Today, the Honourable Krista Lynn Howell, Minister of Education, announced the Provincial Government’s commitment to introduce a medical benefits program for early childhood educators working in regulated child care services that participate in the Operating Grant Program.

Minister Howell was joined by Élisabeth Brière, Parliamentary Secretary to the Government of Canada’s Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Skye Taylor, Executive Director of the Association of Early Childhood Educators Newfoundland and Labrador.

The medical benefits program will become operational fall 2024 and will be managed by the Association of Early Childhood Educators Newfoundland and Labrador. Medical benefits will be optional and available to individuals who have worked a minimum of three months at a regulated child care service participating in the Operating Grant Program, including:

• Early childhood educators;
• Trainee early childhood educators;
• Other staff working in child care services; and
• Regulated Family Child Care providers.

The new medical benefits program for early childhood educators will support recruitment and retention of early childhood educators as the Provincial Government continues to increase the number of early learning and child care spaces throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

The annual cost for the new benefit plan is estimated at over $1.8 million, funded as part of the $306 million invested through the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. Through this agreement, the Governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador are working together to improve access to high-quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to providing high quality, affordable child care that is accessible throughout the province. There are close to 9,400 early learning and child care spaces operating at $10-a-day or less in the province, with a further 2,000 spaces in development.

Quotes
“Early childhood educators play an important role in the learning and development of our children as they start discovering new things every day. We have worked diligently to provide enhanced recruitment initiatives for those thinking of entering the profession, and to bolster retention efforts to encourage them to stay in the field. The new medical benefits program is another step in our efforts to acknowledge the importance of the early learning workforce.”
Honourable Krista Lynn Howell
Minister of Education

“Early childhood educators are at the very heart of the Canada-wide early learning and child care system, and we need to be there for them just as they always are for our families and kids. Today’s announcement in Newfoundland and Labrador is another big step to help attract, retain, and support our amazing educators in our communities.”
Honourable Jenna Sudds
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

“The introduction of a medical benefits program for early childhood educators marks another step toward professionalizing the sector and acknowledging the vital role that educators play in supporting families and children by providing quality care and inclusive early learning opportunities. The association looks forward to the development of future workforce strategies as the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement progresses.”
Skye Taylor
Association of Early Childhood Educators in Newfoundland and Labrador

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Operating Grant Program

Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement

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BACKGROUNDER

Operating Grant Program
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 Government of Newfoundland and Labrador 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.

In January 2024 the Provincial Government released a report outlining a review of the Operating Grant Program for child care services in Newfoundland and Labrador. The report includes six opportunity areas for improving the Operating Grant Program, including governance; funding and rates; program policies, processes and requirements; accountability; workforce; and, system enablers.

Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement
The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement is increasing access to regulated child care through the creation of approximately 6,000 spaces by 2025-2026, as well as improving affordability, inclusivity, and quality of early learning and child care programming in Newfoundland and Labrador. This Action Plan is made possible by federal investments in the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system. These include $306 million for the 2021-2022 to 2025-2026 Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, a one-time investment of nearly $6.5 million in 2021-2022 to support the early childhood workforce, as well as over $34 million for the 2021-2022 to 2024-2025 Early Learning and Child Care Extension Agreement.