Highlights
CA: Statement on Kamloops 215
Canadian Child Care Federation, 7 June 2021
CA: Canada has child-care problems — but we can solve them
The Tyee, 9 June 2021
The early childhood educators' well-being survey
Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario, 4 June 2021
This new survey is part of an international effort to capture the voices of early childhood educators and child care workers/providers and better understand how COVID-19 has impacted their well-being. It presents a unique opportunity for educators to contribute to the well-being of the ECEC workforce. In Canada, the data will be used by researcher Dr. Brooke Richardson (Brock University), in collaboration with the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario, to inform community-based projects, presentations and ongoing work asserting the value of the profession and advocating for decent working conditions and professional wages.
The Herle Burly: Frances Donald and the Political Panel
The Herle Burly Podcast, 2021
In this podcast episode, Frances Donald, the Global Chief Economist at Manulife Investment, emphasizes the significant impact of affordable, accessible child care on the economy and, in particular, to improving labour force participation rate of women. Donald also highlights the shift in public discourse, due to the COVID-19 she-cession, from the need for a national child care system to how such a system should be designed. She comments, “There are areas we know are not effective via private markets. Childcare is one of those areas. Market-driven solutions just don’t work. I say that as a dark-hearted Bay Streeter, okay?”
Research, policy and practice
Preferences, vote choice, and the politics of social investment: Addressing the puzzle of unequal benefits of childcare provision
Journal of Social Policy, 3 June 2021
Using survey data from eight European countries, this study examines the effect of individual preferences for increasing public child care spending on party vote choice. The findings indicate that preferences to expand public child care spending translates into electoral support for the left. However, the study also found that the transmission from preferences to votes is socially biased across income groups. Preferences are not significantly related to voting behavior for the lowest income groups while becoming more decisive in affecting voting intentions with rising income. This socially upward-biased link between preferences and voting presents a possible mechanism in which parties might have incentives to target child care reforms to more affluent, higher income voters.
Randomized manipulation of early cognitive experience impacts adult brain structure
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 1 May 2021
This study examines the cognitive enrichment effect on the brain, featuring a sample of low socioeconomic status infants who were randomized to either 5 years of cognitively and linguistically stimulating centre-based care (as part of the Abecedarian Early Intervention Project) or a comparison condition. The structural brain imaging results of the participants in their late 30s to early 40s show that stimulating and emotionally supportive early learning experiences significantly influence midlife brain structure of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly for male individuals.
Que faisons-nous au Québec pour nos tout-petits et leur famille? Portrait des politiques publiques 2021
Observatoire des tout-petits, 27 April 2021
This report (in French only) is the first-ever collective analysis of all children-related policies in Quebec, written by the Observatoire des tout-petits. The report aims to answer the question “How to promote the development of young children in Quebec, and particularly, what role do public policies play?” The report outlines public policies in Quebec regarding the well-being and development of young children and their effectiveness as well as examples of inspiring initiatives in Canada and internationally. The section on child care services authored by Dr. Christa Japel examines the current status of child care accessibility, quality, as well as key public policies currently in place in Quebec.
Child care in the news
CA: Inauguration of the Black Professional Early Childhood Education Association of Canada
African Centre for Early Childhood Education, 5 June 2021
CA: More new mothers are seeking mental health supports amid overwhelming strain during the pandemic
CBC News, 7 June 2021
QC: "You can’t compare apples and pears”: Setting the record straight on Quebec’s child care system
Early Learning Nation, 8 June 2021
QC: Un financement pour relancer la garde en milieu familial
Observatoire des tout-petits, 7 June 2021
ON: Child care advocates address mental health concerns as remote learning continues this school year
Kitchener Today, 3 June 2021
AB: Alberta NDP would adopt universal child care with or without feds, Notley pledges
CBC News, 6 June 2021
BC: New legislation moves B.C. toward inclusive universal child care
Ministry of Children and Family Development, 8 June 2021
BC: B.C. inches towards universal child care, pledges to support Indigenous-led initiatives
Surrey Now-Leader, 8 June 2021
US: Why did the child care teacher cross the road? To get to higher pay
The Hill, 6 June 2021
US: Opinion: COVID exposes dire need for child care and paid leave. Give families help, not nostalgia.
USA Today, 7 June 2021
US: Opinion: Turning child care into a new cold war
The New York Times, 5 June 2021
US: Study shows importance of early childhood education
Kenbridge Victoria Dispatch, 3 June 2021
INTL: NGO helps migrant children access early childhood education
China Global Television Network, 1 June 2021
Events
Next steps for child care advocacy in Ontario
Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario & Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, 15 June 2021, 7:00 - 8:30 PM EST
Join the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario and the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care for a webinar about what’s next for child care advocacy in Ontario. Hear what’s happening around the province and how you can get connected and get involved. Together we can break a new path.
Child care in Canada
15 June 2021, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST
Join Canada Club Toronto on to hear from a panel of experts as they discuss the benefits, challenges and opportunities of Canada-wide child care and early childhood education. This panel will be hosted by the YMCA of Greater Toronto and feature an introduction from CEO, Medhat Mahdy and will be moderated by Michelle Eaton, VP of Public Affairs at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and will include panelists: Dr. Emis Akbari, Dr. Kate Bezanson, Jean François Perrault, and Armine Yalnizyan.
Child care use for Canadian children under age 6: Results from the survey on Early Learning and Child Care Arrangements (42220001)
Statistics Canada
English webinar: 22 June 2021, 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
French webinar: 23 June 2021, 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
Canadian governments, at federal and provincial levels, have shown increasing attention to the importance of child care, in particular as a means to increase parents' labour force participation and enhance children's development. The Survey on Early Learning and Child Care Arrangements (SELCCA) provides a current snapshot of early child care use in Canada, and can be used to better understand the reasons why families choose to use or not use different types of child care arrangements. This presentation explores findings from the 2020 SELCCA in order to demonstrate use of child care, types of arrangements used by parents, reasons for using and not using care, and difficulties finding child care. Results will also be compared to the 2019 SELCCA to explore changes that have occurred during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
|
