Budget 2024 is focused on increasing access to child care, improving student outcomes, and
supporting accessible post-secondary education and workforce development opportunities. It helps build a brighter future for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Early Learning and Child Care

With more than 8,600 spaces already at $10-a-day, our government has made regulated child care
in Newfoundland and Labrador more affordable. Budget 2024 supports our efforts to increase capacity and create 6,000 new child care spaces by 2026 through:

• $27 million for continued implementation of the early childhood educator wage grid.
• Over $16 million for projects to increase the number of child care spaces.
• $2.7 million for bursaries and grants for students to become an early childhood educator.
• Launch of the Early Learning Gateway this spring, which will connect families seeking child care with service operators who have available space.

K-12 Education

The K-12 education system provides the foundation for children and youth to unlock their full potential. Our government is creating a modern learning environment for students and a responsive workplace for teachers and educators. Budget 2024 includes:

• $41 million in 2024-25 and $146.1 million over three years for new schools in Cartwright, Kenmount Terrace, Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, and Pilley’s Island, as well as $50,000 for planning of a new high school in Paradise.
• $30.1 million over the next five years to revitalize the fleet of school buses.
• Close to $20 million for the elimination of the 1.6-kilometre policy to access school bus services, ensuring students have safe and reliable transportation to and from school. This will positively impact students and families.
• Close to $3 million to increase student assistant hours and hire more student assistants, for the equivalent of 104 full-time student assistant positions.
• $3 million to expand school food programming in all Pre-Kindergarten programs and K-9 schools, beginning in 2024 in schools with the highest need.
• $3 million increase in the teaching services budget to help meet the needs of a growing student population. This will bring the total budget to in excess of $560 million.
• Close to $1 million to support a new assessment and evaluation framework for high school students, as well as acquisition of a computer- based testing platform to implement high school literacy and numeracy assessments.
• $850,000 to provide targeted recruitment and retention initiatives for positions in hard-to-fill rural, remote, and isolated areas of the province.
• $75,000 for 75 scholarships to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Confederation and improve access to post-secondary education.

Post-Secondary Education and Workforce Development

We are growing our place in the knowledge economy, while also ensuring students and workers have the training and skills they need to meet the needs of a modern economy and global workforce. Budget 2024 includes:

• $298 million to Memorial University for its core operating grant, as well as more than
• $70 million for the Faculty of Medicine, and the continuation of three satellite sites for the Faculty of Nursing.
• More than $170 million for workers to acquire the training and skills to secure good jobs so employers can meet their changing demands for skilled labour.
• $71 million to College of the North Atlantic for its core operating grant.
• Up to $6.5 million to Memorial University to offset students’ campus renewal fee and support accessible and affordable post- secondary education.

Supporting Newcomers

The prosperity and well-being of Newfoundland and Labrador is the sum of the vibrant people who live, work, and play within it. Our government is making targeted investments to support newcomers as they make our province their home. Through Budget 2024, our government will provide almost $16 million to support newcomer settlement throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Community-Based Organizations

Organizations throughout Newfoundland and Labrador provide grass-roots community-building opportunities that support the overall well-being of our people and places. These organizations are big and small, local and far-reaching, and aim to make our province a better and brighter place.

• Community-based organizations are valuable contributors to the social and economic well- being of our communities. More than $100 million in grants are invested annually in these organizations.
• Additional funding of $680,000 to the Public Information and Library Resources Board for a total of almost $13 million to support the operation of the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Library system.
• $10 million to Family Resource Centre hubs and satellite locations.
• $300,000 for select Family Resource Centres to improve food security and improve health and well-being among families they work with.