Yukon Party Announces Universal Childcare Plan

WHITEHORSE – Today, the Yukon Party announced its comprehensive action plan to improve the early childhood education system and provide universal support to all parents regardless of the type of childcare they choose for their children.

Recognizing that enhancing the quality of early childhood education provides crucial developmental benefits, the Yukon Party also outlined its plans to strengthen supports, education, and training for early childhood educators. (ECEs)

This represents the largest single investment in early learning and childcare in the territory’s history.

To address affordability, the Yukon Party will:

• Create the non-taxable Yukon Universal Child Benefit of $500 per child per month for each child up to the age of five paid directly to parents to help with the cost of childcare.
• We will also provide a non-taxable $100 benefit per child per month directly to parents for each child between the ages of six and ten.

To help enhance quality of early childcare education and support childcare operators and educators, a Yukon Party government will:

• Maintain currently planned increases and changes to the Direct Operating Grant, which include the enhanced wages for ECEs, quality program enhancements, and the additional supports for children with special needs.
• Recognize the value of ECEs by increasing their wages.
• Create incentives for ECEs to enhance their education, their skills, and their training.
• Work with the Early Childcare Educator Community to review their certification system and explore creating new levels.
• Explore the development of an Early Learning Degree program at Yukon University.
• Develop a teaching lab facility to support the current Early Learning and Childcare program at Yukon University.
• Provide support for much-needed improvements to daycare facilities by enhancing funding for physical space improvements.
• Continue with planned Direct Operating Grant changes and increases.
• Enhance and provide long-term, stable funding to the Yukon Child Development Centre.

“Families are best positioned to decide which childcare options work best for them and we are focused on ensuring we leave no child behind,” Dixon said. “As a father of two myself, I have seen the incredible work of early childhood educators and have heard many stories of families struggling with the cost of childcare. Our plan aims to improve the affordability and quality of early childhood education and childcare for every single child.”

The 2021 territorial general election will be held on Monday, April 12. Advanced polling dates have been announced for Sunday, April 4 and Monday, April 5, 2021.

To learn more about the Yukon Party and its campaign outlining Action for a Change, please visit www.yukonparty.ca.

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For further information, please contact:

Tim Kucharuk
Media Director

(867) 689-7874