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Presented by Dr. Emis Akbari, Executive Director, Atkinson Centre, OISE/University of Toronto, to the Réseau Interagir: provincial francophone early years network, February 25, 2025.

Excerpt: "For the Department of Education, we also propose $1.07 million to fund teaching positions, and $849,000 to bolster the department’s Human Resource capabilities. We will provide $500,000 to support school bussing services, ensuring reliable transportation for students and making it easier for families to get their children to school on time every day —one of the most important things they can do for their future. We are also allocating $3 million to Education and $1.8 million for the Nunavut Arctic College to fund their IT infrastructure, supporting our students and educators to access modern systems that support learning and innovation."

Excerpt: "It will enhance school breakfast programming for all 373 schools across the province, which is currently serving approximately 52,000 kids this school year. With this agreement, families in Nova Scotia with two children in school can save $800 in grocery bills a year on average. As part of this agreement, the Government of »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ will invest approximately $12.4 million over the next three years to feed more kids. For the 2024-25 school year, that will include offering a more robust and consistent breakfast program in schools across the province, purchasing new kitchen equipment, hiring additional program coordinators, and developing new recipes for the launch of the next phase of the pay-what-you-can lunch program. These enhancements are particularly significant for rural and remote communities in Nova Scotia and will provide children most affected by food insecurity with access to more consistent and nutritious meals at school."

Excerpt: "The ministry will be extending funding for the school districts included in the child care on school grounds pilots (Seamless Day Kindergarten, School Age Child Care, Just B4 licensed preschool, and the Integration Inquiry Project) to ensure the existing child care spaces families depend on are operational next school year."

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Excerpt: "The Welcoming a Child Hub offers a personalized checklist and highlights key benefits from the government. This ensures parents can plan Employment Insurance leave, the »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ Child Benefit, Dental Care and may other benefits available to them through the Government of »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿. It also shares relatable stories inspired by real experiences. Similar to the recently launched Retirement Hub and the What to Do When Someone Dies Hub, this initiative demonstrates the Government’s commitment to improving services and supporting Canadians through major life events and unique challenges."

Excerpt: "These increases are partially offset by a $67.5 million decrease in the Investing in »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ Infrastructure Program due to construction delays, a $47.8 million decrease related to the »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿-Nova Scotia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement due to timing delays associated with various action plan initiatives, and a $12.3 million decrease in municipal contributions for correctional facilities and public housing related to the service exchange agreement"

Excerpt: "As we create new child care spaces, we also need more talented early childhood educators to support them. To help build this incredible workforce, the governments of »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ and Manitoba are investing in professional training and education, including $5.8 million for a tuition reimbursement program that provides early childhood education students with up to $5,000. There’s also dedicated funding to support newcomers and Indigenous students entering the field, ensuring more trained professionals are ready to meet the demand."

Excerpt: "Proposed changes to the »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ Student Financial Assistance Regulations and »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ Student Loans Regulations, pre-published today in the »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ Gazette, Part I, will allow early childhood educators, dentists, dental hygienists, pharmacists, midwives, teachers, social workers, psychologists, personal support workers and physiotherapists to be eligible for student loan forgiveness. These changes are expected to increase the number of loan forgiveness beneficiaries by about 8,000 starting in 2025–26 and by up to 19,000 in 2034–35. It is estimated that over 10 years, more than 27,000 professionals would be encouraged to move to rural and remote areas due to this benefit."

Master of Arts (MA) in Child Study and Education
Expected year of graduation: 2026

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