Question Period Note: Early Indigenous Learning and Child Care funding

• Indigenous Services Canada funds, the Aboriginal Head Start On-Reserve program, which supports the physical, developmental, emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual well-being of children, with programming designed and delivered by communities.

• We fund 363 funded programs that reach approximately 14,500 children per year.

• $46.6M in funding was provided in 2019-20.

• I look forward to working with external partners and my colleagues to improve access to quality and culturally appropriate Early Learning and Childcare programs and services.

Programs which will be involved in the delivery of this funding, include:

Aboriginal Head Start On-Reserve (AHSOR), ISC

• Indigenous Services Canada funds the Aboriginal Head Start On-Reserve program which supports the physical, developmental, emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual well-being of children (birth to 6 years), with programming designed and delivered by communities.
• There are 363 funded programs (either centres or outreach programs) that reach approximately 14,500 children per year (excluding BC where First Nations Health Authority funds these services).
• 2019-20 funding was approximately $46.6M

First Nation Health Authority (FNHA)

• The First Nation Health Authority receives approximately $10.2M annually to provide AHSOR programming for First Nations in British Columbia. Latest figures show, 2284 children are being served annually.

First Nation and Inuit Child Care Initiative (FNICCI), ESDC

• The First Nation and Inuit Child Care Initiative is funded by Employment and Social Development Canada through the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Strategy. Funding supports activities specifically aimed at providing child care (aged 0-12) for First Nations and Inuit parents who are participating in labour market development activities.
• There 461 First Nations on-reserve and Inuit centres and home based care models, providing over 11,500 spaces through 58 First Nation organizations and 6 Inuit organizations (2017 data). Annual funding is approximately $56.6 million.

Aboriginal Head Start Urban and Northern Canada (AHSUNC), PHAC

• The Aboriginal Head Start Urban and Northern Canada Program is a national community-based early intervention program funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. AHSUNC focuses on early childhood development for First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and their families living off-reserve.
• There are 91 funding recipients, 134 sites (2017 numbers), serving 4,600 children (80% between ages of 3-5). Programs typically operate 9 months per year (Sep – June) are a mix of half-day preschool programming offered 4 days per week, while other sites provide full day care.
• Annual funding (2015-16) was $35.4 million.

Safe Restart Funding – Allocation and Implementation

• In spring 2020, due to COVID-19, the majority of centres offering early learning and childcare programming for Indigenous children closed down following public health direction. Some remained open to support frontline workers and their families.
• Many centres are in the process of reopening their doors under new health and safety protocols. Funding through the Safe Restart package will support additional measures to be taken by centres to ensure the safety of its staff and children, including public health requirements for physical distancing, personal protective equipment and hand washing/sanitizing supplies, deep cleaning, staff to child ratios, and program adaptations.

None