Governments must put in place strategies to raise the formal education qualifications of those who work in licensed child care centres, says the National Early Learning and Child Care Workforce Policy Table, a group of early childhood education experts and practitioners established through Child Care Now’s Educators Matter project. Their new publication, A vision and…
Child Care Now has released a new policy brief on the role of immigration in Canada’s ELCC sector written by Dr. Yolande Pottie-Sherman as part of the Educator’s Matter project. The brief explores the intersections between immigration policy and early learning and child care policy, a topic that was identified as a key workforce issue…
Earlier this month, the Manitoba government launched their new early learning and child care (ELCC) workforce strategy, Higher Wages, Good Jobs, More Child Care: Manitoba’s Early Learning and Child Care Workforce Strategy. Announced in tandem with a new commitment to create 6,041 child care spaces, the strategy acknowledges that in order to create more spaces,…
Last week, Child Care Now’s “Educators Matter: Workforce Policy for Quality Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC)” project held a two-day national symposium to continue the work of developing proposals to all levels of government on how to strengthen the early learning and child care (ELCC) workforce. Participants included members of the National ELCC Workforce…
On September 8, 2025 twenty-three ECEs in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia went on strike after talks broke down with their employer, Munro Academy Early Learning Centre, self-described as being part of an independent private Christian school. The employees recently unionized with Unifor Local 4600 and have been trying to negotiate a first collective agreement that…
Earlier this week, the Alberta government announced a new Early Childhood Educator Bursary Program that will provide 300 bursaries of $10,000 to students who have been accepted into a one-year Early Childhood Education (ECE) certificate program. The Alberta government is financing the program using federal dollars it is receiving under the Canada-Alberta Early Learning and…
Last month the Government of the Northwest Territories announced their first edition of the Early Learning Framework– a pedagogical, communication and reflective practice resource designed to support, guide and inspire ELCC educators in their practice. Aligned with the vision and plans set out in the 2030 Early Learning and Child Care Strategy, the new framework…
In a historic announcement at the Manitoba Child Care Association’s annual provincial early learning and child care conference on Friday, May 23, 2025, Manitoba’s Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister, Tracy Schmidt announced a significant increase to the 2025-2026 wage targets for the ELCC workforce with funding coming from the Canada-Manitoba Early Learning and Child…
On May 1, 2025, Yukon Territory’s new Early Learning and Child Care Act (2025) Bill No. 48 received assent. It replaces the outdated Child Care Act (1990). The new Act will not take effect until the Yukon government develops regulations to support smooth implementation of the provisions. The Early Learning and Child Care Act (2025)…
Since February 2025, Child Care Now’s National Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Workforce Policy Table has met twice to discuss ELCC workforce qualifications, following the publication of policy recommendations on wages, benefits, and pensions. The Policy Table’s deliberations have been informed by research assembled by Child Care Now’s “Educators Matter” staff team, including a…
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