Backgrounder: Canada–Northwest Territories Early Learning and Child Care Agreement

Canada–Northwest Territories Early Learning and Child Care Agreement

On June 12, 2017, the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Early Learning and Child Care signed a Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework. This is a significant milestone in which governments agree to work together to address some of the key early learning and child care issues across the country.

Governments will work towards achieving the shared long-term vision of the Framework where all children across Canada can experience the enriching environment of quality early learning and child care. They have committed to increase the quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility and inclusivity of early learning and child care with consideration for families that need child care the most.

The implementation of this framework, and a separate Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework to be co-developed with Indigenous peoples, is supported by federal investments announced in Budgets 2016 and 2017 totalling $7.5 billion over 11 years. Through bilateral agreements, the Government of Canada will provide provinces and territories with $1.2 billion over three years to address unique early learning and child care needs and allocate funding for each jurisdiction.

The governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories have signed an early learning and child care bilateral agreement. Through this bilateral agreement, the Government of the Northwest Territories will receive over $7 million over three years. The Northwest Territories is committed to ensuring that children from birth to school entry, and their families, have high-quality and accessible early childhood learning and child care options.

By the end of the three-year agreement, this funding will:

·        increase in the number of trained, quality early childhood educators in the Territory;

·        develop cultural resources that will be shared with all licenced centre-based programs benefiting as many as 1,794 children territory-wide;

·        support a new two-year, face-to-face, Early Learning and Child Care diploma program at Aurora College; and

·       support new child care spaces and increased utilization rates of existing centre-based programs, which can result in improved access to child care in underserved communities.