New Brunswick’s Action Plan for Early Learning and Child Care (2023-2026)

On August 7, 2024, the Government of New Brunswick introduced a detailed action plan to improve the province’s early learning and child-care sector. The plan, titled Action Plan 2023-2026, sets out strategic priorities and objectives in line with three major federal agreements aimed at increasing child care accessibility and affordability throughout the province.

Key Components of the Action Plan

The plan is funded through the following federal agreements:

• Canada-New Brunswick Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement
• Canada-New Brunswick Early Learning and Child Care Bilateral Agreement
• Canada-New Brunswick Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Funding Agreement

Goals and Priorities

The action plan focuses on several key goals to transform early learning and child care in New Brunswick:

• Expanding Access: Increasing availability of high-quality, affordable, inclusive, and flexible early learning and child-care options.
• Reducing Costs: Lowering out-of-pocket costs for families, targeting an average of $10 per day for regulated and designated early learning and child-care spaces by March 2026.
• Enhancing Learning Environments: Creating supportive and inclusive environments that promote healthy development and growth in children.
• Supporting the Workforce: Encouraging more people to join the early learning and child-care profession by offering competitive wages and training opportunities.
• Data-Driven Progress: Using data collection and sharing to measure progress and continuously improve the system.

Financial Commitment

The action plan involves a substantial financial commitment, with the federal government contributing nearly $492 million and the provincial government adding $53 million over the plan’s duration. This funding is distributed across five key areas:

• Affordability: Over $295 million is allocated to achieve the $10-a-day child care goal.
• Access: More than $20 million is set aside for creating 3,400 new regulated child-care spots by March 2026, focusing on rural and francophone communities.
• Quality: Approximately $128.5 million will support the wage grid for early childhood educators and provide training for Level 1 ECE Certificates.
• Inclusion: Over $30 million will be used to develop a comprehensive inclusion framework for diverse and vulnerable communities.
• Reporting and Administration: More than $16 million is dedicated to enhancing data collection and reporting capabilities to support effective implementation.

Progress Achieved So Far

Since the Canada-New Brunswick Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement was signed in December 2021, New Brunswick has made significant progress:

• Reduced Family Costs: Daily out-of-pocket fees for families have dropped by 50%, averaging $12.82 per day.
• Expanded Childcare Spaces: The province has successfully created all 3,400 new early learning and child-care spaces committed under the agreement.
• Increased Educator Wages: Updates to the wage grid for early childhood educators have led to more competitive salaries, reducing turnover rates from 50.1% to 23%.

Statements from Officials

Bill Hogan, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, highlighted the importance of government collaboration to achieve these goals, stating, “This action plan will support New Brunswick families and their young children as we bring affordable, inclusive, high-quality child care to all areas of the province.”

Jenna Sudds, Federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, echoed this, noting that while significant progress has been made, further efforts are needed to achieve the $10-a-day child care goal.

New Brunswick’s Action Plan 2023-2026 marks a significant step towards creating a more accessible, affordable, and high-quality early learning and child-care system. As the province continues to implement this plan, the goal is to ensure that all families have access to the essential services that support their children’s development and well-being.