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News & Stories: Newfoundland & Labrador

September 29, 2023

Excerpt: "The initiatives include an increase in funding availability and supports for the sector offered through the Child Care Capacity Initiative program, including: $7.5 million in funding to support infrastructure and renovations to regulated child care services availing of the operating grant program, to increase child care capacity by 750 spaces, with priority for the creation of toddler spaces in not-for-profit child care services; the hiring of a Project Manager within the Provincial Government to oversee and support not-for-profit child care capacity projects; and an increase to the personnel budget category of projects operating under the Child Care Capacity Initiative program, which includes an hourly wage increase from $17 per hour to $25 per hour for developmental workers."
September 19, 2023

Excerpt: "The Early Childhood Educator Recruitment and Retention Grant will provide funding to recruit and retain Level I to IV early childhood educators to become certified and work in regulated child care services. This grant replaces the former Early Childhood Educator Graduate Bursary Program, which will end on June 30, 2024. Effective September 1, 2023, early childhood educators who meet the eligibility criteria under the grant program will be eligible to receive $2,500 upon initial child care services certification. Further grants of $2,500 up to a total of $7,500 will be awarded following each three-year renewal of Level I to IV child care services certification. The grant includes a commitment for recipients to work in regulated child care services in Newfoundland and Labrador."
August 23, 2023

Excerpt: "As part of this update, Minister Howell shared new details regarding child care access in the province: There are almost 8,300 child care spaces operating at $10-a-day or lower the province, of which 820 have been created so far in 2023; Eighteen pre-kindergarten sites are now open throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, creating 340 child care spaces. A further 17 sites will open in September, representing total space creation of 600 through this program; In addition to spaces and sites already created, there are 63 child care providers in various stages of the process to open a not-for-profit child care centre in Newfoundland and Labrador, including: 14 sites in development in Central/East region; 24 sites in development in Western/Labrador region; and 25 sites in development in St. John’s metro region; This year, over 100 early childhood educators have joined or rejoined the workforce. There are approximately 1,200 early childhood educators working in Newfoundland and Labrador; In addition to the recently created early childhood educator wage grid, a francophone bonus of $5,178 has been created, effective April 1, 2023, for certified francophone early childhood educators working in regulated francophone child care services."
April 24, 2012

Budget 2012 includes new funds for child care for 2012-13, "doubling its investment by 2021-22 to approximately $56 million per year under a new 10-Year Child Care Strategy."
March 21, 2011

Access to child care and early learning emphasized in Throne Speech.
April 19, 2011

Family Child Care Initiative that builds on the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Capacity Initiative is a two-year pilot project to develop 400 new spaces in regulated family child care homes over two years. The initiative is targeting a shortage of regulated spaces in rural communities and for children under the age of two.
August 19, 2011

The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador announced "more than $685,000... to support three child care centres in the communities of Labrador City and Wabush…. This funding is being provided through the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Capacity Initiative of the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. It will support the development of 117 new regulated child care spaces in Labrador and also sustain existing spaces by providing funding for renovations to maintain a current child care facility."
April 18, 2012

The Department of Child, Youth and Family Services announced "$2 million for the second year of the Family Child Care Initiative.... This two-year pilot project is making great strides in the development of regulated child care spaces throughout the province with an emphasis on spaces for infants up to 24 months of age."
May 8, 2012

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador "has entered into a partnership with the Margaret & Wallace McCain Family Foundation and the Jimmy Pratt Foundation to study innovative ways in which to integrate early childhood learning programs in Newfoundland and Labrador with a view to enabling the smoothest possible transition to school."
May 25, 2012

The Department of Education, along with the departments of Child, Youth and Family Services and Health and Community Services launched The Power of Play, "a multi-media promotional campaign designed to highlight and encourage play-based learning."
February 15, 2013

The NL Premier unveiled a ten-year provincial child care strategy.
March 26, 2013

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Budget 2013 - A Sound Plan, A Secure Future

Budget 2013 allocates an investment of $31.1 million in 2013-14 for child care in Newfoundland and Labrador, with a focus on continuing the implementation of Caring For Our Future: Provincial Strategy for Quality, Sufficient and Affordable Child Care in Newfoundland and Labrador. Two Backgrounders were provided outlining Key Investments for Child, Youth and Family Services in Budget 2013 and A Sound Plan for K-12 Education.