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Government memo re: amendments to legislation, regulations and guidelines related to Full Day Early Learning Kindergarten Program, including overview; operational framework for extended day and third party programs; safe schools and FDK; and broader implementation of FDK. Regulations indicate non-profit delivery of afterschool programs unless commercial programs are already in schools or no other alternatives are available.

The government announced the final roll out plans for full-day kindergarten for all 4- and 5-year-old children – approximately 250,000 children by September 2014.

The early learning atmosphere in Ontario includes a number of significant policy changes that have created new opportunities and new challenges. Examples include moving the jurisdictional responsibility for early learning and child care to the Ministry of Education, a new regulatory body for early childhood educators, the expansion of degree programs in early learning, the unionization of early childhood educators and a blend of the teaching and early learning profession.

The 8th Summer Institute on Early Childhood Development addressed how these changes impact early learning professionals and focus on relationships amongst families and professionals that involve practitioners, colleges and universities, professional associations and government.

Excerpt: "Quebec government launches a new logo for licensed child care programs to distinguish legally-recognized child care from illegal ones."

Excerpt: "Today, during Early Learning and Child Care Month, Education Minister Donna Harpauer announced that 13 communities have been allocated new licensed child care spaces as a result of the 2011-12 budget, which provided $2.1 million to develop 500 new child care spaces across Saskatchewan."

Excerpt: "In 2006, The Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario (AECEO) launched The Access to Early Childhood Education Program (also referred to as the Bridging Program) in collaboration with the Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office and the School of Early Childhood at George Brown College.... Since the program commenced in 2006, just over 100 individuals with international education credentials have completed the equivalency program..."

Excerpt: "The Full Day Early Learning Kindergarten Program implementation will have a differentiated impact across the province, particularly in rural communities, where the instability of child care services may result in rural children and families bearing a heavier burden of change compared to their urban peers..."

Cindy Blackstock is the Executive Director of First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, an Atkinson Charitable Foundation Fellow and has recently joined the Faculty of Extension at the University of Alberta.

Dr. Blackstock will share her advice and knowledge on how every person can make a difference in the lives of thousands of First Nations children in under two minutes.

Excerpt: "There are three points I would like to share with the committee today which I hope will influence the committee’s proposal to amend the Education Act to allow third party operators to deliver extended day programs. First, the findings from the Toronto First Duty Program demonstrate the critical value in a seamless approach to early learning and family support..."

Excerpt: "The province will fund an extra 25 child-care sites, raising its five-year commitment under Family Choices to 54 new centres, Premier Greg Selinger announced today."

Family Child Care Initiative that builds on the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Capacity Initiative is a two-year pilot project to develop 400 new spaces in regulated family child care homes over two years. The initiative is targeting a shortage of regulated spaces in rural communities and for children under the age of two.

SchoolsPlus pilot is expanded to all eight school boards. Family resource centres, child care and youth health centres will be located within select schools at all school boards.