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.
Quotes
"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
Quick facts
- 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.
Associated links
Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework
Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care
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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada