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Excerpt: "Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House to highlight our government’s efforts to improve access to early learning and child care in the province. These efforts have been recognized in a recent report by the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development, which ranks Newfoundland and Labrador fourth in the country amongst all provinces and territories when comparing governance, funding, access, the early learning environment, and accountability. Speaker, our government has been listening and responding to the needs of families, service providers, and the early learning workforce. We have implemented recruitment and retention initiatives for early childhood educators; we have provided incentives and funding to increase the number of early learning and child care spaces; and we are continuing to ensure that regulated child care is high quality, affordable and inclusive."

Excerpt: "Since opening their doors, these three centres have already provided early years programming and parent support to over 600 families. Families with children up to age six can access a range of services including positive parenting programs, literacy opportunities and support for children's development. The centres are led by local management committees that represent a broad mix of government, community-based service providers and organizations who make decisions about specific programs and services based on localized needs. "We continue to improve access to early years programming and family support through the Early Years Family Resource Centres," Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said. "Parents who have accessed services at one of the many FRCs in the province have reported improved parenting skills and knowledge, improved child development and increased family engagement.""

Excerpt: "School District 71 (Comox Valley) received almost $8 million in provincial funding through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund to build new child care on school grounds. Seventy-five new spaces at each school will be created for a total of 150 new spaces. This includes 24 spaces for infant-toddlers, 32 spaces for kids aged three to five and 94 new spaces for school-age care on school grounds. “These two new child care facilities represent a significant step forward in providing accessible, affordable and high-quality early-learning environments for families in the Comox Valley,” said Michelle Waite, board chair, Comox Valley Schools. “The centres at Arden and Glacier View will help parents with supporting their families and pursuing their professional and educational goals with the confidence that their children are receiving excellent care and education.”"

Excerpt: "In 2024, the Province is providing funding for 26 more playgrounds in 26 school districts, each receiving $195,000. This investment in playgrounds promotes physical activity for kids, teaches social skills, such as sharing, and helps them develop life skills, such as conflict resolution. The playgrounds are also designed to be accessible for children of all abilities. Last year’s provincial investment of $5 million supported 25 new school playgrounds – 20 are complete, while the remaining are close to ready. Building new accessible playgrounds is part of the government’s priority to ensure students have positive learning and play spaces, no matter where they live."

Excerpt: "The Province is making it easier for families to apply and qualify for Nova Scotia’s child-care subsidy program. To help more families afford child care while balancing other financial priorities, eligibility criteria now hinge solely on family income and no longer consider assets like savings. Households with an annual income of $70,000 or less remain eligible and will now also be able to save for things like a down payment on a home while benefiting from the subsidy."

Excerpt: "The Early Learning Gateway parent portal allows parents and guardians seeking child care the ability to: Add their child or children to their profile; Search for regulated child care services; Add their child or children to a regulated child care service waitlist(s); Edit or remove their child or children from waitlists; The Early Learning Gateway service portal provides regulated child care service providers the ability to: View and manage the list of parents/guardians who added their child or children to the service waitlist in Early Learning Gateway; View parent/guardian contact information to follow up when a space becomes available; Create and manage Early Learning Gateway account access for their administrative staff."

Excerpt: "The medical benefits program will become operational fall 2024 and will be managed by the Association of Early Childhood Educators Newfoundland and Labrador. Medical benefits will be optional and available to individuals who have worked a minimum of three months at a regulated child care service participating in the Operating Grant Program, including: Early childhood educators; Trainee early childhood educators; Other staff working in child care services; and Regulated Family Child Care providers. The new medical benefits program for early childhood educators will support recruitment and retention of early childhood educators as the Provincial Government continues to increase the number of early learning and child care spaces throughout Newfoundland and Labrador."

Excerpt: "Approximately $11 million in additional funding for new and ongoing professional learning opportunities is being provided for programs, such as the ECE Peer Mentoring program and the Early Years Professional Development Bursary program. Three organizations are working with the government to provide the programs to support child care professionals, and in doing so, give families peace of mind that their children are receiving the highest level of care."

Excerpt: "This new child care centre was made possible through approximately $3 million from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund. The fund is jointly supported by provincial investments and federal funding under the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The City of Vancouver funded the remaining construction costs via development contributions."

Excerpt: "The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today highlighted the new National School Food Program. With an investment of $1 billion over five years, the Program, included in Budget 2024, will provide meals to 400,000 more kids every year, beyond those served by existing school food programs. This will mean peace of mind for parents and healthy meals for kids – helping them learn, grow, and get the best start to life. The Program will also be a safety net for the kids who need this support the most. We’re going to work with provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners to get this program to schools across the country."

Excerpt: "Today, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Gary Anandasangaree, joined Chief Darcy Bear of the Whitecap Dakota Nation, to announce that the Government of Canada will invest an additional $35,000 in Whitecap Dakota Nation’s Early Learning Centre to develop and promote best practices and innovative models in Indigenous early learning and child care programs. This funding comes from the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Quality Improvement Projects. The Whitecap Early Learning Centre is a provincially licensed childcare facility that can support up to 56 children, aged 6 weeks to 12 years. The centre is managed by Whitecap Dakota Nation and is open to both Band members and non-member families. The centre believes in educating the whole child; intellectually, emotionally, physically and spiritually, with a strong emphasis on Dakota culture."

Excerpt: "That’s why, today in Kanata, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, highlighted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent announcement of $201.87 million over four years, with $135 million through 2025–2026, to help build more inclusive child care spaces across Ontario through the Government of Canada’s $625 million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. This investment will help Ontario reach the shared goal of building 86,000 new child care spaces by December 2026. The announcement was made at the grand opening of Andrew Fleck’s Forest Explorers Outdoor Learning Centre in Kanata, which will provide 73 new child care spaces (10 infant spaces, 15 toddler spaces and 48 preschool spaces)."