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12 tips summarizing what you need to know during your first few months of Grad school at ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½

The 2023 ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ Staff Excellence Award winners demonstrated excellent administrative and technical expertise, and boisterous support of faculty and students.

Master of Education (MEd) in Developmental Psychology and Education
Expected year of graduation: 2024

Excerpt: "The purpose of this discussion paper is to provide further information for service system managers and child care licensees, and to invite feedback as the Ministry of Education continues to design and develop the 2024 Canada-wide Early Learning Child Care (CWELCC) funding formula. Your feedback on this discussion paper will be vital to help the Ministry of Education refine the CWELCC funding formula which will support the child care sector and in turn help Ontario’s families access affordable child care. Additional details will be provided later about elements such as special needs resourcing. The discussion paper includes an overview of the proposed grant allocations, formulas (where they have been developed) and other criteria and parameters to calculate Consolidated Municipal Service Manager (CMSM) and District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB) calendar year funding allocations for the CWELCC system."

Excerpt: "Newfoundland and Labrador is a leader in creating access to affordable child care, having moved to $10 a day more than two years ahead of schedule. Budget 2023 investments will sustain our progress and target the creation of 700 new child care spaces this year. Budget 2023 investments include: $64 million to increase wages for early childhood educators through the implementation of a wage grid, which comes into effect on April 1 and is retroactive to January 1, 2023; Approximately $6 million for retention and recruitment initiatives; $2.7 million for student bursaries; $3.5 million to expand the Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Program and an additional $1.8 million to create new spaces; $200,000 to attract the return of trained early childhood educators to the sector."

Our new Communications Coordinator, Nathan Christie, just finished his first month here at Education Commons. Find out what he found out from his new team as they demonstrated a key Core Value.

Excerpt: "The government wishes to support Québec families in a practical way. For most, this means quality educational childcare services. Services that will enhance family work school balance and foster child development. Furthermore, our government wishes to pay special attention to families in vulnerable situations and ensure that they receive the help they need. Converting 5 000 non subsidized childcare spaces: We are committed to gradually converting non subsidized childcare spaces in the network into subsidized spaces. To ensure greater financial equity, I am announcing today the conversion of 5 000 childcare spaces in 2023 2024. This measure will allow more families to benefit from the reduced contribution, which is currently $8.85 per day."

Annual ECE wage compared to Market Basket Measure (MBM) thresholds for 2 adults/2 children by region.

Excerpt: "To continue to make early learning and child care accessible, affordable, and inclusive for all families, in 2023-24 EECD will: Continue to take steps to implement the Canada – Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement by developing a 2023-2026 Action Plan and outlining the approach to move toward a $10 a day on average child care by 2025-2026; Develop a space expansion strategy to inform the next stage of growth within the sector; Evaluate and expand the Quality Matters initiative, with a plan for full rollout across the sector, including family home child care and before-and-after care, by 2025-2026; Release the revised Early Learning Curriculum Framework and Educators’ Guide in English and French in fall 2023; Continue to develop and transition to a certification model for Early Childhood Educators (ECEs); Fully roll-out the Advanced Practitioners’ Program; a post-diploma certificate program to advance ECE knowledge and competence in a specialized area of practice, such as infants and toddlers, young children, outdoor play, or pedagogical leadership; Extend professional development opportunities currently being provided through EECD and support sites to family home child care providers; Launch the first in-person French-language ECE diploma program through Université Sainte Anne; Work with the sector to establish a standardized level of health benefits and retirement benefits for ECEs in 2023."

Excerpt: "The federal government’s historic investment in a Canada-wide early leaning and child care system is making life more affordable for families, helping to give children across Canada the best start in life, and strengthening our workforce. Today, fewer women have to choose between their family and their career, and in February 2023, the labour force participation rate for women in their prime working years reached a record 85.7 per cent. By April 2, 2023, six provinces and territories will be providing regulated child care for an average of just $10-a-day or less—significantly ahead of schedule. All other provinces and territories remain on track to achieve $10-a-day child care by 2026. In Quebec, federal investments are continuing to make the existing child care system more accessible through the creation of new spaces."

Excerpt: "Manitoba is working towards expanding and strengthening the early learning and child-care system throughout the province. This includes significant investments in workforce retention and recruitment and increasing the number of funded licensed spaces. The government is also reducing parent fees to make early learning and child care more affordable and accessible for all Manitobans. Budget 2023 makes a number of investments in early learning and child care, including: investing $76.1-million to reduce regulated parent; fees to $10 per day, well in advance of the target; date of Mar. 31, 2026; and launching a multi-year training expansion plan for the early learning and child-care workforce, including early childhood educators and child-care assistants, in partnership with post-secondary institutions."

Here's what the Education Commons got up to during ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ Wellness Day, taking the opportunity to gather in-person for self-care, team-building and learning.