‘Advocating aggressively’
P.E.I. will work hard for good share of large federal funding for child care spaces
Education and Early Learning Minister Doug Currie plans to fight tooth and nail to wrestle as much federal funding as possible for additional child-care spaces in P.E.I.
Ottawa proposed Wednesday to invest $7 billion over 10 years starting in 2018-19 to support and create “more high-quality, flexible, fully inclusive and affordable’’ child care spaces across the country.
Currie says once a national framework is approved, agreements will be finalized with provinces and territories to address their unique needs.
He feels well positioned as colead and chairman of the Provincial-Territorial Committee on the development and approval of a new national framework for early learning and child care to build a case for strong funding to P.E.I. “I am going to be advocating very aggressively for our share of that $7 billion, but we’re also, as the province, looking at ways we can be more aggressive at expanding access and creating more options around affordability,’’ he told reporters.
Currie estimates slightly more than 40 per cent of the province’s population aged four years and under has access to affordable child care.
“My commitment as the minister responsible for early year learning is to continue to grow and expand seats in the early childhood sector,’’ he says. “Right now some families and parents just can’t afford care. So this announcement is a real positive step forward. For me, it’s about getter as many zero to four-year-olds to give them the opportunity to have the same equal opportunities to children that are in care.’’
Currie says P.E.I. is seen as a leader in early childhood policy and program development with a comprehensive system that includes training requirements for early childhood educators and child-care subsidies for families who qualify.
The minister says positive experiences in the early years have a lasting impact on a child’s development and future wellbeing.
“Investments in zero to fouryear-olds are also investments in our K to 12 system, our workforce and our future prosperity. Good access to high-quality early learning and care also has tremendous benefits for working parents who are raising families.’’
The federal government also plans to work with provinces and territories, as well as other key experts, to improve data collection to expand knowledge and research in early learning and child care.