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Excerpt: "The new Higher Wages, Good Jobs, More Child Care strategy lays out a roadmap to recruit and support the child-care workforce in Manitoba. Organized around three pillars – recruitment, retention and recognition – the strategy will implement a number of initiatives to achieve its workforce goals, the minister noted. “Having access to affordable, high-quality child care has been life-changing for our family,” said Quinn Suderman, a Winnipeg parent of two. “It’s not just about having a spot, it’s knowing our children are in a safe, nurturing environment with educators who truly care. It gives us peace of mind and the flexibility to work and support our family.” A key part of the strategy, the early childhood educators (ECE) recruit-back incentive has just been launched with the goal of recruiting child-care professionals who have left the field. The initiative provides a $5,000 incentive for ECE II and IIIs who have not worked in a Manitoba licensed child-care centre or licensed home-based child-care setting for at least two consecutive years to return to full-time employment in a Manitoba licensed and non-profit child-care facility. This strategy complements a wage increase for child-care professionals introduced in May 2025, which saw front-line ECE wages increase by up to $5 an hour."

In this virtual session with Dr. David Philpott, part of our Beyond the Podcast series, we explore the vital role of inclusion in early childhood programs. Dr. Philpott discusses the importance of the environment as the “third teacher” and how children learn with, from, and about one another—where diversity itself becomes the curriculum.

This session also highlights what makes strong public policy to ensure that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

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Excerpt: "This winter construction will start on four new schools, built by Manitoba workers, with 402 childcare spots in River East, Pembina Trails, Seven Oaks and Brandon. With our updated English Language Arts curriculum and the roll out of our universal early reading screening program, we are making sure kids have the support and tools they need to learn to read. With more than 800 new teachers in our classrooms, 4,200 more childcare spots, and our universal school food program, we are helping more kids learn and graduate. The next step is to reach the students who are falling through the cracks with our new "Reach Out, Reach Up" program that helps schools improve attendance."

Excerpt: "Five years into Canada’s $10-a-day child care plan, affordability has improved dramatically for families fortunate enough to have a space. However, the families who need care the most are being left behind. Both the auditor general of Canada and the auditor general of Ontario have warned that the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program, while successful in lowering fees, is failing to meet its other commitments — inclusion, quality and equitable access. The $10-a-day plan was meant to be a nation-building project — one that gives every child, regardless of background, an equal start in life. But affordability without equity is a hollow victory. If governments fail to correct course, inequities will harden into the system’s design, and the intergenerational cycle of poverty will deepen."

An elementary school teacher opens the door for more opportunities.

OISE GSA November Council Meeting

Excerpt: "The Ontario government is requiring school boards to establish Student and Family Support Offices, so parents and guardians have a clear, effective way to get help regarding their child’s education and find solutions faster. The offices will act as an additional way to help families get answers on broader community concerns, as well as contentious or complex issues that need to be escalated after speaking with the school. This initiative is one more way the government is delivering on its broader plan to make school boards more accountable and focused on student success with a back-to-basics approach that strengthens student achievement and prepares them for rewarding careers."

Excerpt: "The Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program’s focus on affordability has significantly lowered child care costs for families with children under six. In Ontario, at the time of writing this document, the maximum price paid for each child under six attending a licensed child care program (centre or home-based) is $22 per day. Eligible families can claim the federal Child Care Expense Deduction (CCED) and Ontario’s Child Care Tax Credit (also known as Ontario Childcare Access and Relief from Expenses (CARE) Tax Credit). The CCED is calculated as a deduction from gross income and applied against the lower employment income in two-parent families. The CCED maximum deduction for a child aged 0 to 7 is $8,000. The specific eligibility documentation can be found on the CRA website. The CARE is the Ontario refundable tax credit that is applied against a maximum of 75 percent of eligible child care costs, with an upper limit determined by the federal CCED deduction limits."

Excerpt: "Families in Middle Musquodoboit and area in Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) are getting more options and improved access to child care. The Province is investing about $4.5 million in the Splash of Color Children’s Centre to add up to 76 new child-care spaces. This project is part of provincial and federal efforts to expand access to child care, supported through the Canada–Nova Scotia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement."

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