Transforming Nunavut’s Child Day Care Act

Inuit-centred early learning and child care programs and services

Foundational Principles: Establish foundational principles, which are key values and ways of knowing. These create a foundation for Inuit-centred early learning and child care in Nunavut and will guide the delivery of early learning and child care programs and services. Foundational principles will include:

• Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principles.
• The goal of Inunnguiniq “making a whole human being”.
• Inclusive early learning and child care programs and services.
• Nunavut’s commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Inuit Languages: Establish a duty for the Minister of Education to promote early childhood Inuit language learning.

Accessible, affordable, inclusive, and quality early learning and child care

Curriculum Standards: Establish regulation-making authority and create new standards to guide children’s learning in child care programs.

Early Learning and Child Care Council: Create a council to share recommendations with the Minister of Education about early learning and child care issues. Council members would include community partners, such as early learning and child care operators and Inuit organizations.

Flexible Timelines and Temporary Licences: Streamline the licensing process for child care centres by making timelines more flexible and allow for temporary licences to be issued when needed.

Funding Authority: Establish regulation-making authority for the Minister of Education to create new standards for funding support to licensed early learning and child care centres.

Inclusion and Equity: Allow children over the age of 12 to attend child care programs when needed.

Accountability

Investigative Authority: Increased authority to conduct investigations of licensed early learning and child care centres and individuals suspected of operating an unlicensed child care centre. For example, the ability to investigate if a licensed child care centre is following its board-approved policies.

Data Collection and Sharing: Require early learning and child care operators to collect information related to the administration of their centres and programs. Required information will be set out in the regulations. Create the ability for the Minister of Education to follow government privacy laws and share anonymous data with other funding organizations, such as Inuit organizations and the federal government.

The safety and well-being of children

Criminal Record and Vulnerable Sector Check: Require early learning and child care operators to obtain completed criminal record and vulnerable sector checks from all employees before they start working.

Tuberculosis (TB) Testing: Require early learning and child care operators to obtain employee results of TB tests before working.

Recreational Day Camps: Establish minimum standards for recreational day camps offered by hamlets and non-profit organizations.

Exemptions: Permit the Minister of Education to delegate the authority to exempt early learning and child care centres from specific requirements in the law.