Putting the Public into Early Learning and Child Care
This symposium highlighted how early learning and child care are delivered within schools can increase access, reduce uneven quality, improve the working conditions and professionalism of educators, allow for early detection and intervention, and provide a continuum of learning to benefit young children.
The Federal government’s $27 billion investment through the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreements raised the profile of early learning and child care in Canada. Parents are benefiting from reduced fees although availability is limited. Funding is limited to licensed child care, preventing schools from accessing new funding to expand services. Provinces and territories are left to implement the agreements with the pandemic-weakened, low-waged licensed child care sector.
Forging a coherent social program out of a disjointed mix of commercial, charitable, religious, and non-profit providers operating under 13 different provincial and territorial agreements is no small task. There are lessons to be learned from across Canada on how education and child care could and should be integrated.
Keynote Presentation
Dr. David Philpott on behalf of Craig Alexander
Former Chief Economist at TD Bank, Deloitte Canada, Conference Board of Canada.
President: Alexander Economic Reviews
Panel One: The Power of Schools for Early Learning
Moderator: Dr. Michal Perlman, Professor: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Expanding early learning and child care programs as part of public education optimizes existing infrastructure and recognizes early learning as a public good. Schools exist in all communities and can provide a hub of learning and family support activities. The panelists will share an overview of the status of early learning and child care across Canada and how schools are responding to the opportunities provided by CWELCC.
Dr. Emis Akbari
Professor and Program Coordinator School of Early Childhood George Brown College, Senior Policy Fellow, Atkinson Centre
Dr. Petr Varmuza on behalf of Dr. Gordon Cleveland
Professor Emeritus University of Toronto Scarborough; Advisor Building Blocks for Child Care
Kerry McCuaig
Senior Policy Fellow: Atkinson Centre
- Presentation shared with Dr. Emis Akbari
Panel Two: Schools at the Centre - Pan-Canadian Actions
Moderator: Dr. Zeenat Janmohamed, Executive Director Atkinson Centre, University of Toronto
Hear about innovations from across Canada on how to best deliver early learning and child care through publicly-funded schools.
Barbara Cardow
Director, Children’s Services: Region of Waterloo
Melissa Hilton
Manager Extended Day Program: Waterloo Region District School Board
Melia Dirk
District Vice Principal of Early Learning and Child Care Okanagan Similkameen School District 53, British Columbia
Jill Piers
Manager, Pre-Primary Operations: Ministry of Education and Early Childhood Development, Nova Scotia
Panel Three: Policy Research Informing Best Practice
Moderator: Dr. Christine McLean, Associate Professor and Department Chair, Child and Youth Study, Mount Saint Vincent University, Nova Scotia
How public education can support diversity, inclusion, and anti-oppressive practice in early learning.
Dr. David Philpott
Researcher/Consultant, Retired Professor, Memorial University, Newfoundland
Gail Hunter
Professor and Program Coordinator, School of Early Childhood, George Brown College, Ontario
Dr. Jessie-Lee McIsaac
Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair, Mount Saint Vincent University, Nova Scotia
Closing Remarks
Scott McCain
Chair, Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation
Stephen McNeil
Former Premier of Nova Scotia
