Child care is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the real social and economic challenges faced by families in Northwest Territories, particularly with children staying home and parents being unable to return to the workforce.

“Every child deserves the best possible start in life. High-quality accessible and inclusive early learning experiences are essential to the intellectual, emotional and physical development of our children. Our government is working hard to ensure that all children and families in the territory have equal access to the quality early learning and child care they need to succeed.”
– Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen

“Families in Northwest Territories need access to safe, affordable early learning and child care now, more than ever. The Government of Canada is proud to invest in our child care systems to ensure all children get the best possible start in life.”
– Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories, Michael V. McLeod

“There is a collective benefit in investing and supporting young children and their families. Supports provided now will benefit future generations in Northwest Territories (NWT), as today’s young children will grow to become tomorrow’s healthy, productive and capable citizens that are able to share their skills, talents and services. Expanding the availability of early learning and child care opportunities requires the need for partnerships and collaborative efforts like this, to meet the unique needs of families with young children throughout NWT.”
– Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, R.J. Simpson

• The federal government entered into bilateral agreements with all provinces and territories to provide them with $1.2 billion over three years for early learning and child care programs, starting in 2017–18. 

• These important investments in early learning and child care helped to create just over 40,000 more affordable child care spaces nationally prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The federal government has now finalized one-year bilateral agreements with each of the provinces and territories that is providing them with a total of $400 million in 2020–21. This funding will continue to support the early learning and child care sector and will build on the success of the previous agreements.

• Government of Canada is committed to making a significant, long-term, sustained investment to create a Canada-wide early learning and child care system and to subsidize before- and after-school care.

• The Government of Canada will also invest $420 million in 2021–22 to support the recruitment and retention of early childhood educators across Canada.

• The Government of Northwest Territories’ action plan is focused on fostering the development of high-quality, culturally relevant early learning and child care environments, supporting the professional development of staff in licensed care settings, increasing the number of early childhood educators and supporting access to child care by meeting the individual needs of communities. 

Associated links

• Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework
• Canada–Northwest Territories Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2020–2021

For media enquiries, please contact:

Mikaela Harrison
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen
mikaela.harrison@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Cabinet Communications and Protocol
Executive and Indigenous Affairs
Government of Northwest Territories
presssecretary@gov.nt.ca

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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