The federal government intends to provide more financial and training support for early childhood education workers as part of its effort to grow the workforce and give children “the brightest start in life.”

Randy Boissonnault, the minister of Employment and Workforce Development, was in Whitehorse last Thursday to make the announcement with Yukon MP Brendan Hanley alongside at the Jumpstart Playground in downtown Whitehorse.

“We know that child care is not only key to a thriving economy, it’s key to the well-being of our society and a solid investment in the future of Yukoners,” Hanley said.

The measures are in the 2024-25 federal budget, set to be tabled on April 16, and will only come into effect if MPs approve it.

Boissonnault announced three child care-related funding measures:

$10 million, over two years Canada-wide, to train more early childhood educators;

$48 million, over four years Canada-wide, for student loan forgiveness for early childhood educators who work in rural or remote areas, such as the Yukon; and

$1 billion in low-cost loans and $60 million in grants Canada-wide to help public and not-for-profit child care providers build new spaces or renovate existing spaces.

There are currently 78 licensed child care operators in the Yukon, offering 2,262 licensed child care spaces, Education department spokesperson Clarissa Wall said Thursday.

“The average cost for families is $10 per child per day,” she said in an email.

The Yukon was “first out of the gate” to offer $10 a day child care, Boissonnault noted.

“That saves Yukon families $7,000 a year per child; that’s a significant amount of money for parents, the money is in the pockets of Yukoners,” he said.

With the Yukon’s population steadily growing, the demand for trained Early Childhood Education (ECE) workers and licensed spaces will grow too.

“And early childhood educators, equipped with the best practices in education, are going to make sure that the next generation of kids have the brightest start in life,” Boissonnault said.

ECE students will likely not see the loan forgiveness program start up until late 2025, as enabling federal legislation will first need to be drafted and passed.

The day care loan/grant and ECE training programs should roll out by spring 2025.

The federal $10-a-day child care program is two years old, and already dramatic improvements have been seen in the workforce, Boissonnault said.

“Before $10 a day child care, participation of Canadian women in the workforce was below 70 per cent, compared with 76 per cent in the United States,” he said.

“Now 85 per cent of women in Canada are part of the workforce; we’ve leapfrogged over our American counterparts.”

The ECE student loan forgiveness program will “piggy-back” onto a similar program for doctors and nurses, which will roll out later this year. The longer a ECE worker stays in the profession in a rural/remote location, the bigger the loan forgiveness.

“For far too many young Canadians, the promise of Canada – to do as well as your parents or better – is still not being fulfilled,” Boissonnault said.

“The hurdles are too high, they’re not getting their shot. Hard work doesn’t seem to be paying off, and it feels as if the deck is stacked against them.

“So, what that means, is that a state of anxiety exists among parents and grandparents for concern about their children and grandchildren. They feel for these younger generations who have faced unfair burdens.

“And so, as a society, as a country, we are at a pivotal moment. Millennials and Gen Z need to see that the country can work for them.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a similar announcement in Surrey, B.C. last Thursday.

“Affordable child care gives moms and dads the opportunity to build their careers, helps families save money, and gives kids the best start to life,” he said.

The federal program that underpins $10-a-day daycare has created 750,000 spaces across Canada, using $27 billion over five years. It complements the Canada Child Benefit, which can provide up to $7,437 per child per year.

According to the federal government, studies show that for every dollar invested in ECE, the broader economy receives between $1.50 and $2.80 in return.

In 2023, there was a record 79.7 per cent labour force participation rate for core-aged mothers of children under age six.