News & Stories: New Brunswick

Excerpt: "The government and the New Brunswick Teachers’ Federation, which represents more than 7,800 teachers, have signed a new collective agreement. “This agreement is about recognizing the incredible work teachers do every day in classrooms across New Brunswick and ensuring teaching remains an attractive and rewarding profession for years to come,” said Premier Susan Holt. “Teachers play a vital role in shaping the future of our province, and I am pleased that both sides were able to work together to reach a fair agreement so quickly. By investing in our teachers and supporting recruitment and retention, we are strengthening our schools and helping ensure students across New Brunswick have the opportunities they need to succeed.” The agreement is retroactive to March 1, 2026, and includes a general economic increase of 14.5 per cent over five years."

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: "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: "The reports summarize the almost 11,000 responses received by the anglophone sector and more than 3,000 responses received by the francophone sector. “We are committed to creating a collective vision for education, along with our partners in the early learning and child-care sector, teachers and other education professionals, stakeholders, experts and parents,” said Johnson. “These new education plans will play a significant role in the direction of New Brunswick education for years to come.”"

Excerpt: "The NBQF upholds the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Ensuring children’s rights are of upmost importance. Placing children at the center of decisions affecting them is critical when planning and delivering high-quality ELCC services. Children have the right to express their views on matters that affect them. They learn to become responsible community members when early childhood professionals prioritize respect for rights, social justice, and accountability, integrating these principles into daily interactions with children. Early childhood professionals, families, and communities have a collective responsibility to uphold the rights of the child. Building supportive partnerships with families helps early childhood professionals understand and respond to family values and priorities."

Excerpt: "The government is investing $7.24 million to add a fourth step to the early childhood educator wage grid. “Early childhood educators play a vital role in shaping young minds, supporting families and building stronger communities,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Claire Johnson. “Wage increases are essential to retain and attract skilled professionals, reduce turnover and ensure children receive consistent, high-quality care and education during their most formative years." The step being added to the grid effective Sept. 16 reflects a 5.5 per cent increase from step 3 for level 1 educators, and a 6.0 per cent increase from step 3 for entry-level educators. There will be no changes to the operator’s base wage contribution. The increase will be fully funded by the provincial government."

Excerpt: "To provide the support students and teachers need and help stabilize classroom learning environments, the government is investing an additional $32.4 million for educational assistants and behavioural intervention mentors. Other investments include: An additional $19 million for a school lunch program, using local foods where possible; $10 million to ensure children and youth with exceptional needs and trauma receive consistent levels of high-quality support; Nearly $8.7 million to support early detection and intervention in matters where the well-being of children or youth may be at risk, using the child-centred approach at the core of the Child and Youth Well-Being Act; $200 million over five years as part of a larger program to subsidize more than 17,000 child-care spaces across various programs; An increase of nearly $16.4 million for more teachers to help address growth in student enrolment; $4 million to increase teacher recruitment and retention and address the shortage of teachers; An increase of just over $2.1 million for academic support teachers."

Excerpt: "The federal government is investing $876.3 million over five years beginning in 2026-27 to extend that agreement and the Canada New-Brunswick Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. This will be used to subsidize more than 17,000 child-care spaces in the New Brunswick Early Learning Centre and New Brunswick Early Learning Home designation program, as well as spaces that have been allocated but are not yet open. Additionally, the Canada-New Brunswick Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Funding Agreement is being extended for one year."

Excerpt: "The provincial government has allocated 3,600 new designated preschool child-care spaces. Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Claire Johnson said the spaces have been allocated in areas of the province where the need is greatest. “Increasing access to child care is a top priority for our province, given our growing population and the desire for new parents to return to the workforce,” said Johnson. “We are excited that more families will have access to affordable, high-quality child-care spaces, and are thankful to our operators for their hard work and commitment to make these spaces available.”"

Excerpt: "Over the course of the three-year plan, New Brunswick’s Action Plan 2023–2024 to 2025–2026 outlines spending of more than $426 million in five areas: Affordability - More than $295 million towards the goal of achieving regulated child care fees of $10-a-day average by March 31, 2026. The Government of New Brunswick has already reduced child care fees by an average of 50% as of December 2022 saving families an average of $3,600 per year, per child. Access - More than $20 million towards the creation of 3,400 new regulated child care spots by March 2026. In New Brunswick, measures to support the creation of 3,400 new spots have been announced, including in francophone and rural communities. Quality - More than $128.5 million toward ongoing support for the early childhood educator (ECE) wage grid introduced in November 2022, and offering training to support educators obtaining their Level 1 – ECE Certificate. Inclusion - More than $30 million to develop and implement a comprehensive inclusion framework for both anglophone and francophone sectors; as well as continuing to support inclusion measures for diverse and vulnerable communities, including children with additional needs; Approximately $12.4 million through the Government of Canada’s Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund to increase the physical accessibility of ELCC spaces and support greater inclusion for underserved communities including: families in rural and remote communities, minority language communities, newcomer families, low-income families, extended hour service providers and Indigenous communities; With more than $2.7 million, the Government of Canada and New Brunswick are collaborating with Indigenous communities and organizations to identify areas of focus and establish a plan for ELCC services for Indigenous children that is supported by an Indigenous-led, strength-based coordination process. Reporting and Administration - Over $16 million to support the implementation and administration of the Canada–New Brunswick Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, including building targeted capacity and additional resources within the Government of New Brunswick to support the implementation of initiatives, and enhanced data collection and reporting."

Excerpt: "That’s why, today in Fredericton, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, on behalf of the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, joined the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth and the Honourable Bill Hogan, New Brunswick’s Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development to announce $17.6 million over four years, with approximately $12.4 million through 2025-2026, to help build more inclusive child care spaces across the province through the Government of Canada’s $625 million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. This investment will help New Brunswick reach the shared goal of building 3,400 new child care spaces by 2026."