Excerpted from executive summary
Early learning and child care is a priority for the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT). The Mandate of the 19th Legislative Assembly (2019-2023) identifies actions to advance universal child care by expanding availability and affordability. This includes the development of a 2030 Early Learning and Child Care Strategy (Strategy). The Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) developed a discussion paper (Appendix A) and associated PowerPoint (Appendix B) to provide an overview of the current status and achievements within the early learning and child care sector in the Northwest Territories (NWT). These were used to guide discussions around key elements known to contribute to increased availability and affordability of early learning and child care for families in the NWT.
During May and June 2021, ECE engaged in government-to-government discussions with Indigenous Governments and held virtual engagement sessions with key stakeholders, including licensed early learning and child care program operators and early childhood educators. This What We Heard (WWH) Report provides a summary of findings from these discussions. Key points of feedback raised during the discussions centred on: cultural programming, attendance-based funding, staff wages and benefits, staff qualifications and professional learning, and parent fees. ECE will use the information gathered during these discussions to inform the development of the Strategy. ECE anticipates the Strategy to be completed before the end of the 2021-2022 fiscal year.