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Excerpt: "Dear Parents and Guardians, I know that child care costs are a top concern for families, and I am writing to provide an important update about what to expect for next year. I am pleased to share that »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ has successfully negotiated a one-year extension of the federal child care program which was to expire on March 31, 2026. This extension ensures continuity of the program for the coming year, providing much-needed stability for families and keeping fees at their current average of $19 per day, and a maximum of $22 per day, until at least December 31, 2026."

Excerpt: "Classrooms in Alberta continue to grow and are becoming increasingly complex, and immediate action is needed to address these issues in the public education system. To meet these issues head on, the Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee has been created. The cabinet committee will help guide government policy and deploy resources to deal with class sizes and classroom complexity."

L'IEPO et l’Université de l’»»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ français (UOF) ont signé un protocole d’entente officialisant leur volonté commune de resserrer les liens.

Excerpt: "The government is continuing to ensure growing communities are provided with modern learning spaces to help students achieve success. As announced in the 2025 »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ Budget, »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ is investing over $30 billion over the next 10 years, including approximately $23 billion in capital grants, to build new and redeveloped schools and child care spaces. This includes working closely with school boards to ensure infrastructure investments meet the needs of local communities and deliver value for »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ taxpayers. This investment includes approximately $2 billion for the 2025–26 school year to repair and maintain schools, which will support safe, healthy, accessible and supportive learning environments. For the 2025–26 school year, 41 new schools and additions have opened, creating over 17,700 student spaces, including five French-language school projects."

La professeure Diane Farmer a pris sa retraite après de nombreuses années au CREFO en tant que directrice et professeure titulaire.

e-News

Excerpt: "»»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿-wide early learning and child care transfer payments are expected to increase from $7.9 billion in 2025-26 to $8.5 billion in 2029-30, reflecting 3 per cent per year growth for four years starting in 2027-28 as announced in 2025. This also includes $625 million over four years, beginning in 2023-24, for the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund."

'Combating hate and celebrating queer joy as resistance': OISE alumna Dr. JJ Wright has been named one of Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40. Dr. Wright, a scholar, advocate and graduate of the Department of Social Justice Education, is currently a professor at MacEwan University, teaching and researching in the areas of sociology and gender studies.

The graph presents Early Childhood Educator (ECE) earnings across »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿, comparing them to provincial and territorial poverty thresholds using the Market Basket Measure. The data reveals significant wage disparities, with ECE salaries falling below the living wage in most regions and, in some cases, barely exceeding poverty thresholds.

- Poverty Threshold Comparison: In many provinces and territories, ECE wages hover near or just above the poverty line, highlighting the financial instability of the profession.
- Living Wage Gap: Only a handful of jurisdictions—with stronger wage policies—offer ECE salaries that meet or exceed the local living wage. In most areas, ECEs struggle to afford basic necessities despite their essential role in early learning.
- Regional Variations: Provinces with higher government investment in child care and workforce compensation tend to have narrower wage gaps, while others lag behind, exacerbating challenges in recruitment and retention.

This data reinforces the urgent need for wage grids, increased public investment, and stronger workforce policies to ensure fair compensation for ECEs and enhance workforce stability.