Education and Early Childhood Development
November 20, 2014
The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development:
National Child Day Celebrated in Newfoundland and Labrador
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in this Honourable House to recognize National Child Day, which takes place annually on November 20. National Child Day has been celebrated across Canada since 1993 to commemorate the adoption of two documents focused on children's rights: the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the convention.
National Child Day demonstrates Canada’s commitment to ensuring all children are treated with dignity and respect. This commitment includes the opportunity for children to have a voice, be protected from harm and be provided with their basic needs and every opportunity to reach their full potential.
The new Department of Education and Early Childhood Development was created to put more focus on early learning and to provide the best possible start for our children. The Provincial Government remains committed to ensuring children and youth have the skills they need to succeed.
Mr. Speaker, that commitment is clear in the continued planning and implementation of full-day Kindergarten. Budget 2014 included $30.6 million to implement universal full-day Kindergarten and $4.8 million for the continuation and enhancement of other early learning initiatives. This brings our total investment in early learning and K-12 initiatives to $872 million – a 48 per cent increase since 2003.
Also, to enhance the quality, accessibility, and affordability of regulated child care services for families with young children, Budget 2014 allocated an additional investment of $11.4 million for child care, bringing the total budget to approximately $42.5 million. This funding, Mr. Speaker, will focus on continuing to implement the 10-year child care strategy, Caring For Our Future. We are excited about the direction child care is taking in our province. As of June 2014 we had 7,815 regulated child care spaces throughout the province, which is almost a 70 per cent increase since 2003.
This government is committed to ensuring the health and well-being of all children and youth in Newfoundland and Labrador. I ask all members of this Honourable House to join me in marking National Child Day.
2014 11 20 1:50 p.m.