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"The Nova Scotia Child Benefit income threshold will rise from $25,000 to $26,000 on July 1, bringing about 1,300 more children under the program's umbrella. Other families already in the program will get a modest improvement, on a graduated scale. Families with incomes between $18,000 and $26,000 qualify for partial benefits, and will receive average increases of $40 a year for one-child families, $100 a year for two-child families and $160 a year for families with three children. This will affect about 10,000 children already covered."

Excerpt: "A number of jurisdictions are raising the salaries of Early Childhood Educators this year but all allocate more funding to qualified staff as a way to build a professional workforce. Ontario’s announcement doesn’t appear to include this differential. At $2 an hour over two years, Ontario’s raise is comparable to adjustments in Quebec, PEI and Newfoundland but less than the $6/hour going to trained ECEs in the NWT."

Province Increasing Ontario Child Benefit, Improving the Quality of Child Care.

The well-being of children and families in Yukon is the focus of a new plan issued today by Minister of Health and Social Services Doug Graham. On the Path Together: Wellness Plan for Yukon’s Children and Families provides evidence-based strategies for improving the health and well-being of children and youth that will be used to help plan and set priorities and provide practical information on healthy living. The plan sets out three pathways to improve wellness: Giving kids a good start in life (0-5 years); Raising kids who flourish (6–19 years); Healthy living for all.

In addition to funding for full-day Kindergarten, at a cost of $30.6 million over three years, Budget 2014: Shared Prosperity, Fair Society, Balanced Outlook includes $4.8 million for the continuation of early learning initiatives aimed specifically at infants and toddlers.

Excerpt: "The early years centres are located in or near schools, which make them accessible, convenient and familiar places for families in their communities. Each centre is tailored to meet the needs of its community by partnering with local organizations to offer programs and services such as early learning programs for four-year-olds, early intervention, before- and after-school programs, regulated child care, and parent education."

Finance and Treasury Board Minister Diana Whalen tabled the 2014-15 provincial budget April 3, clearing the way for private sector growth and reinvestment in education and health care.

USA Governors want to expand preschool programs. Funding and quality are key factors.

Excerpt: "Newfoundland and Labrador will become the newest members of the Full Day Kindergarten club starting in 2016. The province’s March 27, 2014 budget includes a plan for new capital spending to retrofit schools for 5-year-olds and the hiring of 140 additional teachers.

This is a quick look at kindergarten in the rest of Canada."

Excerpt: "Atkinson Centre faculty took aim at the slanted manner applied to reporting on the impact of full-day kindergarten for 4- and 5-year olds in Ontario. The article ignores the significant benefits of full-day kindergarten to zero in on the flat lining of reading, writing and numeracy skills for one group in the study."

Excerpt: "$5.5 million to boost child-care spaces and improve wages. Budget 2014 is the Manitoba government’s plan to create good jobs and grow Manitoba’s economy – while protecting the frontlines of services that families count on. A key part of this budget is a $5.5 billion Five-Year Plan that will build our core infrastructure like highways, bridges, flood protection and municipal infrastructure. These investments will stimulate our economy, keep businesses growing and create job and training opportunities for families."

Excerpt: "Investment in to the education of our children begins even before they reach kindergarten. This budget provides $20.4 million–an increase of more than 6 percent over last year–to support 15 new pre-K programs. This will bring the total number of pre-K programs across Saskatchewan to 316. The number of childcare spaces in Saskatchewan is also expanding. The 2014-15 Budget provides $52.7 million, an increase of 4.3 percent compared to last year, to expand the number of childcare spaces by 500."