Government of Canada provides funding to Whitecap Early Learning Centre to improve Indigenous early learning and child care programs

WHITECAP DAKOTA NATION, SK, May 17, 2024 /CNW/ - Every child deserves the best start in life. But for young families, including Millennial and Gen Z parents, the costs of child care can add up to a second rent or mortgage payment. This makes it harder to start and support a family. As a result, parents?especially moms?often face impossible choices between their careers and childcare fees.

Fairness for every generation means ensuring parents and caregivers?especially moms?do not have to choose between a career and starting a family. The Government is taking action to make life more affordable for young families and to build a Canada where every generation can get ahead.

Further, Indigenous children benefit greatly from early learning opportunities rooted in their culture and language. In the spirit of reconciliation, the Government of Canada is promoting and investing in Indigenous-led early learning and child care to ensure First Nations, Inuit and Métis children have the head start they need to succeed.

Today, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Gary Anandasangaree, joined Chief Darcy Bear of the Whitecap Dakota Nation, to announce that the Government of Canada will invest an additional $35,000 in Whitecap Dakota Nation's Early Learning Centre to develop and promote best practices and innovative models in Indigenous early learning and child care programs. This funding comes from the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Quality Improvement Projects.

The Whitecap Early Learning Centre is a provincially licensed childcare facility that can support up to 56 children, aged 6 weeks to 12 years. The centre is managed by Whitecap Dakota Nation and is open to both Band members and non-member families. The centre believes in educating the whole child; intellectually, emotionally, physically and spiritually, with a strong emphasis on Dakota culture.

This project will advance the vision and goals of the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework by creating new tools, curriculum, or training to support Indigenous early learning and child care staff working with children with special needs. The project will also create space, resources, staff expertise, and project evaluation for children who experience neurodivergence.

Today's announcement will help improve Indigenous early learning and childcare systems as we work together to give every child the best possible start in life.

In Saskatchewan, families are already benefitting from $10-a-day regulated child care, saving parents up to $6,900 per year per child. To make sure all families can benefit from these savings, the Government of Canada recently announced an additional investment of $27.7 million over four years to build more child care spaces across the province.

"First Nations, Inuit and Métis families have unique aspirations and needs for their children. By supporting the research and development of innovative approaches to culturally-appropriate Indigenous early learning and child care, the Government of Canada hopes to ensure more children can benefit from early learning opportunities steeped in their rich culture."
? The Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Jenna Sudds

"The Whitecap Early Learning Centre is already yielding results and showing us what Indigenous-led, culturally-informed child care can look like right across the country. It was an honour to visit their child care facility and see this transformative work first hand."
? The Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Gary Anandasangaree

"Our investments in early learning are already showing results in improved literacy and future success for our children as they progress through school. This project will bring new resources to address the unique needs facing families in our community, and it will be accomplished in ways that reflect and honour our Dakota language, culture and ways."
? Chief Darcy Bear, Whitecap Dakota Nation

• All provinces and territories are offering or are on track to offer $10-a-day regulated child care. This progress, made possible by nearly $40 billion in federal support since 2016, including the transformative investment of nearly $30 billion in Budget 2021, is making life more affordable for young families.
• Women's labour force participation is now at a record high of 85.7%, meaning more families are earning more income and contributing to Canada's economic growth, while saving thousands of dollars on child care every year.
• The Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Quality Improvement Projects aim to advance the vision and goals of the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework through research and innovation.
• This project is part of the third round of Quality Improvement Projects to receive funding:
  • In 2019?20, 13 projects were approved for a total of $4.1 million over two years.
  • In 2021?22, 19 projects were approved for a total of $9.25 million over two years.
• The co-developed Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework was jointly released by the Government of Canada, the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and the Métis National Council in 2018. It adopts a distinctions-based approach to strengthening high-quality, culturally appropriate early learning and child care for Indigenous children guided by Indigenous priorities.
• Budget 2017 included up to $1.7 billion over 10 years, starting in 2018?19, to support the co-developed Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework and strengthen culturally appropriate early learning and child care programs for Indigenous children and families.
• To sustain this 10-year investment, the 2020 Fall Economic Statement committed to make this funding permanent and ongoing at $210 million per year, starting in 2028?29.
• Budget 2021 invested an additional $2.5 billion over five years and $542 million in ongoing funding to implement this Framework, which aims to ensure that early learning and child care systems meet the needs of Indigenous families, wherever they live.
• In addition to this Quality Improvement Project funding, the Whitecap Dakota Nation also receives funding under the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework to support its Early Learning and Child Care programs and services, governance, and infrastructure.

Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework
Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada