Subjects: CON, CHI, CPG, CFG
Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with Alberta
GATINEAU, QC, Nov. 15, 2022 /CNW/ - Every child deserves the best possible start in life, and all parents should have the ability to build both a family and a career. That's why the Government of Canada signed agreements with each province and territory to implement a Canada-wide early learning and child care system.
Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, celebrated the one?year anniversary of the signing of the Canada?Alberta Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.
As part of the agreement with the Government of Alberta, the Government of Canada is providing close to $3.8 billion over five years to help improve regulated early learning and child care for children under 6 years of age in the province. Through these investments, the governments of Canada and Alberta are working together to improve access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services, with the goal of ensuring that Alberta families have access to regulated child care for an average of $10 a day by March 31, 2026.
Alberta has already reduced average child care fees for regulated spaces that are part of the Canada-wide early learning and child care system, and is working towards creating 42,500 new child care spaces among regulated not-for-profit, public and family-based child care providers by the end of March 2026. Alberta is also supporting the valuable work of the early childhood educator workforce, who are at the heart of the Canada-wide early learning and child care system, by providing them with higher wages as well as new training and development opportunities.
Building an early learning and child care system that works for all families in every region of the country is a key part of the Government of Canada's plan to make life more affordable for families while creating good jobs and growing the economy. Nearly all of Canada's provinces and territories have announced reductions in child care fees.
"As we mark the first year of our Canada-wide agreement with Alberta, our governments can take pride in having delivered real savings to families in the province, while also supporting the early childhood education sector. I look forward to continued success as we build toward our ultimate goal of $10-a-day regulated care for children everywhere in Canada."
? Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould
- As part of Budget 2021, the Government of Canada made a transformative investment of more than $27 billion over five years to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system with the provinces and territories. Combined with other investments, including investments in Indigenous early learning and child care, up to $30 billion over five years will be provided in support of early learning and child care.
- Alberta signed its Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement on November 15, 2021.
- Recognizing that early childhood educators are at the very heart of a high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care system, wage grids and/or additional training supports for early childhood educators are part of all Canada-wide agreements with provinces and territories, with the exception of Quebec, which has an asymmetrical agreement.
- In response to requests from provinces and territories, and to support the implementation of the Canada-wide early learning and child care system, the Government of Canada proposed in Budget 2022 to provide $625 million over four years, beginning in 2023?2024, for the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund.
- Investments in child care will benefit everyone across Canada. Studies show that for every dollar invested in early childhood education, the broader economy receives between $1.50 and $2.80 in return.
Associated Links
Toward $10-a-Day Early Learning and Child Care (Canada.ca)
Canada?Alberta Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement ? 2021 to 2026
Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care
SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada
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