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Excerpt: "Alberta’s government and its education partners are continuing to modernize the education system and improve student success by developing and piloting a curriculum that will drive a passion for learning. The new draft K-6 social studies curriculum, which was developed after nine months of consultation with education partners, teachers, parents and Albertans, focuses on building students’ critical thinking skills and empowers them to be engaged citizens. Since the new draft K-6 social studies curriculum was released in April 2024, 62 school authorities and more than 1,700 teachers across 429 schools have signed up to pilot the curriculum during the 2024-25 school year."

Excerpt: "Phase 1 of the school lunch program includes every school that has elementary school grades, which adds up to more than 75,000 students and potentially more than 13 million lunches served in the coming school year. It is a pay-what-you-can program, meaning families can choose to pay the full $6.50 cost of the lunch, part of the cost or nothing. All payment information is kept confidential. Lunches will start in schools on October 1, 15 or 28, with ordering opening two weeks before the first lunches are served. Families will be able to choose between two lunch options every school day, with at least one vegetarian (no meat) lunch offered each day. In total, there will be 40 menu options that rotate weekly when the program starts in October. Each meal provides balanced nutrition and meets the standards outlined in Canada’s Food Guide and the Nova Scotia School Food and Nutrition Policy."

Excerpt: "In Saskatchewan over the next two years nearly $35 million will be invested to continue to deliver tuition-free early childhood educator (ECE) training, professional development and student financial support. Through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, up to $16.5 million in the 2024-25 academic year and up to $18.4 million in the 2025-26 academic year will be directed toward opportunities to support ECE skills and knowledge. The additional funding will create more than 4,000 tuition-free training seats over two years. This will allow current and future educators to advance or start their career in early childhood education and obtain their ECE Certification Level I, II or III. The investment also supports more than 5,300 professional development seats, helping educators gain knowledge to excel in their roles."

e-News

Excerpt: "The Knowing Our Numbers study of the Ontario early childhood education workforce has just released its findings on the status of the sector in Northern Ontario. Workforce challenges in the North are unique. Its small population is spread across a vast geographical area that spans two time zones. Its land mass covers 90% of the province but is home to only 5.1% of the population. Low population density, high cost of food and building supplies, transportation barriers, extreme weather conditions, seasonal and shift work, and workforce shortages in other sectors all impact child care operations. Delivering child care services to Indigenous communities presents additional challenges related to historical and ongoing systemic inequities."

e-News

Excerpt: "Starting January 1, 2025, the new funding approach described in the new Cost-Based Funding Guideline will take effect. Cost-based funding provides support for operating costs for licensees participating in CWELCC for the delivery of child care to children aged 0-5 years. Design of the new approach was heavily guided by extensive stakeholder engagement. As a result, and as described in the new guideline, cost-based funding is guided by the following principles: Transparent: Clear and consistent approach, both locally and across CMSMs/DSSABs so that licensees know what to expect from CMSMs/DSSABs. Representative: Funding is responsive to how child care is delivered in Ontario and based on the true costs of providing child care to eligible children. Simple: Easy to understand with minimal administrative burden. Accountable: Cost control structures and safeguards ensure accountability for and equitable distribution of public funding."

Excerpt: "Ontario is taking the next step in lowering child care fees for families as part of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system. Starting in January 2025, parent fees will be capped at $22 per day for children under the age of six in CWELCC programs, resulting in additional savings of nearly $300 million in 2025 for families."

Excerpt: "This document (the “CWELCC Cost-Based Funding Guideline” or “this guideline”) describes the calculation of cost-based funding for eligible centres/agencies under the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Agreement for 2025 and subsequent calendar years and provides guidance for CMSMs/DSSABs to support the administration of that calculation. For clarity, the cost-based funding approach described in this guideline replaces the previous, “revenue replacement” approach, which—until December 31, 2024—provided funding based on the revenue “lost” due to mandatory caps and reductions of parent fees pursuant to O. Reg 137/15. Starting with 2025, licensees are funded based on eligible costs incurred in the calendar year in respect of eligible centres/agencies, up to a maximum amount of funding determined by the formula described in this guideline."

Congratulations to Dr. Lana Stermac and Dr. Mary Caravias on their retirements!

Excerpt: "The Ontario government is also introducing a new, cost-based funding approach for child care operators in the CWELCC program, effective January 1, 2025. This replaces the "revenue replacement approach" the government used in 2022, 2023 and 2024 where operators are eligible for the amounts required to buy down the parent fees (plus cost escalation). While this approach has worked for many it has also posed challenges, including that it was based on a point in time when some operators had kept fees low to support families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new funding approach prioritizes a simple and easy-to-administer system that is consistent across the province and is representative of the true costs of operating child care. Benchmark Allocations - Under the new funding approach, all operators will receive benchmark funding based on the typical costs to operate child care in their region of the province. In order to simplify the process for operators, funding will be based on core metrics including: the number of operating spaces/active homes; licensed spaces by age group; operator setting; operating days; cost escalation."

Excerpt: "Funding will be provided to child care centres for 15 Quality, Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Coordinators to be hired throughout the province. Each coordinator will have a background in psychology, early childhood education, education, or a closely related field. The coordinator will be an employee of a specific child care service and will provide on-site support to improve quality and inclusion within the child care centre. The coordinators will be responsible for supporting early childhood educators to ensure they are responsive to the individual needs of each child."