The federal government announced Nunavut will be the first jurisdiction to be getting $10-a-day childcare for families in the territory by December 1. Bringing the planned Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Agreement early to Nunavummiut.
Originally the federal government planned to support $10-a-day child care by March 2024, however with the Government of NunavutSA国际影视传媒檚 assistance they pushed it forward to this December.
The federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould made the announcement at the Iglulik High School.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 pretty exciting news for families and children in Nunavut,SA国际影视传媒漵aid Gould.
SA国际影视传媒淔or some families this could be savings of up to $14,000 a year. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 $14,000 that could go a long way to paying for the high cost of food, warm clothes.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淭hey need to have access to childcare so that they can work, provide for their families. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 a really significant help to the family economy,SA国际影视传媒� Gould added.
Many families in the area are already feeling the negative impacts of ongoing inflation.
SA国际影视传媒淧eople have been going hunting more often because of the food prices, the gas is not cheap too,SA国际影视传媒� said Amittuq MLA Joelie Kaernerk. SA国际影视传媒淚nflation has a big influence, $10-a-day will be very good for this community,SA国际影视传媒� he added.
NunavutSA国际影视传媒檚 education minister Pamela Gross also said this will help parents in the territory significantly.
SA国际影视传媒淭he support from this funding will really help parents, theySA国际影视传媒檒l see the cost-savings immediately,SA国际影视传媒� said Gross.
SA国际影视传媒淚t will mean more opportunities for Nunavummiut to enter the workforce or go back to school, to support their families and put more food on the table.SA国际影视传媒�
More support for childcare will also help students in their future education, according to the principal of Ataguttaaluk Elementary School Don Macaskill.
SA国际影视传媒淚t helps students prepare in a more formal setting for school, kindergarten, grade one and up,SA国际影视传媒� said Macaskill.
SA国际影视传媒淲hen you can introduce students at the young age of three, four to a routine or a program I think it benefits them years down the road in their education.SA国际影视传媒�
Iglulik has three daycares, including one which recently opened up at the high school. It also experienced one of the highest population jumps in the 2022 census from 2016, 17.5 per cent, or 305 people.
SA国际影视传媒淭he Department worked to get the daycare up and running in the high school. It was a special highlight of the trip to see the ELCC students and to visit the daycare,SA国际影视传媒� said Gross.
The ELCC plan for Nunavut will be to create 238 new licensed not-for-profit spaces by March 2026 to increase the availability of spaces for families in CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 youngest jurisdiction.
SA国际影视传媒淚 think itSA国际影视传媒檚 important to show, when weSA国际影视传媒檙e talking about childcare, itSA国际影视传媒檚 not just in the big cities, itSA国际影视传媒檚 really everywhere across the territory,SA国际影视传媒� said Gould.
SA国际影视传媒淲e have both the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care initiative but we also have the Indigenous Early Learning and Childcare initiative. What we see in Nunavut is those two pieces working together,SA国际影视传媒� she added.
