Horizontal initiatives

Official title: Employment and Social Development Canada 2015–2016 Departmental Performance Report

On this page

1. Youth Employment Strategy

Name of horizontal initiative: Youth Employment Strategy

Name of lead department: Employment and Social Development Canada

Federal partner organization: Agriculture and Agri-food Canada; Global Affairs Canada; Canadian Heritage; Environment and Climate Change Canada; Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada; National Research Council; Natural Resources Canada; Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation; Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada; and Parks Canada.

Non-federal and non-governmental partner: Not applicable

Lead departmental program: Skills and Employment

Start date of the horizontal initiative: April 1, 2003

End date of the horizontal initiative: Ongoing

Total federal funding allocation (start to end date): Ongoing

Funding contributed by non-federal and non-governmental partners (dollars): Not applicable

Description of the horizontal initiative (including funding agreement): The Youth Employment Strategy (YES) helps youth aged 15 to 30 gain the skills, career information and work experience they need to find and maintain employment. YES is an Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)-led horizontal initiative involving 10 other federal departments and agencies that assist youth in making a successful transition into today’s changing labour market. YES has three program streams—Skills Link, Career Focus and Summer Work Experience, which includes Canada Summer Jobs. This program is delivered nationally, regionally and locally via contribution agreements.

This program uses funding from the following transfer payment: YES.

Shared outcomes: The shared outcomes of partners for the common key results are:

  • number of youth served
  • number of youth employed / self-employed; and
  • number of youth returning to school

Governance structures: YES has in place a Performance Measurement Strategy that represents a commitment among the 11 participating federal departments to undertake ongoing collection of common performance management data to ensure effective overall performance management of the program.

Oversight of the YES horizontal initiative is provided through a collaborative committee structure. ESDC is responsible for facilitating coordination among the departments and agencies funding YES activities. As policy lead of this horizontal initiative, ESDC chairs and is responsible for the coordination and management of the YES Interdepartmental Operations Committee and the YES Evaluation Sub-Committee.

Performance highlights: Budget 2014 committed to review the YES to better align it with the evolving realities of the job market and to ensure federal investments in youth employment provide young Canadians with real-life work experience in high-demand fields such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics and the skilled trades. In 2015–16, the Department:

  • collaborated with other government departments to implement new directions
  • began to implement reforms from YES review; and
  • continued ongoing policy development

Performance information

Federal organizations

Link to department's programs

Contributing programs and activities

Total allocation (from start to end date) (dollars)

2015–16 Planned spending (dollars)

2015–16 Actual spending (dollars)

2015-16 Expected results

2015-16 Actual results against targets

Employment and Social Development Canadaa

Skills and Employment

Career Focus

Ongoing

53,000,000

34,093,264

Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school

Target (career focus):

  • Clients served: 2,000
  • Employed or self-employed: 1,500
  • Return to school: 200
  • Contribution agreements: 100
  • Funds leveraged: $4.5M

Target (skills link):

  • Clients served: 9,000
  • Employed or self-employed: 4,500
  • Return to school: 1,800
  • Contribution agreements: 725
    Funds leveraged: $20M

Target (Canada summer jobs): Not applicable

Career focus:

  • Clients served: 1,785
  • Employed or self-employed: 1,403
  • Return to school: 56
  • Contribution agreements: 55
  • Funds leveraged: $10.9M

Skills link:

  • Clients served: 6,024
  • Employed or self-employed: : 4,066
  • Return to school: 623
  • Contribution agreements: 151
  • Funds leveraged: $20.5M

Canada summer job): 34,470

Skills and Employment

Skills Link

Ongoing

96,978,938

64,942,738

Skills and Employment

Canada Summer Jobs

Ongoing

111,450,241

111,322,522

Agriculture and Agri-food Canada

Career Focus Program

Career Focus

Ongoing

1,061,850

835,384

Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school

Target:

  • Clients served: 66
  • Employed or self-employed 30
    Return to school: 12
  • Clients served : 76
  • Employed or self-employed: 32
  • Return to school: 3

Global Affairs Canada

International Youth Internship Program (IYIP)

Career Focus

Ongoing

6,400,000

6,301,668

Expected result: The expected results for the IYIP include: i) increased awareness for female and male Canadian youth of the equal possibility of working internationally; ii) enhanced equal employability of female and male IYIP interns in Canada and in the field of international development; iii) improved capacity of female and male IYIP interns to contribute to international development in a gender-sensitive way.

Target:

  • Clients served: 332
  • Employed or self-employed: 116
  • Return to school: 17
  • Clients served: 283
  • (Note: Of the 283 clients, 82 have completed their intervention and 201 are still continuing in an intervention.)
  • Employed or self-employed: 17
  • Return to school: 2

Canadian Heritage

Young Canada Works

Career Focus

Ongoing

676,000

687,377

Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school

Target (career focus):

  • Clients served: 64
  • Employed or self-employed: 16
  • Return to school: not applicable

Target (summer work experience):  

  • Clients served: 1,278
  • Return to school: 1,278

Career focus:

  • Clients served: 72
  • Employed or self-employed: 66
  • Return to school: 13

Summer work experience:

  • Clients served: 1,360
  • Return to school: Not applicable

Summer Work Experience

Ongoing

6,481,000

6,584,944

Environment and Climate Change Canadab

Science Horizons Youth Internship Programs International Environmental Youth Crops

Career Focus

Ongoing

3,153,000

3,495,544

Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school

Target:  

  • Clients served: 200
  • Employed or self-employed: 120
  • Return to school: 20
  • Clients served : 257
  • Employed or self-employed: 49
  • Return to school: 12

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canadac

Computer for Schools – Technical Work Experience Program (TWEP)

Community Access Program Youth Initiative (CAP-YI)

Career Focus

Ongoing

10,142,098

11,784,310

Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school

Target:

  • Clients served: 1,030 (260 TWEP; 770 CAP-YI)
  • Employed or self-employed: Not applicable
  • Return to school: Not applicable
  • Clients served:
    TWEP: 217
    CAP-YI : 840
  • Employed or self-employed: 201 (TWEP: 37; CAP-YI: 164)
  • Return to school: 103 (TWEP: 16; CAP-YI: 87)

Youth Internships at Community Access Sites

Summer Work Experience

Ongoing

3,531,842

1,196,954

Target:

Clients Served: 540

Clients served: 188

National Research Council Canada

Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) Youth Employment Program (YEP) (b)

Career Focus

Ongoing

20,373,000

24,144,881

Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school

Target:

  • Clients served: 1,416
  • Employed or self-employed: 1,274
  • Return to school: 28
  • Clients served: 1,213
  • Employed or self-employed: 917
  • Return to school: 31

Natural Resources Canadad

Science and Technology Internship Program

Career Focus

Ongoing

600,000

593,349

Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school

Target:

  • Clients served: 125
  • Employed or self-employed: 20
  • Return to school: 5
  • Clients served : 63
  • Employed or self-employed: 32
  • Return to school: 5

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Housing Internship Initiative for First Nations and Inuit Youth

Skills Link

Ongoing

1,000,000

999,987

Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school

Target:

  • Clients served: 125
  • Employed or self-employed: 20
  • Return to school: 5
  • Clients served : 129
  • Employed or self-employed: 22
  • Return to school: 2

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)e

The First Nations and Inuit Skills Link Program

Skills Link

Ongoing

18,331,414

n/a

Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school

Target (skills link):

  • Clients served: 1,638
  • Employed or self-employed: Data collection to begin in 2016–17
  • Return to school: Data collection to begin in 2016–17

Target (summer work experience):

  • Clients served: 1,382
  • Employed or self-employed: Data collection to begin in 2016–17
  • Return to school: Data collection to begin in 2016–17

Skills link: Not available

Summer work experience: Not available

The First Nations and Inuit Summer Work Experience Program

Summer Work Experience

Ongoing

7,843,586

n/a

Parks Canada

Young Canada Works in National Parks and National Historic Sites

Summer Work Experience

Ongoing

2,000,000

1,876,743

Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school

Target:

Clients served: 222

Clients served: 196

Total for all federal partners*

343,022,969

268,859,665*

Clients served:

  • Career focus – 4,806
  • Skills link – 6,153
  • Summer work experience – 36,580

Comments on variances:

  1. In fiscal year 2015–16, there were some delays in approving and implementing projects due to the federal election.
  2. Environments and Climate Change Canada’s variance is due to a $500,000 transfer from the YES mid-year review and salary expenditures being considered.
  3. The discrepancy between the planned budget and the actual budget for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s Youth Internship at Community Access Sites is due to contribution agreements being signed in late August/early September, missing the prime SWE period and leading to a smaller take-up by recipients.
  4. Natural Resources Canada (NRC) actual spending includes expenditures for new projects in 2015-2016, as well as projects that began in previous years and continued in 2015–16. Also, $2.2M was transferred from ESDC to NRC as part of the YES mid-year review.
  5. Does not include results for Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada as they are not available at the time of publication.

* Total actual spending for all federal partners does not include INAC results.

Results to be achieved by non-federal partners: Not applicable.

Contact information:

Monika Bertrand, Director General
Employment Programs and Partnerships
Skills and Employment Branch
Telephone: 819-654-3345
monika.bertrand@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
Place du Portage, Phase IV
140 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Québec

2. Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Name of horizontal initiative: Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Name of lead department: Employment and Social Development Canada

Federal partner organization: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Non-federal and non-governmental partner: Not applicable

Lead departmental program: Skills and Employment

Start date of the horizontal initiative: June 13, 2007

End date of the horizontal initiative: Ongoing

Total federal funding allocation (start to end date): Ongoing

Funding contributed by non-federal and non-governmental partners (dollars): Not applicable (Note that employers pay for Labour Market Impact Assessments)

Description of the horizontal initiative (including funding agreement): The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) enables employers to hire foreign workers on a temporary basis to fill short-term labour needs when Canadians and permanent residents are not available. This program is delivered in partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) assesses applications from employers requesting permission to hire temporary foreign workers and conducts a labour market impact assessment to determine the likely effect these workers would have on the Canadian job market. This sub-program assesses the impact by looking at available labour market information for the region and the occupation, the employers’ recruitment and advertisement efforts, wages and working conditions, labour shortages and the transfer of skills and knowledge to Canadians. ESDC works closely with IRCC, the CBSA and the provinces and territories to monitor and share information that has an impact on the integrity of the TFWP. This program is legislated through the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations. In Quebec, the TFWP is administered in partnership with the province. 

Shared outcomes:

  • Employers’ temporary human resource needs are addressed
  • Canadians are not displaced or replaced by temporary foreign workers
  • Temporary foreign workers’ rights and protections are respected
  • Entry of eligible temporary foreign workers into Canada in a timely manner
  • Temporary migration that is consistent with federal, provincial and territorial regulations, standards and international obligations
  • Migration that significantly benefits Canada’s economic, social and cultural development

Governance structures:

  • ESDC is responsible for providing a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to employers, on the likely impact foreign workers may have on the Canadian labour market. ESDC processes LMIA applications to support the work permit application process
  • IRCC is responsible for assessing work permit applications and authorizing the issuance of work permits to eligible temporary foreign workers
  • Each department is responsible for the design and management of those elements of the program under its minister's responsibility

Performance highlights: The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) exceeded its target of:

  • Ensuring employers have timely access to foreign workers only when Canadians genuinely are unable to fill the available jobs by processing 87.9% of eligible applications received during the fiscal year within 10 business days
  • Improving the integrity of the Program, with the implementation of stronger enforcement and tougher penalties. This work included the coming into force (December 1, 2015) of the new Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMP) and varied bans legislation. In addition, 25.7% of employers were inspected or selected for a compliance review

To strengthen protections for foreign workers, ESDC has a number of Information Sharing Agreements (ISA) in place with provinces that support the compliance activities for each level of government, and with other departments and government agencies. Accomplishments include:

  • An updated ISA with Ontario, and completed ISA negotiations with Alberta and British Columbia  (final signature anticipated fall 2016)
  • Commenced ISA negotiations with New Brunswick
  • Completed and signed ISAs with Canada Border Services Agency and Canada Revenue Agency; an updated ISA is also fully negotiated and expected to be finalized with IRCC fall 2016

Additionally, TFWP made progress on the planning of a new online application system for employers, and continued to increase the transparency of the Program by updating the statistics available to the public on the Canada.gc.ca website and by expanding the availability of these statistics to the Open Data Portal in March 2016. 

Furthermore, at the end of 2015-16, the Government announced that a review of the Program would be undertaken by a Parliamentary Committee.

Performance information

Federal organizations

Link to department's programs

Contributing programs and activities

Total allocation (from start to end date) (dollars)

2015–16 Planned spending (dollars)

2015–16 Actual spending (dollars)

2015-16 Expected Results

2015-16 Actual results against targets

Employment and Social Development Canadaa

Skills and Employment

Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Ongoing

33,046,342

70,699,824

Expected result: Employers have timely access to temporary foreign workers only when Canadians genuinely are unable to fill the available jobs

Target 1:

Percentage of eligible Labour Market Impact Assessment applications processed within 10 business days. 

Expected result:

Improve the integrity of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, with the implementation of stronger enforcement and tougher penalties

Target 2:

Percentage of employers receiving a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment subject to compliance activities:  25%

Result 1: 87.9%

Result 2: 25.7%

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)b

Temporary Resident Program

Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Ongoing

19,766,866

27,679,694

Expected results:

  • Continue to collaborate with ESDC to implement changes to the TFWP
  • Improve the exchange of information relevant to the TFWP with federal and provincial /territorial partners:
  • begin work towards information sharing protocols and authorities with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canada Border Services Agency; and
  • begin amending existing Information Sharing Agreement (ISAs) and develop new ISAs with provinces and territories to assist in the administration and enforcement of employment standards and occupational health and safety legislation.

Target: IRCC (input expected mid-Jan.)

Not available at time of publication.

Total for all federal partners

52,813,208

98,379,518

Comments on variances:

  1. Planned spending at the time of the RPP did not include incremental funding approved in the TFWP which was allocated to continue implementation of the 2014 reforms to the Program in fiscal year 2015-16. Actual spending and the associated variance with planned spending, reflects expenditures associated with this incremental funding and associated activities.
  2. IRCC variance is mostly as a result of work related to the implementation of the reform of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the International Mobility Program.

Results to be achieved by non-federal partners: Not Applicable.

Contact information:

Janet Goulding, Director General
Temporary Foreign Worker Directorate
Skills and Employment Branch
Telephone: 819-654-3203
janet.goulding@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
Place du Portage, Phase IV
140 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Québec

3. National Child Benefit Initiative

Name of horizontal initiative: National Child Benefit Initiative

Name of lead departments: Employment and Social Development Canada

Federal partner organization: Canada Revenue Agency; Indigenous and Northern Affaires Canada; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Non-federal and non-governmental partner: Not applicable

Lead departmental program: Income Security

Start date of the horizontal initiative: 1998

End date of the horizontal initiative: The new Canada Child Benefit took effect in July 2016. The new benefit replaces the existing system of child benefits (including the National Child Benefit supplement which is the federal component of the National Child Benefit Initiative).

Total federal funding allocation (start to end date): Ongoing

Funding contributed by non-federal and non-governmental partners (dollars):  Not applicable

Description of the horizontal initiative (including funding agreement): The National Child Benefit (NCB) initiative—was a partnership among federal, provincial and territorial governmentsFootnote 1, with a First Nations component, that was designed to help prevent and reduce the depth of child poverty, promote attachment to the labour market by ensuring families were always better off as a result of working and reduce program overlap and duplication. The NCB initiative provided income support and other benefits and services to low-income families with children. The Government of Canada’s contribution to the NCB initiative was the NCB Supplement. The NCB Supplement was an additional benefit paid to low-income families with children through the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) and complemented other federal supports for families with children. The NCB Supplement was enabled by the Income Tax Act. While the NCB Supplement was delivered by the Canada Revenue Agency, ESDC was responsible for policy development with respect to the federal-provincial/territorial (F-P/T) NCB initiative and coordinated annual F-P/T reports to Canadians on progress.

Shared outcomes:

The National Child Benefit (NCB) initiative had three goals:

  • help prevent and reduce the depth of child poverty
  • promote attachment to the labour market by ensuring that families would always be better off as a result of working; and
  • reduce overlap and duplication by harmonizing program objectives and benefits and simplifying administration

Federal spending: The Government of Canada contributed to the F-P/T NCB initiative through a supplement to its Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) called the NCB Supplement. In addition to the base benefit of the CCTB, which was targeted to both low- and middle-income families, the NCB Supplement provided extra income support to low-income families with children. Federal spending on the CCTB, including the NCB Supplement, was tracked by the Canada Revenue Agency, which was responsible for its administration and delivery. As the CCTB was a tax benefit, Finance Canada was responsible for policy related to the CCTB and the preparation of spending forecasts. 

Indicators and impacts: The F-P/T National Child Benefit Progress Report: 2008 includes an analysis of both direct outcome indicators, which measure only those changes that are directly attributed to the NCB initiative, and societal level indicators, which measure areas such as low income and labour force attachment.

With respect to direct outcome indicators, the report shows that the number of children prevented from living in low income (based on the after-tax low income cut-off) as a direct result of the NCB initiative was 132,900. Therefore, the NCB was responsible for a 2.0 percentage point decrease in the rate of children living below the after-tax low income cut-off.

In addition, in October 2013, F-P/T governments released a second comprehensive evaluation of the first four years of the NCB initiative (1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01 and 2001–02). It builds on the methodology of the first evaluation, reported in 2005, using two different methods of statistical analysis. The results provide clear evidence that the NCB initiative met its goal with respect to child poverty, reducing both the incidence of low income and the extent of income shortfalls for lone-parent families. The NCB initiative was also found to promote attachment to the labour market for lone-parent families. 

For a complete discussion of indicators, please see Chapters 4 and 5 of the F-P/T National Child Benefit Progress Report: 2008 available on the National Child Benefit NCB website. For a discussion of evaluation results, please see the Summative Evaluation of the National Child Benefit which is available on Employment  and Social Development Canada’s website.

Performance highlights: The performance results for the National Child Benefit Supplement were produced through simulation using Statistics Canada’s official source of income data. Beginning in 2012, that source of data became the Canadian Income Survey (CIS), which replaced the long-standing Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID).  Simulation results for 2012 and subsequent years are not yet available. As announced in Budget 2016, the National Child Benefit is replaced with the new Canada Child Benefit.  The Department of Finance will report on performance of the Canada Child Benefit going forward.

Results to be achieved by non-federal and non-governmental partners: Not applicable

Performance information

Federal organizations

Link to department's programs

Contributing programs and activities

Total allocation (from start to end date) (dollars)

2015–16 Planned spending (dollars)

2015–16 Actual spending (dollars)

2015-16 Expected Results

2015-16 Actual results against targets

Employment and Social Development Canada

Income Security

National Child Benefit

Ongoing

300,000

137,834

Expected results:

  • Poverty among low-income families with children is reduced and prevented

Targets:

  • The low-income rate for children (based on the after-tax low income cut-off) will be at least 1.5 percentage points lower than it would have been without the NCB initiative in place.
  • The number of children prevented from living in low-income (based on the after-tax low income cut-off) as a direct result of the NCB initiative will be at least 110,000.



The performance results for the National Child Benefit Supplement were produced through simulation using Statistics Canada’s official source of income data. Beginning in 2012, that source of data became the Canadian Income Survey (CIS), which replaced the long-standing Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID).  Simulation results for 2012 and subsequent years are not available. As announced in Budget 2016, the National Child Benefit is replaced with the new Canada Child Benefit.  The Department of Finance will report on performance of the Canada Child Benefit going forward.

Indigenous and Northern Affaires Canada (INAC)

Social Development

National Child Benefit

Ongoing

110,000

Not available

Not available

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

Benefit programs

National Child Benefit

Ongoing

3,890,000,000

Not available

Not applicable

Not applicable

Total for all federal partners

3,890,410,000

137,834

*Total actual spending for all federal partners does not include INAC and CRA results.

Comments on variances:  Nil.

Results achieved by non-federal partners: Not spplicable.

Contact information:

Doug Murphy, Director General
Social Policy Directorate
Strategic and Service Policy Branch
Telephone: 613-654-3685
doug.murphy@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
Place du Portage, Phase IV
140 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Québec

4. Early Childhood Development

Name of horizontal initiative: Early Childhood Development

Name of lead departments: Employment and Social Development Canada

Federal partner organization: Department of Finance Canada

Non-federal and non-governmental partner: Not applicable

Lead departmental program: Social Development

Start date of the horizontal initiative: September 2000 with funding beginning April 2001

End date of the horizontal initiative: Ongoing 

Total federal funding allocation (start to end date): Ongoing

Funding contributed by non-federal and non-governmental partners (dollars): Not available

Description of the horizontal initiative (including funding agreement): In September 2000, federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for social services agreed to improve and expand early childhood development supports for young children (prenatal to age six) and for their parents.

The Government of Canada transfers over $1.3 billion annually to provinces and territories in support of families with young children through the Canada Social Transfer. This is a notional allocation in support of early childhood development, early learning and child care, and child care spaces.

Shared outcomes:  The objectives of the early childhood development initiative are to:

  • promote early childhood development so that, to their fullest potential, children will be physically and emotionally healthy, safe and secure, ready to learn and socially engaged and responsible; and
  • help children reach their potential and to help families support their children within strong communities

Governance structures: First ministers recognized that provinces and territories have the primary responsibility for early childhood development programs and services.

Federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for social services and ministers of health are responsible for commitments under the initiative.

Performance highlights: As funds are transferred to the provinces and territories via the Canada Social Transfer, provinces and territories are responsible for planning and prioritizing how the funds are invested.

Results achieved by non-federal and non-governmental partners: Not applicable

Contact information:  

Doug Murphy, Director General
Social Policy Directorate
Strategic and Service Policy Branch
Telephone: 613-654-3685
doug.murphy@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
Place du Portage, Phase IV
140 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Québec

5. Early Learning and Child Care

Name of horizontal initiative: Early Learning and Child Care

Name of lead departments: Employment and Social Development Canada

Federal partner organization: Department of Finance Canada

Non-federal and non-governmental partner:  Not applicable

Lead departmental program: Social Development

Start date of the horizontal initiative: March 2003

End date of the horizontal initiative: Ongoing

Total federal funding allocation (start to end date): Ongoing

Funding contributed by non-federal and non-governmental partners (dollars): Not applicable

Description of the horizontal initiative (including funding agreement): In March 2003, federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for social services agreed on a framework for improving access to affordable, quality provincially and territorially regulated early learning and child care programs and services. The objective of this initiative, which complements the September 2000 Early Childhood Development initiative, is to further promote early childhood development and support the participation of parents in employment or training by improving access to affordable, quality early learning and child care programs and services.

The Government of Canada transfers over $1.3 billion annually to provinces and territories in support of families with young children through the Canada Social Transfer. This is a notional allocation in support of early childhood development, early learning and child care, and child care spaces.

Shared outcomes: The objectives of the early learning and child care initiative are to:

  • promote early childhood development; and
  • support the participation of parents in employment or training by improving access to affordable, quality early learning and child care programs and services

Governance structures: The early learning and child care initiative recognizes that provinces and territories have the primary responsibility for early learning and child care programs and services.

Federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for social services are responsible for commitments under the initiative. 

Performance highlights: As funds are transferred to the provinces and territories via the Canada Social Transfer, provinces and territories are responsible for planning and prioritizing how the funds are invested.

Results achieved by non-federal and non-governmental partners: Not applicable

Contact information:

Doug Murphy, Director General
Social Policy Directorate
Strategic and Service Policy Branch
Telephone: 819-654-3685
doug.murphy@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
Place du Portage, Phase IV
140 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Québec

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