News & Stories: Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "The new kindergarten to Grade 8 school will be located at 35 Private Davy Dr. and will have a core capacity of 800 students. The school will also include an integrated child-care centre with up to 134 spaces for infants, preschoolers and school-aged children, giving families access to education and care in the same building. “Child-care spaces on school grounds will help children grow, help families and the wider community get ahead,” said federal Northern and Arctic Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand, minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency. “Families will have access to high-quality child care close to home and to their workplace, helping them save time and money.”"

Excerpt: "The government has unveiled a new education plan for the francophone sector to address the current needs of a population that has changed since the last plan was released in 2016. The new plan sets progressive objectives to ensure continuous improvement, helping children and youth achieve lasting success while taking into account the realities and needs of the francophone sector. The plan’s publication stems from the government’s commitment to develop a new education plan in collaboration with educators, support staff, education experts and partners, and parents to define a shared vision of education over the next 12 years."

Excerpt: "The government has released an education plan for the anglophone sector. Strong Basics, Bright Futures is intended to reflect New Brunswick’s unique realities and respond to the needs of a population that has changed since the last plan was released in 2016. “This plan sets a collaborative long-term vision for education in New Brunswick to build curiosity, confidence and opportunity for every child,” said Premier Susan Holt. “We’re focused on making sure kids have strong basics like literacy and numeracy to set them up for bright futures outside of the classroom. We’ve included key measures and achievement targets so that we can track progress.”"

Excerpt: "Mr. Speaker, the second priority is helping children get support earlier. A portion of this new investment will support early childhood screening, with the first steps starting this fall and full implementation planned for the 2027-2028 school year. Because when we identify needs earlier, children get help before they fall behind, teachers can respond sooner, and families spend less time searching for answers."

Excerpt: "The Department of Education and Early Childhood Education has formed an early childhood educator steering committee that will help guide next steps towards introducing benefits for early childhood educators in Newfoundland and Labrador. The committee will ensure early childhood educators in the province have a forum to make recommendations to government and provide workforce-informed advice on topics such as working conditions, compensation, professional supports, pension options, changes to the provincial early childhood educator wage grid, paid sick leave, recruitment and retention. The new committee consists of 12 early childhood educators, including at least one member from each region of the province, and members representing rural and urban perspectives, Indigenous communities, Francophone communities, family child care providers, and centre-based early childhood educators."

Excerpt: "The $8.5 billion Agreement marks a transformative step toward First Nations-led services that are compassionate and culturally grounded, strengthening families, supporting children, and advancing First Nations self-determination for generations to come. Its goal is clear: fewer First Nations children in care, fewer children entering care for the first time, and more families receiving the support they need before a crisis occurs. Representing over 130 First Nations and nearly a quarter of a million people—including more than 60,000 families—the Chiefs of Ontario, alongside Nishnawbe Aski Nation’s 49 northern communities and approximately 50,000 members, celebrated this historic milestone and the beginning of implementation."

Excerpt: "The funded projects will generate new evidence on what works for school food programs, helping improve their impact on children and families in Canada. These research partnerships will fill key gaps in data and knowledge related to health and well-being of children, especially those facing barriers, as well as program delivery and governance in different jurisdictions and contexts, including in accordance with the National School Food Policy. Selected projects collectively span a range of topic areas, research approaches and geographies—from specific communities or regions to projects with national scope. The National School Food Program (NSFP) is part of the Government of Canada's plan to lower costs for families. It helps 400,000 more children each year access nutritious food at school, while bringing parents more financial security in their household budgets."

Excerpt: "A social initiative supporting vulnerable children and their families will get an additional $600,000 over the next two years. The funding will help Bee Me Kidz continue delivering programs and services for low-income families. These include social and emotional skills development, nutritional support and parental education designed to strengthen the resilience of children and their families, enhance their well-being and support children’s learning potential. With this additional investment, the Department of Social Development’s total contribution will reach $900,000."

Excerpt: "Effective June 1, licensed child-care facilities must post on-site notices of high-risk, potentially criminal incidents reported at their programs. These notices will go up within one business day (or as soon as reasonably possible) after incidents are reported, in areas visible to parents. A notice will also be posted on alberta.ca with the program name and the date on which the incident was reported. Families whose children are involved in such incidents will continue to be notified directly by their respective child-care programs."

Excerpt: "That is why this budget proposes to double the Nunavut Child Benefit, while also increasing it each year to help keep up with the rising cost of living. The budget also proposes a $4 million (or 2.9 times) increase in the Early Childhood Program Day Care contributions. This is direct support aimed at helping lower-income families manage rising costs. Because even modest assistance can make a real difference for families where every dollar matters."

Excerpt: "The Early Childhood Infrastructure Fund now has three distinct funding streams: the Major Projects Fund, the Minor Projects Fund, and the Developmental (Needs Assessment) Projects Fund. The new funding streams simplify the Early Childhood Infrastructure Fund application process and help create new licensed early learning and child care spaces. Funding priority will be given to communities with limited or non-existent early learning and child care programming."

Excerpt: "A new child-care centre in Halifax’s Bayers Lake Business Park will improve families’ access to care. The provincial and federal governments are providing almost $2 million to help the Silver Crescent Academy Society relocate and expand. The new centre will have up to 120 spaces, up from 71 at the current location in Rockingham."