Moving Forward: Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia sign an Agreement on Early Learning and Child Care

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA—Prime Minister Paul Martin and Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm, along with Social Development Minister Ken Dryden and David Morse, Nova Scotia's Minister of Community Services, announced today an historic Agreement in Principle that further supports the development of quality early learning and child care (ELCC) for young children and their families in Nova Scotia.

"Canadian parents, child care organizations and governments have been working collaboratively for years to develop ways to help Canada's youngest citizens. This Agreement in Principle between Canada and Nova Scotia builds upon those efforts and moves our country significantly closer to fulfilling a shared vision for early learning and child care," said Prime Minister Paul Martin. "Decades ago, it was a series of such agreements that led to the creation of Medicare in Canada—a program that now helps to define us as Canadians."

This announcement follows the Government of Canada's February 2005 budget commitment to invest $5 billion over five years to enhance and expand high-quality developmental early learning and child care in collaboration with provinces and territories.

As announced in previous federal-provincial-territorial meetings on ELCC, this initiative will be guided by the QUAD principles: quality, universal inclusiveness, accessibility, and development.

"Nova Scotia is renowned for its strong and resilient communities, built upon generations of families working together for the benefit of Nova Scotians to come," said Dr. John Hamm, Premier of Nova Scotia. "Healthy and happy children will grow into our future business and community leaders, trades people and professionals, and volunteers who will continue to strengthen our province. Our future belongs to our children, and this Agreement in Principle will help us better support them in the years to come."

"With this Agreement in Principle, there is now another reason Nova Scotia's children have a very bright future," said Minister Dryden. "We are working to develop an ambitious, high-quality, developmental-based system of early learning and child care in every province and territory in this country. We have already signed agreements with four other provinces, and over the coming weeks, I hope that we will conclude Agreements in Principle with other provincial and territorial governments."

Over the next five years, with financial support from the Government of Canada, Nova Scotia will build on existing strengths to develop an integrated early learning and child care system so that families and children will benefit from higher quality, more developmental programs, and so that there will be more early learning and child care opportunities. Nova Scotia will attain these objectives by making investments in regulated early learning and child care programs and services for children under age six. Nova Scotia will also continue to consult with representatives of the child care sector, as is evident by the current Child Care Subsidy Program Review Working Group, to discuss improvements to subsidy rates, operational grants, revised criteria for eligibility for families for subsidized spaces and improved retention and training supports for early childhood educators and child care providers. Nova Scotia will develop and release an action plan on early learning and child care by December 2005. Canada and Nova Scotia will also work together to conclude a detailed multi-year funding agreement by February 15, 2006.

"The early years in a child's life lay the foundation for a lifetime of health, happiness and security," said Minister Morse. "Nova Scotia is committed to supporting families and providing opportunities for children to learn and grow in healthy and happy environments. This Agreement in Principle is a significant step towards improving child care for Nova Scotia's children and their families."

The Agreement in Principle sets out a long-term vision, principles, and goals to guide the development of regulated early learning and child care for children under six. It also outlines specific objectives that the Government of Nova Scotia will pursue over the next five years and how that Government will be accountable to Nova Scotians. Also, the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia will work with other provinces and territories to develop knowledge and information that will contribute to more effective early learning and child care programming. As part of this Agreement in Principle, the Government of Canada will work with Nova Scotia and other interested provincial and territorial governments to develop a National Quality Framework that will guide the development of early learning and child care programming across Canada.

Nova Scotia will continue to report publicly on early learning and child care, so that Nova Scotians can track progress.

The Government of Canada recently signed similar Early Learning and Child Care Agreements in Principle with Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador, and expects to put similar agreements in place with the remaining provinces and territories over the coming weeks.

-30-

The Agreement in Principle is accessible at the following site: http://www.sdc.gc.ca/en/cs/comm/sd/news/agreements_principle/index.shtml

For more information:

PMO Press Office
(613) 957-5555

Sarah Bain
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Social Development
(613) 941-0766

Media Relations
Social Development Canada
(613) 941-1110

Cathy MacIsaac
Communications Director
Department of Community Services
(902) 424-6283