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An assistant professor in ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø’s Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development and the lead researcher on the study, concluded that there was a link between social isolation and worsening mental health among university students.

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: "Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen, announced $137 million in federal support for Quebec’s child care sector to help ensure that safe and sufficient child care spaces are available to support parents’ gradual return to work."

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates nearly $2.4 million in 2020-21 to Nunavut for early learning and child care investments. Nunavut’s priority areas of investment include supporting and maintaining access to affordable early learning and child care programs through operations funding, creating child care spaces in underserved communities, promoting training and professional development opportunities for early childhood educators, and developing teaching resources and programming materials in all of Nunavut’s official languages."

Professor Jim Slotta, from ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø’s Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, is one of five University of Toronto recipients of the Connaught Global Challenge Award.

Excerpt: "The government is acting based on feedback, outlined in the report, by: Supporting consistent quality programs in child care and early years settings by developing a provincial definition of "quality child care" that will provide parents and the child care sector with clear, consistent high-quality programming across the province; Creating more options for families and providers through increased choice in-home child care settings; Increasing access to before and after school programs by allowing authorized recreation programs to provide both before and after programs, rather than just one; Supporting workforce recruitment and retention; Clarifying program guidelines related to Special Needs Resourcing by working with other ministries to identify opportunities for providing health and rehabilitation services to children with medical needs in licensed child care, children's recreation programs and day camp programs; Supporting Indigenous-led and culturally relevant programming including examining current programs to promote better alignment with Indigenous history and culture; Reducing administrative burdens and addressing technical issues and gaps."

Excerpt: "Every four-year-old in Nova Scotia now has access to pre-primary, a free, universal early learning program."

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

PhD in Developmental Psychology and Education (DPE) student, Ying Yao.
Expected year of graduation: 2023.

Excerpt: "Affordable and accessible child care, coupled with investments in education and skills development, is paramount in a modern economy. These investments, and collaboration with our education partners, will contribute to a stronger economy today and into the future. To help ease the financial pressures on families, especially on women, in Budget 2020 we are committed to $25 a day child care in 2021."

Excerpt: "Canada and Nunavut agree that the long term vision, principles and objectives for early learning and child care, which are set out in the Framework that is attached as Annex 1, will guide the investment of funds provided under this Agreement."

Presented by Dr. Emis Akbari, Professor, School of Early Childhood, George Brown College/Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development for The Jimmy Pratt Foundation, September 2020.