The Early Learning Gateway is an online platform to improve access to early learning and child care in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Early Learning Gateway consists of a parent portal for parents/guardians , a service portal for regulated child care services, and a ECE portal for Early Childhood Educators (ECE).

New features will be added in the near future to further support access to high-quality, affordable, and inclusive early learning and child care in the province.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to providing high-quality, affordable, and accessible child care. The launch of a provincial Early Learning Gateway provides an online solution and multiple benefits for parents/guardians, regulated child care services, and early childhood educators (ECEs) to connect and access resources.

Listed below are some long-term benefits:

• Connect regulated child care services with parents/guardians who need child care through a waitlist
• Connect regulated child care services with ECE substitutes who are interested in working part time
• Decrease some of the administrative burden of managing a waitlist
• Streamline processes
• Improve efficiency
• Quick access
• Convenience
• Secure information collection

The waitlist within the Early Learning Gateway connects parents/guardians in need of child care with regulated child care services. Parents/guardians can access Early Learning Gateway to add their child(ren) to a regulated child care service waitlist. Then, regulated child care services can view and manage the list of parents/guardians who added their child to their waitlist through the Early Learning Gateway

The regulated child care service will continue to manage and accept a child based on their own policies and procedures. The regulated child care service will contact a parent once a space becomes available. The Early Learning Gateway does not guarantee a space, by the preferred date care is needed. It is an online tool to connect parents in need of child care with child care services.

To access the Early Learning Gateway parent portal, visit the Early Learning Gateway website at www.gov.nl.ca/EarlyLearningGateway, click on the parent/guardian portal sign in, then proceed to log into your MyGovNL account. If you do not have a MyGovNL account, you must create one. Once logged into your account, click on Early Learning Gateway under the services.

To access Early Learning Gateway service within MyGovNL, you must:

• Be a resident of Newfoundland and Labrador; and
• Have a valid MCP; or
• Have a valid Government of Newfoundland and Labrador issued Driver’s License or Photo ID

If you need assistance completing the request to create a MyGovNL account, please contact digitalgovernment@gov.nl.ca.

If you need assistance with your MCP, please visit the MCP service on the services page at MyGovNL.ca.

If you need assistance with your Driver’s License or Photo ID information, please visit the Driver and Vehicle Service on the services page at MyGovNL.ca.

If you are an out of province parent/guardian seeking child care in Newfoundland and Labrador, please complete the Out of Province Waitlist Request Form.

Guidance on how to access the Early Learning Gateway parent portal.

You can access the Early Learning Gateway on computers, tablets, and smartphones. You will need to access the internet using a browser such as Google Chrome, Safari, or Microsoft Edge.

Guidance on how to add your child(ren) to a regulated child care waitlist.

Out of province parents/guardians seeking child care in Newfoundland and Labrador should complete the Out of Province Waitlist Request Form. Ensure all mandatory fields are filled out as incomplete forms cannot be processed. After the form is submitted, the Department of Education will add your child to the specified waitlist. Processing takes 5-7 business days and you will receive an email notification when your waitlist requests are added to the Early Learning Gateway. Child care services will contact you directly when a space is available.

Once you become eligible to create a MyGovNL account as a resident, use the same email address from the Out of Province Waitlist Request Form to view your waitlist registrations in the Early Learning Gateway.

Just one parent/guardian is required to add their child(ren) to a regulated child care service waitlist on the Early Learning Gateway to prevent duplicate entries on the waitlist(s) for child care services.

Yes, parent/guardians can search for regulated child care services and add their child(ren) to any of the services waitlist that appear in the search results.

Guidance on how to add your child(ren) to a regulated child care waitlist.

Yes, you can use the Early Learning Gateway to search for Pre-K locations and add your child(ren) to their waitlist.

Please visit Pre-Kindergarten Program – YMCA Newfoundland & Labrador (ymcanl.com) for more information on YMCA Pre-Kindergarten Program.

Guidance on how to add your child(ren) to a regulated child care waitlist.

Yes, you can add your expectant child to a waitlist(s) using Early Learning Gateway.

Guidance on how to add your child(ren) to a regulated child care waitlist.

If the child care service is regulated and on the Operating Grant Program ($10.00 per day child care), you will use the Early Learning Gateway to add your child(ren) to their waitlist.

When you log into the Early Learning Gateway, you can add your child(ren) to any of the regulated child care services waitlists displayed in your search results. If you are unable to locate a specific child care service, you can reach out to the service directly for further assistance.

Yes, you can modify or remove your child(ren) from a waitlist you added through the Early Learning Gateway.

Guidance on how to modify or remove add your child(ren) to a regulated child care waitlist.

At this time parents/guardians are able to view their child’s waitlist(s) once added in the Early Learning Gateway. Parents/guardians may see a Waitlist Position under their child’s waitlist. The Waitlist Position is an estimate of your overall position for a specific child care service and is subject to change. Child care services manage waitlists and prioritize children based on different criteria (e.g., child’s age, siblings).

The regulated child care service will contact parents/guardians when a space is available, based on their own policies and procedures. To ensure the service has your contact details, log into the Early Learning Gateway, click on your name in top right corner, select ‘Profile’ and add or update your contact information.

Waitlist position is an estimate of your overall position for a specific child care service and is subject to change. Child care services manage waitlists and prioritize children based on different criteria (e.g., child’s age, siblings). A child care service that shows a dash (-) for Waitlist Position is currently working through their existing waitlist.

The child care service will contact parents/guardians when a space is available, based on their own policies and procedures.

The regulated child care service will contact parents/guardians when a space is available, based on their own policies and procedures.

To ensure the service has your contact details, log into the Early Learning Gateway, click on your name in top right corner, select ‘Profile’ and add or update your contact information.

If you are on an existing waitlist, the regulated child care service may continue to manage their existing waitlist based on their own policies and procedures in the interim as they phase out their existing waitlist.

Parents and guardians can use the Early Learning Gateway to add their child(ren) to waitlist(s) for regulated child care services.

To maintain accurate waitlist records, parents/guardians must review their waitlist in the Early Learning Gateway. After adding their child to a child care service waitlist, they will receive three email notifications every six months, prompting them to review the waitlist. After the first email, parents and guardians have 21 days to complete their review. Waitlists not reviewed within this period will be deactivated.

Guidance on how to review waitlists requiring your attention.

If you need assistance reviewing your child’s waitlist, please contact elgateway@gov.nl.ca.

When adding a child to a child care service waitlist in the Early Learning Gateway, parents/guardians may need to answer a series of priority questions, depending on the service. Child care services may manage and prioritize waitlists based on various criteria (e.g., child’s age, siblings). The information helps the child care service effectively manage their waitlist.

 

If you added a child to a child care service waitlist, you may receive a notification in the Early Learning Gateway Parent Portal to answer the questions for the service.

 

Guidance on child care service priority questions.

If you have created a parent/guardian account in the Early Learning Gateway, you may receive email notifications for several reasons. These emails could inform you about new child care services, or reminders to review your waitlist for accuracy.

On the Early Learning Gateway Parent Portal, you have added your child’s information to their profile. As improvements are made to the Early Learning Gateway, you may need to update their information (e.g., child’s name) to help child care services manage their waitlist.

 

Guidance on how to update your child(ren)’s information.

Regulated child care refers to a child care service that is required to hold a child care licence or an approval certificate from a licensed agency. Regional staff from the Early Learning and Child Development Division regularly visit child care services that hold a licence. Similarly, family child care agency staff regularly visit child care homes that hold an approval certificate which was issued by a licensed agency. These visits help to ensure legislation and policy are met and support licensees and child care service providers to exceed these standards. All regulated child care services must follow the Child Care Act, Regulations, and the associated Policy and Standards.

Please visit Early Learning and Child Care Directory to access the child care map search.

Inclusive child care means that children of all abilities and diversities have equitable access to quality child care programs and are supported in learning through play along with their peers in a regular program. Inclusive child care supports the individual strengths and needs of each child to participate meaningfully in all aspects of the child care day. All early childhood educators (ECEs) and child care providers work together as a team to meet the needs of all of the children in their care.

Regulated child care services availing of the Operating Grant Program are required to follow inclusion program. The Inclusion Program provides assistance to regulated child care services to ensure children with exceptionalities (diagnosed or undiagnosed) can participate to their fullest potential in a regular child care program.

Please visit Inclusive Child Care for more information.

The Operating Grant Program helps address affordability of child care services for families with young children. Effective January 1, 2023, regulated child care services participating in the Operating Grant Program were supported to lower their rates to $10 per day for infant, toddler, and preschool participants; $4 for afterschool care; and, $5 for before and after school care. The Operating Grant Program is a key component of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. As part of the agreement, the Newfoundland and Labrador government committed to exploring potential enhancements to the program to ensure that regulated operations remain financially viable, and to retain and attract new early childhood educators.

The Provincial Government has made recent improvements to the Operating Grant Program, including:

• Implementation of an infant incentive for regulated child care services;
• Streamlined Closure Days for child care centres and family child care providers;
• Improvements to the funding structure; and,
• Continued support for professional development of the early learning work force.

The Early Learning Gateway will allow you to search for regulated child care services who participate in the OGP when creating a waitlist application. Please visit Operating Grant Program for more information.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is obligated to protect your personal information by making reasonable security arrangements against such risks as unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, or disposal. Security measures are integrated into the design, implementation, and daily operating practices as part of the Provincial Government’s ongoing commitment to protecting your personal information.

Please see below support contacts for the Early Learning Gateway:

Early Learning Gateway Questions or Technical Support:
Department of Education
Email: elgateway@gov.nl.ca

Early Learning Gateway Account (Child Care Services):
Department of Education
Email: elgateway@gov.nl.ca

MyGovNL Account (Parents/Guardians):
MyGovNL – Contact us

Department of Education Contacts:
Contact – Education (gov.nl.ca)