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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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Saskatchewan
Excerpt: "$55.8 million for child care funding – 889 childcare spaces created."

Canada
Excerpt: "Budget 2017 proposes to invest an additional $7 billion over 10 years, starting in 2018–19, to support and create more high-quality, affordable child care spaces across the country. A portion of this investment will be dedicated to early learning and child care programs for Indigenous children living on- and off-reserve.

"To ensure that Canadian families have better access to high-quality, affordable child care, the Government is working with the provinces and territories to develop a National Framework on Early Learning and Child Care, focusing on best practices and new approaches to best serve families."

"In addition, a distinct Indigenous Framework on Early Learning and Child Care, will be created in cooperation with Indigenous partners. The distinct Indigenous framework will reflect the unique cultures and needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children across Canada."

Alberta
Excerpt: "The newly established Ministry of Children’s Services creates an increased focus on ensuring Alberta’s children are provided with services and supports they need to thrive; Budget 2017 provides stable funding for the child intervention system and provides a solid foundation to strengthen the system; The Alberta Child Benefit provides $174 million in 2017-18 with up to $2,785 each year to Alberta’s most vulnerable families, in support of about 200,000 children; The Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit supports working families with children by providing a maximum annual credit of $773 for families with one child, and up to $2,038 for families with 4 children or more."

Manitoba
Excerpt: "The Manitoba government is committing $6,181,500 for 15 community-based capital projects that will create up to 739 new licensed child-care spaces and is launching new measures to increase the efficiency of the licensed early learning and child-care system by addressing regulatory barriers for operators, Families Minister Scott Fielding announced today."

Nunavut
Excerpt: "$1.6 M to the Nunavut Arctic College to support a new law program in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan, launching this fall. The GN is also providing $1.3M to help the College fund its Social Worker and Early Childhood Education programs."

Nova Scotia
This report presents the findings of Year 2 of the four-year evaluation of the Nova Scotia Early Years Centre initiative, led by an evaluation team from Dalhousie University, research Power Incorporated, and Mount Saint Vincent University) and funded by the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation. Key lessons learned and issues for further consideration are provided to support continuous program improvements at the local and provincial levels of the system.

New Brunswick
Excerpt: "Understanding the importance of early childhood education in the years before kindergarten and the struggle many families face over the cost of daycare, our government will increase the amount it provides to New Brunswickers to help pay for the cost of daycare. By January 1, 2018, in keeping with our platform commitment, we will have doubled the budget of the daycare assistance program."

British Columbia
Excerpt: "To increase accessibility of child care, $20 million of that investment in 2017-18 will support the creation of up to 2,000 new, additional, child care spaces. These spaces are in addition to government’s current goal of creating 13,000 new licensed child care spaces between 2014 and 2020, announced as part of the B.C. Early Years Strategy."

Ontario
Excerpt: "Ontario is investing in infrastructure and economic development in First Nation communities in Northern Ontario, to identify new business opportunities, boost economic growth and provide safe child care spaces."

Ontario
Excerpt: "As part of Ontario's commitment to supporting child care professionals, the program will receive ongoing, annual funding. This year, the province will provide: An ongoing wage enhancement, up to $2 per hour plus benefits, for eligible child care workers and home visitors in the licensed child care sector; An ongoing enhancement, up to $20 per day, for eligible home child care providers; A raise in the maximum hourly wage to be eligible for the wage enhancement - an increase of 1.5 per cent to $26.68 per hour. For home child care providers, the daily fees maximum will be $266.80 per day."

Canada
Excerpt: "Overall, the most common challenges experienced while on maternity or parental leave are regarding financial hardships, restrictions in the qualification criteria for those self-employed or on contract, and difficulties finding childcare. When asked about their challenges while being in maternity or parental leave, the most common challenges mentioned are related to finances, especially among those with single income families, twins, and multiple births; difficulties finding suitable and affordable childcare; and problems qualifying for EI benefits while being self-employed or working on contract."

Northwest Territories
Excerpt: "$1.5 million to help offset the costs of the junior kindergarten program as it is rolled out in all NWT communities for four-year old children and a commitment to spend an additional $2.7 million for schools before the end of the 18th Legislative Assembly to ensure that this critical program can be implemented in all communities."