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News & Stories: Policy Monitor

June 10, 2024

Excerpt: "School District 71 (Comox Valley) received almost $8 million in provincial funding through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund to build new child care on school grounds. Seventy-five new spaces at each school will be created for a total of 150 new spaces. This includes 24 spaces for infant-toddlers, 32 spaces for kids aged three to five and 94 new spaces for school-age care on school grounds. 鈥淭hese two new child care facilities represent a significant step forward in providing accessible, affordable and high-quality early-learning environments for families in the Comox Valley,鈥 said Michelle Waite, board chair, Comox Valley Schools. 鈥淭he centres at Arden and Glacier View will help parents with supporting their families and pursuing their professional and educational goals with the confidence that their children are receiving excellent care and education.鈥"
June 4, 2024

Excerpt: "In 2024, the Province is providing funding for 26 more playgrounds in 26 school districts, each receiving $195,000. This investment in playgrounds promotes physical activity for kids, teaches social skills, such as sharing, and helps them develop life skills, such as conflict resolution. The playgrounds are also designed to be accessible for children of all abilities. Last year鈥檚 provincial investment of $5 million supported 25 new school playgrounds 鈥 20 are complete, while the remaining are close to ready. Building new accessible playgrounds is part of the government鈥檚 priority to ensure students have positive learning and play spaces, no matter where they live."
May 29, 2024

Excerpt: "The Province is making it easier for families to apply and qualify for Nova Scotia鈥檚 child-care subsidy program. To help more families afford child care while balancing other financial priorities, eligibility criteria now hinge solely on family income and no longer consider assets like savings. Households with an annual income of $70,000 or less remain eligible and will now also be able to save for things like a down payment on a home while benefiting from the subsidy."
May 29, 2024

Excerpt: "The Early Learning Gateway parent portal allows parents and guardians seeking child care the ability to: Add their child or children to their profile; Search for regulated child care services; Add their child or children to a regulated child care service waitlist(s); Edit or remove their child or children from waitlists; The Early Learning Gateway service portal provides regulated child care service providers the ability to: View and manage the list of parents/guardians who added their child or children to the service waitlist in Early Learning Gateway; View parent/guardian contact information to follow up when a space becomes available; Create and manage Early Learning Gateway account access for their administrative staff."
May 28, 2024

Excerpt: "The medical benefits program will become operational fall 2024 and will be managed by the Association of Early Childhood Educators Newfoundland and Labrador. Medical benefits will be optional and available to individuals who have worked a minimum of three months at a regulated child care service participating in the Operating Grant Program, including: Early childhood educators; Trainee early childhood educators; Other staff working in child care services; and Regulated Family Child Care providers. The new medical benefits program for early childhood educators will support recruitment and retention of early childhood educators as the Provincial Government continues to increase the number of early learning and child care spaces throughout Newfoundland and Labrador."
May 24, 2024


Excerpt: "Approximately $11 million in additional funding for new and ongoing professional learning opportunities is being provided for programs, such as the ECE Peer Mentoring program and the Early Years Professional Development Bursary program. Three organizations are working with the government to provide the programs to support child care professionals, and in doing so, give families peace of mind that their children are receiving the highest level of care."
May 22, 2024

Excerpt: "This new child care centre was made possible through approximately $3 million from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund. The fund is jointly supported by provincial investments and federal funding under the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The City of Vancouver funded the remaining construction costs via development contributions."
May 17, 2024

Excerpt: "The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today highlighted the new National School Food Program. With an investment of $1 billion over five years, the Program, included in Budget 2024, will provide meals to 400,000 more kids every year, beyond those served by existing school food programs. This will mean peace of mind for parents and healthy meals for kids 鈥 helping them learn, grow, and get the best start to life. The Program will also be a safety net for the kids who need this support the most. We鈥檙e going to work with provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners to get this program to schools across the country."
May 19, 2024

Excerpt: "Today, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Gary Anandasangaree, joined Chief Darcy Bear of the Whitecap Dakota Nation, to announce that the Government of Canada will invest an additional $35,000 in Whitecap Dakota Nation鈥檚 Early Learning Centre to develop and promote best practices and innovative models in Indigenous early learning and child care programs. This funding comes from the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Quality Improvement Projects. The Whitecap Early Learning Centre is a provincially licensed childcare facility that can support up to 56 children, aged 6 weeks to 12 years. The centre is managed by Whitecap Dakota Nation and is open to both Band members and non-member families. The centre believes in educating the whole child; intellectually, emotionally, physically and spiritually, with a strong emphasis on Dakota culture."
May 19, 2024

Excerpt: "That鈥檚 why, today in Kanata, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, highlighted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 recent announcement of $201.87 million over four years, with $135 million through 2025鈥2026, to help build more inclusive child care spaces across Ontario through the Government of Canada鈥檚 $625 million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. This investment will help Ontario reach the shared goal of building 86,000 new child care spaces by December 2026. The announcement was made at the grand opening of Andrew Fleck鈥檚 Forest Explorers Outdoor Learning Centre in Kanata, which will provide 73 new child care spaces (10 infant spaces, 15 toddler spaces and 48 preschool spaces)."
May 16, 2024

Excerpt: "New this year, school districts will use their existing Capital Asset Planning System to request funding for child care projects on school grounds, in addition to education capital funding. This makes it easier for school districts to plan for and create more child care on school grounds for families in their district. It will also help the ministry consider school district child care projects alongside education projects."
May 16, 2024

Excerpt: "That鈥檚 why, today in Victoria, the Honourable Terry Beech, Minister of Citizens鈥 Services, highlighted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 announcement from March 28 of $69.9 million over four years, with $47.3 million through 2025鈥2026, to help build more inclusive child care spaces across British Columbia through the Government of Canada鈥檚 $625 million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. This investment will help British Columbia reach the shared goal of building 30,000 new child care spaces by 2026."