January 31, 2023 Gatineau, Quebec Employment and Social Development Canada
High-quality and culturally appropriate early learning and child care programs designed by and with Indigenous families and communities give Indigenous children the best start in life and forms an essential part of Reconciliation. That is why the Government of Canada is committed to promoting and investing in Indigenous-led early learning and child care, including through Quality Improvement Projects. Quality Improvement Projects help to identify best practices, models, and innovations which can be adapted for use in other communities or Indigenous early learning and child care settings and help ensure that First Nations, Inuit and Métis children have the opportunities in the early years to succeed in the future.
Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, launched a call for proposals for the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Quality Improvement Projects. The funding for Quality Improvement Projects aims to advance the vision and goals of the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework through research and innovation. It will complement and inform the other Indigenous-specific investments in place to build governance systems, expand access to culturally-appropriate programs and services, support training and retaining a skilled early learning and child care workforce, undertake repairs and renovations of existing Indigenous ELCC centres, and build new centres in additional communities.
This call for proposals is targeted towards First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, governments and organizations and will support Indigenous practices and approaches to early learning and child care that are grounded in Indigenous languages, cultures, and ways of knowing and learning. The results achieved through these research and innovation projects will contribute to a pool of knowledge and expertise, such as identifying best practices and developing service delivery models to improve early learning and child care services available to Indigenous communities.
The Government of Canada is providing approximately $39 million over three fiscal years in available funding, starting in 2023-24, for projects through this call for proposals.
Priority areas for the projects were identified through engagement with First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners. The key priorities identified were:
- development of a vision or framework for a high-quality, culturally appropriate early learning and child care system within an Indigenous context;
- activities to build and strengthen local Indigenous early learning and child care licensing rules and procedures;
- actions to support ongoing education and training for Indigenous early learning and child care leaders, management and staff; and
- new tools, curriculum or training to support Indigenous early learning and child care staff working with children with special needs.
Indigenous communities, governments and organizations are encouraged to submit a proposal by April 11, 2023 at 2:00 pm EDT.
