Backgrounder: Online engagement on Indigenous early learning and child care launched

On March 22, 2017, the Government of Canada released Budget 2017, which proposes to invest $7 billion over 10 years, starting in 2018–19, to support and create more high quality, affordable child care spaces across the country. A portion of this investment will be dedicated to early learning and child care programs for all Indigenous children.

The Government of Canada has been collaborating with Indigenous peoples since summer 2016 towards the development of an Indigenous early learning and child care framework that will reflect the unique needs and priorities of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and families across Canada. To further support the development of the Framework, and to complement the engagement activities being led by Indigenous partners, the Government will hold an online engagement process from May 17 to July 21, 2017.

Early learning can include a range of activities designed to support child development and learning for young children, typically from birth to age 6. These activities support language, emotional, intellectual and physical development and can take place in the home, in a pre-school or nursery school, or in a child care or day care setting.

Child care is the caring for a child or children, usually from birth to age 12 or 13, by a day-care centre, babysitter or other provider.

High quality early learning and child care has been shown to have significant short-term and long-term benefits, such as improved childhood development, improved school readiness and educational attainment, increased parental labour market participation, reduced poverty, and improved social mobility between generations.

For Indigenous children and families, culturally appropriate early learning and child care that takes into account the cultures, traditions, values and customs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities can be critical in creating a foundation for pride and confidence in their cultural identity.

To reflect the unique needs and priorities of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and families across Canada, and aligned with the Government of Canada’s commitment to reconciliation, an Indigenous early learning and child care framework is being co-developed with Indigenous peoples. This framework is intended to guide future investments and programming approaches in Indigenous early learning and child care.

The Government currently invests in three key Indigenous early learning and child care programs: 

• Aboriginal Head Start On Reserve, available to First Nations children and families living on reserve, is administered by Health Canada and supports early child development strategies that are designed and controlled by First Nations communities.  

• Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities is administered by the Public Health Agency of Canada and funds Indigenous community-based organizations in urban and northern areas to develop programs that promote the healthy development of Indigenous preschool children (Inuit, Métis and First Nations children and families living off reserve).   

• First Nations and Inuit Child Care Initiative is administered by Employment and Social Development Canada and supports First Nations people living on reserves and Inuit communities in developing and implementing child care programs to address their local and regional needs.