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Policy Monitor

The Policy Monitor tracks Federal, Provincial and Territorial early childhood policy initiatives, developments and announcements.

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Ontario
Excerpt: "After two years of pandemic disruptions, Ontario today launched its Plan to Catch Up for the 2022-23 school year. The plan, which is supported by the government鈥檚 historic investments in education, starts with students back in classrooms, on time, with the full school experience including extracurriculars like clubs, band and field trips. 鈥淥ur government is looking ahead as we remain squarely focused on ensuring students receive the best stable learning experience possible, and that starts with them being in class, on time, with all of the experiences students deserve,鈥 said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. 鈥淲e have a plan for students to catch up, including the largest tutoring program in Ontario鈥檚 history, a modernized skills-focused curriculum to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow, and enhanced mental health supports.鈥"

Yukon
Excerpt: "With support through the Canada-Yukon Canada-wide agreement, the Yukon has already surpassed its commitment to create 110 new licensed early learning and child care spaces within five years, to help provide Yukon families with access to early learning and child care. The territory focuses on supporting the creation of spaces in licenced non-profit, for-profit, family day home and First Nations government-operated centres. The governments of Canada and Yukon have created an implementation committee to monitor progress on early learning and child care commitments in consultation with partners and stakeholders. The Government of Canada is represented on the committee by the Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care."

Canada
Excerpt: "The Government of Canada remains committed to supporting families and children as we weather the lasting impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, on its 6th anniversary, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, highlighted that the maximum annual Canada Child Benefit will increase to help families cope with the rising cost of living. For the 2022鈥23 benefit year, families most in need can receive up to $6,997 per child under the age of six and $5,903 per child aged six through 17."

Nova Scotia
Excerpt: "Through the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-wide agreement, the province has reduced average child care fees for licensed centres that are part of the Canada-Wide and Early Learning Childcare System in Nova Scotia by 25 per cent, retroactive to January 1, 2022, representing a significant step in reaching a 50 per cent reduction in average fees by the end of 2022. The province has also recently announced that 1,500 new licensed early learning and child care spaces will be created across Nova Scotia by December 31, 2022. These spaces are part of the plan for 9,500 new licensed child care spaces expected to be created across Nova Scotia by March 31, 2026."

Newfoundland & Labrador
Excerpt: "To meet the growing demand for qualified early childhood educators in Newfoundland and Labrador, a new Early Childhood Education Needs-Based Incentive Grant will provide eligible students in approved programs with non-repayable grants of up to $10,000. Students enrolled at an approved post-secondary institution in Newfoundland and Labrador, pursuing either a full-time Early Childhood Education Certificate or an Early Childhood Education Diploma, are eligible for this grant. This includes students who are entering the second year of a Diploma Program. Currently there are approved programs at College of the North Atlantic, Keyin College and Academy Canada. Students who apply and qualify for the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Student Financial Assistance Program, and who have assessed unmet financial need of at least $100 under that program, will qualify automatically for the new grant without requiring a separate application. The value of the grant for each individual will range between $100 and $10,000, depending on their assessed need."

British Columbia
Excerpt: "The University of British Columbia is receiving a total of $1,294,439 in federal funding over 24 months, starting in April 2022, for their project titled PROmoting Early Childhood Outside (PRO-ECO). In partnership with 10 early learning and child care sites in Greater Vancouver, the University of British Columbia will research the effectiveness of outdoor play intervention. This project aims to create a locally guided and sustainable method for enhancing outdoor play environments that will be scalable to other early learning and child care centres across Canada."

Alberta
Excerpt: "The $50 million is being invested to increase the number of non-profit child-care spaces especially in communities with limited or no licensed child care, or in communities where there is a high demand for service. This funding is provided through the Alberta Canada Early Learning and Child Care agreement. The made-in-Alberta agreement invests $3.8 billion of federal funding over five years to strengthen child care for families by improving access to quality child care and lowering fees for parents with children kindergarten-aged and younger who access licensed child care."

Nunavut
Excerpt: "Nunavut agrees to use funds provided by Canada under this Agreement to support the expansion of regulated child care, and prioritize not-for-profit (including publically delivered) early learning and child care programs and services, for children under the age of 6, where: regulated programs and services are defined as those that meet standards that are established and/or monitored by provincial/territorial governments and Indigenous governments and authorities; not-for-profit providers and operations, which includes publically delivered operations, are defined as those that provide child care services to a community for a purpose other than generating a profit, typically improving family and/or child well being and/or development. Providers may generate a profit, but the surplus earnings, or other resources, are directed towards improving child care services rather than distributed for the personal benefit of owners, members, investors or to enhance asset growth. Early learning and child care programs and services are defined as those supporting direct care and early learning for children in settings including, but not limited to, regulated child care centres, regulated family child care homes, early learning centres, preschools and nursery schools."

Nova Scotia
Excerpt: "The Province is helping Nova Scotian families with lower incomes by increasing their Nova Scotia Child Benefit effective Friday, July 1. The benefit is a tax-free payment to eligible families to help with the cost of raising children under 18. Depending on household income and the number of children, families will now receive as much as $1,275 per child annually, at least $350 more than the previous year."

New Brunswick
Excerpt: "鈥淚nclusion support workers ensure children with additional needs have the support they need to participate in early learning with their peers,鈥 said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy. 鈥淚t is important that we recognize all that they do. The department is actively working on many initiatives aimed at developing the existing early learning and child-care workforce and attracting, recruiting and retaining qualified professionals to this sector to promote affordable, high-quality and inclusive early learning and care for every child.鈥 Trained inclusion support workers, who have completed the one-year Early Childhood Education certificate or equivalent, will have their salaries increased to $23.47 per hour. Untrained inclusion support workers will have their hourly wage increased to $16.90. This includes funding provided to operators to address increases in the minimum wage. The increase will come into effect Aug. 1."

Manitoba
Excerpt: "As part of this commitment, the province is investing $4.8 million in new, ongoing operating grants that will fund 2,294 school-age child-care spaces for children aged seven to 12. This funding will increase financial stability for facilities that offer school-age programming and ensure low- and middle-income parents can access affordable, regulated care for their school-age children."

Manitoba
Excerpt: "Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, announced funding to the University of Winnipeg Foundation for their project with the University of Winnipeg Students鈥 Association Day Care. The funding is being provided through the Early Learning and Child Care Innovation Program. The project is receiving a total of $331,287 in federal funding over 24 months, starting in April 2022. The project will focus on exploring, testing and developing a safe outdoor play area for optimal Indigenous culturally appropriate learning and programming for children and their families, while delivering Indigenous professional development training for staff."