Excerpts from the agreement:
The Government of Canada and the Government of Prince Edward Island have developed this Agreement to articulate their shared vision for early learning and child care and to describe specific objectives and investments to achieve this vision. At the same time, Prince Edward Island commits to participating with its federal, provincial and territorial partners in a multilateral process to create an overarching early learning and child care framework for all Canadians, which meets the unique circumstances and priorities of each jurisdiction.
Prince Edward Island's vision is to ensure all children are safe and secure, have good health, are successful at learning and have social belonging and responsibility. Prince Edward Island has agreed to adopt the principles negotiated by the federal, provincial and territorial governments to guide new federal investments: Quality, Universally Inclusive, Accessible and Developmental.
The province's goals for its early learning and child care system are that:
- Prince Edward Island has an integrated continuum of early learning and child care programs from infancy to school entry;
- Early learning and child care programs in Prince Edward Island will follow a developmentally appropriate curriculum;
- Early childhood educators and child care providers will be recognized as professionals; and
- Children and families on Prince Edward Island will have improved access to early learning and child care programs.
This Agreement will help the province achieve these goals.
The federal budget announced that the Government of Canada is committing $5 billion nationally over five years for investment in regulated early learning and child care for children under 6.
Prince Edward Island will be committing all additional federal money for regulated early learning and child care to the fulfillment of the five year plan. This further investment will complement existing federal and provincial investments in Prince Edward Island and will support the development of regulated early learning and child care in both private and non-profit settings as a key element in developing a supportive social fabric for children and families in Prince Edward Island.
This initiative builds on early learning and child care investments made in Prince Edward Island by the Governments of Prince Edward Island and Canada and recognizes that flexibility is needed to address provincial priorities and circumstances.