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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: "The Ontario government is expanding licensed child care spaces in the City of London by investing $62.3 million in 2023 to support the implementation of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system. The funding will help create an additional 2,889 licensed child care spaces enrolled in the CWELCC system in Ontario in the City of London by 2026, representing a 28 per cent increase of new spaces for children aged zero to five in the community. These new spaces are on top of the 9,092 spaces enrolled in the CWELCC system in the City of London last year."

Northwest Territories
Excerpt: "The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has released plans to update student assessment tools and practices as it works toward implementing the new adapted Northwest Territories (NWT) Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 (JK-12) curriculum. Assessment tools and practices include report cards, standardized tests, and exams. Educators assess student learning by gathering evidence about what students know, understand, and can do with their knowledge."

Alberta
Excerpt: “Through the Canada-Alberta Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, $28 million is being allocated to support private operators with some of the costs associated with opening new child-care spaces. This expansion supports up to 22,500 new, licensed child-care spaces in high-need and high-demand communities across the province.”

Ontario
Excerpt: "The Ontario government is expanding licensed child care spaces in the District of Cochrane by investing $7.9 million in 2023 to support the implementation of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system. This support delivers a significant reduction of child care fees for families by 50 per cent on average, saving families an annual average of $6,000 to $10,000 per child. An additional 189 licensed child care spaces enrolled in the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system in Ontario will be created in the area by 2026. These new spaces for children aged zero to five will represent an 11.7 per cent increase of child care spaces available in the community – increasing access to more families across the district."

Northwest Territories
Excerpt: "As of April 1st, the average cost of licensed child care for children five years of age and younger was reduced, on average, by 60 per cent. This means that families in the NWT are now saving up to $545 a month per child in child care fees. Families can expect to see further cost reductions until we reach our goal of an average of $10 per day child care."

Prince Edward Island
Excerpt: " With an estimated investment of $1,563,000 over the next two years, these grants will help to promote licensing, and improve the quality, affordability and accessibility of licensed home-based child care across the Province. Funding for these grants is provided through the Canada–Prince Edward Island Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement."

Wage Scale Program

Nunavut
Excerpt: "Nunavut's Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Wage Scale Program recommends a minimum wage that should be provided to ELCC staff. To promote the scale's implementation and the recruitment and retention of dedicated ELCC staff, this new program accepts applications from licensed child care centres for contribution funding to top up their staff compensation to levels outlined in the scale. This initiative provides contribution funding to licensed child care centres serving children aged 0-6.The goal is to ensure that ELCC staff receive equitable compensation for their crucial role in promoting the growth and well-being of all children. The ELCC Wage Scale outlines distinct wage levels across four categories: Management; Early childhood educator; Program support; Centre support."

Newfoundland & Labrador
Excerpt: "The initiatives include an increase in funding availability and supports for the sector offered through the Child Care Capacity Initiative program, including: $7.5 million in funding to support infrastructure and renovations to regulated child care services availing of the operating grant program, to increase child care capacity by 750 spaces, with priority for the creation of toddler spaces in not-for-profit child care services; the hiring of a Project Manager within the Provincial Government to oversee and support not-for-profit child care capacity projects; and an increase to the personnel budget category of projects operating under the Child Care Capacity Initiative program, which includes an hourly wage increase from $17 per hour to $25 per hour for developmental workers."

Saskatchewan
Excerpt: "It is estimated that more than 90 per cent of ECEs currently working in the sector, or 2,500 individuals, will see an increase in wages. ECE Level I will receive an increase of up to $1.50 per hour; ECE Level II will receive an increase of up to $2.00 per hour, and ECE Level III will receive up to $2.50 an hour. Compared to September 2022, this is approximately an eight per cent increase, on average, in the hourly wages for ECEs in the province. The ECE Wage Enhancement grant is also being expanded to include assistants working in group family child care homes who have an ECE certification. Certified assistants will be eligible to receive an ECE Wage Enhancement grant of up to $7.50 per hour, bringing them in line with the wage increases provided to ECEs working in child care centres in 2021-22 and 2022-23."
Excerpt: "The Department of Education has launched full-day kindergarten in five Nunavut schools. The schools participating are: Nanook School, Apex; Qaqqalik School, Kimmirut; Victor Sammurtok School, Chesterfield Inlet; Inuglak School, Whale Cove; Jimmy Hikok Ilihakvik, Kugluktuk. The 2023-2024 Full-Day Kindergarten Pilot is the first step to help guide a phased system-wide rollout."

Newfoundland & Labrador
Excerpt: "The Early Childhood Educator Recruitment and Retention Grant will provide funding to recruit and retain Level I to IV early childhood educators to become certified and work in regulated child care services. This grant replaces the former Early Childhood Educator Graduate Bursary Program, which will end on June 30, 2024. Effective September 1, 2023, early childhood educators who meet the eligibility criteria under the grant program will be eligible to receive $2,500 upon initial child care services certification. Further grants of $2,500 up to a total of $7,500 will be awarded following each three-year renewal of Level I to IV child care services certification. The grant includes a commitment for recipients to work in regulated child care services in Newfoundland and Labrador."

British Columbia
Excerpt: "Starting Sept. 1, 2023, families with children in eligible half-day preschool and before- and after-school programs will save as much as an additional $145 per child, per month. The Province is providing the funding directly to participating child care centres so families do not need to apply to receive the savings."