Today the Provincial Government announced more than 30 locations for a pilot Pre-Kindergarten early learning program that will open in 2022-23. The pilot will result in approximately 600 new regulated child care spaces in communities throughout the province.
These locations are the first in the Pre-Kindergarten early learning program created through the Federal-Provincial Early Learning Action Plan, set for full implementation by 2025-26. The full list of locations in the pilot can be found in the backgrounder below.
As a regulated full-day early learning program, families will pay the regulated child care rate for each child in Pre-Kindergarten ($15 per day for the remainder of 2022, $10 per day starting in 2023). The program will run full-time, including during the summer months.
The Pre-Kindergarten program will be run by not-for-profit organization(s), and registration dates for families will be announced by these operator(s) once opening dates are finalized for each site. The Department of Education released a Request for Proposals (RFP) today allowing established not-for-profit groups to submit their qualifications and apply to run these facilities. All applications will be considered, with preference given to organizations that demonstrate they can run multiple locations. The deadline for submissions is June 6, 2022.
The first locations will open in either Fall 2022 or Winter 2023 to any child who starts Kindergarten in September 2023. Pre-Kindergarten spots will be available to any child in this age range, whether they have existing child care or not, as any child transferring from an existing child care location will open up a spot in their previous service for new children. Details on the registration process will be provided in the coming weeks once operators are confirmed.
At full implementation, the province-wide Pre-Kindergarten program will create approximately 3,100 regulated spaces by 2025-26, which will open up existing child care spaces for younger children.
The Provincial Government continues to maintain a contact list of anyone interested in working in the Pre-Kindergarten pilot program. If you are interested you are encouraged to email PreK@gov.nl.ca to join the contact list for the application process. Hiring preference will be given to early childhood educators holding a Child Care Services Certification (CCS) Level III or higher, including those who left the sector while holding this certification.
To ensure that Pre-Kindergarten will be a play-based program with consistent programming in all locations throughout the province, any staff hired to take part will be required to complete a short orientation course related to the early learning framework, developed in consultation with the Association of Early Childhood Educators Newfoundland and Labrador specific to work the Pre-Kindergarten setting.
Through the Early Learning Action Plan, by 2025-26 the province aims to add approximately 6,000 additional regulated child care spaces and to increase the percentage of fully certified early childhood educators working in the sector to at least 60 per cent.
Quotes
“Having established our province as a leader in affordable child care, we have turned our efforts toward expanding access for more children in this province. This Pre-Kindergarten pilot is the starting point for significant growth in quality, regulated child care in Newfoundland and Labrador, and our government will continue to aggressively pursue expansion until no family has to choose between affordable child care and their careers or other life goals.”
Honourable Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
“The pilot program is the first step in adding nearly 3,100 Pre-Kindergarten spaces by 2025-26. These efforts will create new spaces not only in Pre-Kindergarten but also in existing child care services, meeting a significant short-term need and expanding quality early childhood education.”
Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Education
“The Pre-Kindergarten pilot program will support families in Western Newfoundland, in turn supporting the local west-coast economy. It will create employment for those in the region who want to work in child care, as well as those who want to work in other industries but have been held back by a lack of child care access. This is good news for our region and our province.”
Scott Reid
Parliamentary Secretary
Department of Education
“This Pre-Kindergarten initiative will take our province a step closer in building a universal early learning and child care system that is accessible to all children and affordable for all families. It will also provide early childhood educators with additional opportunities that can aid in recruitment and retention in our sector.”
Skye Taylor
Executive Director, Association of Early Childhood Educators Newfoundland and Labrador
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Learn more
Pre-Kindergarten Request for Proposals
News Release: Governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador Provide Update on Pre-Kindergarten and the Early Learning and Child Care Action Plan
News Release: Federal-Provincial Action Plan on Early Learning and Child Care Released
News Release: $10 a day child care for families in Newfoundland and Labrador
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Media contacts
Meghan McCabe
Office of the Premier
709-729-3960
meghanmccabe@gov.nl.ca
Marc Budgell
Education
709-729-0048, 689-0430
marcbudgell@gov.nl.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Locations for 2022-23 Pre-Kindergarten Early Learning Pilot Program
Pre-Kindergarten Early Learning pilot locations will launch throughout the 2022-23 fiscal year. While some locations will open as early as Fall 2022, all locations will be in operation no later than March 2023. Official announcements from the chosen operator(s) will indicate registration and opening dates once they are finalized.
| Region | Community | Location |
| Avalon | St. John’s | Bishop Abraham Elementary School |
| Avalon | St. John’s | East Point Elementary |
| Avalon | St. John’s | Roncalli Elementary |
| Avalon | St. John’s | St. John Bosco School |
| Avalon | Conception Bay South | Admirals Academy |
| Avalon | Conception Bay South | Topsail Elementary |
| Avalon | Conception Bay South | Upper Gullies Elementary School |
| Avalon | Paradise | Elizabeth Park Elementary |
| Avalon | Paradise | Paradise Elementary |
| Avalon | Mount Pearl | Mary Queen of the World |
| Avalon | Portugal Cove St. Phillip’s | Beachy Cove Elementary |
| Avalon | Torbay | Holy Trinity Elementary |
| Avalon | Bay Roberts | Bay Roberts Primary |
| Avalon | Victoria | Persalvic Elementary |
| Avalon | Dunnville | St. Anne’s Academy |
| Western Region | Corner Brook | JJ Curling Elementary |
| Western Region | Corner Brook | Eastside Elementary |
| Western Region | Deer Lake | Elwood Elementary |
| Western Region | Stephenville Crossing | St. Michael’s Elementary |
| Western Region | Port-aux-Basques | St. James Elementary |
| Western Region | La Scie | Hillside Elementary |
| Northern Peninsula | Plum Point | Viking Trail Academy |
| Northern Peninsula | St. Anthony | White Hills Academy |
| Central | Gander | Gander Academy |
| Central | Grand Falls-Windsor | Woodland Primary |
| Central | Lewisporte | Lewisporte Academy |
| Central | Glovertown | Glovertown Academy |
| Central | Fogo Island | Fogo Island Academy |
| Labrador | Happy Valley- Goose Bay | Peacock Primary School |
| Labrador | Labrador City | A.P. Low Primary School |
| Labrador | Cartwright | Henry Gordon Academy |
| Bonavista Peninsula | Bonavista | Matthew Elementary |
| Bonavista Peninsula | Port Rexton | Bishop White School |
| South Coast/Burin Peninsula | Burin | Donald C. Jamieson Academy |
| South Coast/Burin Peninsula | Fortune | Lake Academy |