Government of Canada and Government of Prince Edward Island announce extension of support for quality early learning and child care across the province

The Government of Canada and the Government of Prince Edward Island have reached an agreement on an extension to the Canada–Prince Edward Island Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

Through the agreement, the Government of Canada is providing over $16 million in funding over four years to Prince Edward Island to improve access to high quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services.

Under the 2021–2022 to 2024–2025 Canada–Prince Edward Island Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Prince Edward Island will allocate funding to increase access to affordable, inclusive and high-quality early learning and child care spaces, including for those with parents who work non-standard hours, for children of all abilities or needing individual or enhanced supports, and to invest in training to support early childhood educators.

This four-year agreement builds on the commitments made in the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework and ensures that funding continues to be available to support early learning and child care programs and services for Prince Edward Island families until March 2025.

These investments support the Government of Canada and the Government of Prince Edward Island’s shared commitment to provide parents in the province with access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care.

Quotes

“Child care is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. High-quality early learning experiences are essential to the intellectual, emotional and physical development of our children. Our government will continue to fight for families and children in Prince Edward Island, to ensure they have access to affordable, accessible, flexible and inclusive child care because every child deserves the best possible start in life.”
– Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen

“Access to high quality early learning and child care is such an important pillar in our province’s economic recovery so Islanders, especially women, can enter or return to the workforce. Early childhood education is one of the best investments governments can make in the future of our province and provides children a solid foundation for the skills and confidence they need to thrive.  

Prince Edward Island is a leader in early learning and child care and will continue to make investments that are responsive to the needs of Islanders.”
– The Honourable Natalie Jameson, Prince Edward Island’s Minister of Education and Lifelong Learning  and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women

Quick facts

The Government of Canada and the Government of Prince Edward Island recently signed a new Canada-Prince Edward Island Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, providing an additional $121.3 million in federal funding over five years to support an average of $10 a day early learning and child care in the province by the end of 2024, including a one-time investment of about $3.6 million in 2021-2022 to support the early childhood workforce.

The Government of Canada has invested approximately $14 million in early learning and child care in Prince Edward Island since 2017.

The Government of Prince Edward Island invests over $31 million in early learning and child care annually.

Through previous investments in early learning and child care, the Government of Canada helped to create over 40,000 more affordable early learning and child care spaces across the country prior to the pandemic, including over 950 in Prince Edward Island.

Budgets 2016 and 2017 provided federal investments in early learning and child care totaling $7.5 billion over 11 years to support and create more high-quality, affordable early learning and child care across the country, including dedicated investment for Indigenous early learning and child care. 

Associated links
Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework

Contacts
For media enquiries, please contact:

Hafsah Asadullah
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen
Hafsah.asadullah@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Alex Firth
Department of Education and Lifelong Learning
902-218-3973
anfirth@gov.pe.ca

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559