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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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Ontario
Excerpt: "The OCB provides direct financial support to low- to moderate-income families with children under the age of 18. Starting July 1, 2015, the OCB, which supports about one million children in Ontario, will be increased to a maximum of $1,336 per child, per year."

Manitoba
Excerpt: "The Manitoba government is continuing to reduce kindergarten to Grade 3 class sizes by providing new support for additional classrooms across the province, Education and Advanced Learning Minister James Allum announced today."

Manitoba
Excerpt: "The Manitoba government is committing funding for 14 new or expanded child-care centres and raising wages for child-care workers as part of a five-year plan to create a universally accessible child-care system and add 5,000 newly funded licensed spaces, Premier Greg Selinger announced today."

Northwest Territories
Excerpt: "Motion 2617(4) called for the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) to provide a feasibility study on the concept of universal and affordable child care delivered by people trained in early childhood development and education, similar to the systems in Québec and Scandinavia."

Saskatchewan
Excerpt: "The Government of Saskatchewan has expanded its dual credit partnership with Saskatchewan Polytechnic to offer high school students three more courses that will be recognized as a credit toward both high school graduation and an Early Childhood Education certificate or diploma. The courses will be available province-wide to all Grade 11 and 12 students, including students in First Nations schools."

Ontario
Excerpt: "Since 2004, the government has doubled child care funding to more than $1 billion annually. In 2013‒14, an estimated 447,472 children benefited from Ontario’s child care investments. In 2015, the Province is allocating an additional $44.5 million in child care funding through the funding formula, which will help stabilize fees, improve the reliability of child care, and better meet the needs of child care operators and parents — protecting the gains made through previously announced investments. As part of the Province’s commitment to increase child care spaces, Ontario is investing $120 million over three years in capital funding to create thousands more child care spaces in schools. This investment is another important step towards achieving the full vision of a seamless and integrated early years system in Ontario. It also represents an important component of the government’s commitment to community hubs."

New Brunswick
As of April 2, 2015, all approved Child Day Care Facilities Inspection Reports will be available online.

Newfoundland & Labrador
Excerpt: "This year, we are investing $926 million in a wide range of initiatives, such as the continued implementation of our 10-year child care strategy, Caring For Our Future, as well as significant investments in our K-12 infrastructure. Caring For Our Future is now in its fourth year of implementation and has been tremendously successful in enhancing the quality, affordability and sufficiency of child care in our province. Since 2003, we have increased the number of regulated child care spaces by 70 per cent and we will continue to build on that momentum by investing an additional $3.2 million to continue the implementation of this strategy, bringing this year’s budget to $45.7 million."

Manitoba
Excerpt: "Budget 2015 continues to move Manitoba toward a truly universally accessible child-care system by: investing in 900 newly funded child-care spaces; supporting higher wages for child-care workers; and building and expanding child-care centres."

Ontario
Excerpt: "Over the next three years, $120 million in new funding will be dedicated to building safe, high quality, licensed child care spaces in schools across the province where there is significant demand. Schools boards in Ontario can apply now to the Ministry of Education for funding."

New Brunswick
Excerpt: "New investments in early childhood development represent more than $3.5 million. Total funding allocated to the Early Childhood Development division totals $76.8 million. Of that amount, $23.6 million has been allocated to the Quality Improvement Financial Program to provide wage enhancement to educators working directly with children in regulated childcare facilities. The Preschool Autism Intervention Program has received $15.8 million. In addition, almost $10 million has been allocated to projects such as a new childcare registry, an early intervention program and new licensing technology."

Canada
Excerpt: "A typical two-earner family of four will receive tax relief and increased benefits of up to $6,600 in 2015, as a result of the Family Tax Cut, the Universal Child Care Benefit, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate reduction, the introduction of new credits, such as the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit, and broad-based income tax relief including the reduction in the lowest personal income tax rate (Chart 1.3)."