News & Stories: Policy Monitor

As of April 2, 2015, all approved Child Day Care Facilities Inspection Reports will be available online.

Excerpt: "New investments in early childhood development represent more than $3.5 million. Total funding allocated to the Early Childhood Development division totals $76.8 million. Of that amount, $23.6 million has been allocated to the Quality Improvement Financial Program to provide wage enhancement to educators working directly with children in regulated childcare facilities. The Preschool Autism Intervention Program has received $15.8 million. In addition, almost $10 million has been allocated to projects such as a new childcare registry, an early intervention program and new licensing technology."

Excerpt: "New Brunswick’s approach to child rights enforcement is innovative in how it blends children’s rights and wellbeing. It is an approach inspired by the dominant discourses of our time: a) we follow UNICEF and the UNCRC’s child rights-based approach to policy-making4; and b) we combine it with the World Health Organization’s social determinants of health agenda5. Meaningful child rights enforcement is not merely a matter of good process, good laws, accessible remedies and educational efforts. The enjoyment of rights also has to be a demonstrably lived experience. Outcome indicators are the real evidence as to whether a child rights agenda has been meaningfully implemented."

Excerpt: "The 2016-17 provincial budget tabled today in the legislative assembly outlines plans to put the province’s finances on the right track, protect education and health care and invest in job creation."

Valuing Children, Families and Childcare Report: The task force had a mandate to provide a path for creating the right conditions for child care and to suggest ways to address the challenges parents face in obtaining access to quality and affordable child care services.

The plans, entitled Everyone at Their Best for the anglophone sector and Donnons à nos enfants une longueur d’avance for the francophone sector, identify objectives for the early learning and education system and establish clear expectations for standards and performance.

Excerpt: "Understanding the importance of early childhood education in the years before kindergarten and the struggle many families face over the cost of daycare, our government will increase the amount it provides to New Brunswickers to help pay for the cost of daycare. By January 1, 2018, in keeping with our platform commitment, we will have doubled the budget of the daycare assistance program."

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

Excerpt: "Under this agreement, the federal government will invest close to $30 million to improve early learning and child care for preschool-aged children in New Brunswick. The province will contribute an additional $41 million for a total of $71 million; Investments will transform at least 300 current child care providers into designated New Brunswick Early Learning Centres which will provide more quality spaces, have lower fee structures, and implement inclusion policies and guidelines for francophone minority communities. Funding will also be used to provide professional development opportunities for early child care educators and to support other initiatives to improve early learning and child care in the province."

Excerpt: "Operators of child care facilities will be eligible for $12.2 million in grants as part of a plan to designate hundreds of facilities as Early Learning Centres offering high-quality, inclusive and affordable services."

Excerpt: "New Brunswick Early Learning Centres will offer services to preschool children aged five and under through a voluntary application process. Daycares are not required to be part of this program. Those that choose to do so will work in collaboration with the government with the aim of offering equitable and affordable access to high-quality early learning and child care services by removing barriers linked to family income, children’s abilities and needs, language and minority settings."

Excerpt: "The free daycare program is for parents who are either working or attending school, with children aged five and under attending a designated New Brunswick Early Learning Centre."