing the Child Care Modernization Act, 2014. The legislation, if passed, would strengthen oversight of the province's unlicensed child care sector, while increasing access to licensed child care options for families. In addition, it would allow the province to immediately shut down a child care provider when a child's safety is at risk."

Excerpt: "2014 Ontario Budget Moves Forward With Plan to Create Jobs and Grow the Economy, Build Modern Transit and Infrastructure, and Help Ontarians with Their Retirement, While Balancing the Budget by 2017–18."

Province Investing in Better Schools for Improved Learning.

Excerpt: "The new Poverty Reduction Strategy — Realizing Our Potential — will expand our poverty reduction efforts to reach more vulnerable people and will continue to reduce poverty in Ontario."

Excerpt: "Every board shall, in every elementary school of the board in which instruction is given in grade 1, operate a full day junior kindergarten and kindergarten in accordance with paragraph 6.2 of subsection 170 (1) of the Act."

Excerpt: "Studies show that every dollar invested in early childhood education generates between $1.50 and nearly $3.00 in activity for the broader economy. Nearly 950,000 more Canadians are employed today than were before the pandemic. That includes a record 85.7 per cent labour force participation rate in July for Canadian women in their prime working years — and that is supported by our early learning and child care system, now nation wide. This level – 85.7 per cent – is a record high for Canada and it compares to just 77.5 per cent in the U.S."

Budget 2012 includes new funds for child care for 2012-13, "doubling its investment by 2021-22 to approximately $56 million per year under a new 10-Year Child Care Strategy."

Excerpt: "A vision to deliver the highest possible quality of education to our students will engage Islanders in all aspects of learning to ensure students, parents, teachers, principals and government are working together on achieving the same goal, excellence in learning."

Excerpt: "Learning is a life-long endeavour. The Learning Partners Advisory Council will help shape a culture of learning on PEI to advance the prosperity and quality of life of all Islanders. This council will advise the Premier on policies, programs and strategies needed to support learners throughout their lives.."

Excerpt: "Delivering $10-a-day child care for families right across the country is a key part of making life more affordable while creating good jobs and growing our economy by helping parents rejoin the workforce. The Government of Canada’s plan has already cut child care fees in half for families on Prince Edward Island (PEI) to an average of $20-a-day. As we keep making progress toward $10-a-day child care on the Island, we are investing to improve child care and make it more accessible for more families."

Excerpt: "For the first-time ever, employees of EYCs in Prince Edward Island will soon benefit from a defined contribution pension plan, with matching government funds. As the province expands the publicly managed system, the number of staff required to maintain the program will also increase, and long-term financial investments will support a more sustainable workforce."

Excerpt: "Ontario has fully rolled out its full-day kindergarten (FDK) program, making it available to 265,000 four- and five-year-olds in approximately 3,600 schools across the province. By the end of the 2014-15 school year, almost half a million kids will have benefitted from FDK since it was first introduced in 2010. With more than $1.5 billion in funding to date, FDK is one of the most significant investments Ontario has made in education in a generation."