Minister Jeanie McLean joined federal, provincial and territorial ministers in Iqaluit, Nunavut this week where discussions focused on the three pillars of the multilateral early childhood educator workforce strategy framework: recruitment, retention and recognition. The Minister shared the Government of Yukon’s work, since implementing universal child care, to recognize and value the work of early childhood educators in the territory.
Across Canada, every jurisdiction is navigating the challenges related to supporting a high-quality early learning and child care system while recruiting and retaining qualified educators. These meetings provide an important forum for each province and territory to share best practices and innovative approaches in how these hurdles can be overcome.
Minister McLean emphasized the work the Yukon has done to highlight the value of early childhood educators and the important contributions they make every day in the lives of the Yukon’s children. Public awareness campaigns promoted the work of early child care educators as skilled and knowledgeable practitioners whose efforts should be respected and valued. At the same time, the Yukon government invested in higher wages and benefits for educators and provided opportunities for professional development. The Yukon’s early childhood educators now make some of the highest wages in the early learning and child care sector in Canada.
This week in Iqaluit, I was thrilled to share the great work the Yukon has undertaken to advance universal child care, not only to make early learning more affordable, but also to hold up the early childhood educator workforce. Our government recognizes the integral role they play in educating the next generation and we will ensure that their perspectives continue to be included when we consider how to strengthen the system in the territory. An investment in early childhood educators is an investment in the future of a happier and healthier Yukon.
Minister of Education Jeanie McLean
The Yukon signed its Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement on July 23, 2021.
The Yukon achieved a universal child care system costing families less than $10-a-day per child on average in the spring of 2021, prior to signing the Canada-wide agreement. Federal investments supported the expansion of the system in the Yukon.
An extension of the Canada-Yukon Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, signed with the Government of Canada in August 2021, included a federal one-time investment of nearly $2.5 million in 2021-22 to support the Yukon’s early childhood workforce. As part of this investment, $400,000 was identified to support comprehensive benefits programs for early childhood educators.
A new web hub plus learning and professional development resources for Yukon early childhood educators were made available in August 2022.
This meeting of federal, provincial and territorial ministers most responsible for early learning and child care was co-chaired by Canada’s Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould and Prince Edward Island’s Minister of Education and Early Years and Minister responsible for the Status of Women Natalie Jameson.
Renée Francoeur
Cabinet Communications
867-334-9194
renee.francoeur@yukon.ca
Zara Soukoroff
Communications, Education
867- 332-6481
zara.soukoroff@yukon.ca