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Meet Meghan Ferrari, MEd '13, Department Head of English Language Learning, St. Robert Catholic High School.

Excerpt: "Budget 2020-21 includes an increase of $17.5 million, for a total investment of $51.4 million. That makes Nova Scotia a leader in Atlantic Canada in pre-primary education. Families have told us that transportation would make it easier to access pre-primary, particularly in rural Nova Scotia. Bus service for all eligible pre-primary children begins this September with new funding of $4 million under Budget 2020-21. Creating this opportunity for young children also means more parents can attend school themselves or return to the workforce and contribute to family income."

Posted on Early Years Study.

The fourth landmark study, titled Early Years Study 4: Thriving Kids, Thriving Society, led by the Honourable Margaret McCain, builds on over 20 years of research and calls for an annual investment of $8 billion to bring Canada up to the OECD average enrolment rate for early childhood education.

Presented by Dr. Emis Akbari, Professor, School of Early Childhood, George Brown College/Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development at the AECEO Kindergarten Summit, February 2020.

Excerpt: "In 2020-21, $123.0 million is allocated to provide funding for the certification of child care staff based on educational qualifications; support the recruitment and retention of qualified and educated staff through professional development and tiered wage top ups; and the licensing, support and monitoring of child care programs under the Child Care Licensing Act. "

The Atkinson Centre promotes research on child development, and the development of early learning policy and practice that serve young children and their families.

Excerpt: "Launching this fall, the new BC Child Opportunity Benefit will help lift up thousands of kids and give them the opportunities they deserve, now and down the road.
Families with one child will be eligible to receive up to $1,600 annually. For two children, that goes up to $2,600, and it's up to $3,400 for three kids. People can bank on this tax-free support up until their child's eighteenth birthday. On top of the new benefit, this will be the first full year that people won't have to pay the unfair MSP premium. Together, these two measures could save families thousands of dollars that they can put towards what really matters: setting up the next generation for success.

For many, that starts with access to affordable, high-quality child care. Child care for all is closer than ever to becoming a reality in our province. Thousands of new licensed child care spaces are opening, and some parents are saving nearly $20,000 annually. Budget 2020 builds on the progress with total investments reaching $2 billion over three years for child care in British Columbia. Child care is critical to achieving equality in the workplace, helping to close the gender pay gap, and giving more parents — particularly women — the opportunity to take their careers to the next level.

We are also investing in B.C.'s early childhood educators — again, almost entirely women — with more bursaries and increased wages. Additionally, B.C.'s minimum wage will rise to more than $15 per hour by 2021. For the almost 140,000 people who currently earn minimum wage, more than half of which are women, this will provide a much-needed boost."

Excerpt: "This legislation puts into the School Act – for the first time – recognition that school boards can directly operate before and after school care. Currently, if boards want to offer child care they must offer it through a separate, licensed provider. Boards will be required to have a child care policy in place that addresses reconciliation and inclusive education commitments, while prioritizing available space on their properties not being used for K-12 students."

Dr. Claudia Diaz Rios

The Atkinson Centre promotes research on child development, and the development of early learning policy and practice that serve young children and their families.

The Atkinson Centre promotes research on child development, and the development of early learning policy and practice that serve young children and their families.

Excerpt: "Kindergarten classes for children from the age of 4 is a non-compulsory service made available to families with the passage of Bill 5 in 2019. It is being phased in gradually in schools across Québec. The Preschool Education Program for 4-Year-Olds is intended to facilitate the global development of all children in that age bracket by offering them challenges adapted to their needs and interests in a context where the focus is on play."