March 11, 2022 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Employment and Social Development Canada
The Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, met with several families and organizations across Newfoundland and Labrador to highlight the Government of Canada's efforts to make life more affordable for families, while giving every child a real and fair chance at success.
To kick off her tour, Minister Gould met with the Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Education for Newfoundland and Labrador, at the St. John's Ches Penney Family YMCA to announce that the province has reached a $15-a-day fee for licensed child care. With this reduction, the province is exceeding the shared goal to reduce 2019 parent fees by an average of 50% by the end of 2022.
The next day, Minister Gould met with aspiring early childhood educators as part of an early childhood educator roundtable to talk about the important work they do in caring for and shaping the minds of young children. During the roundtable, Minister Gould noted that early childhood educators are at the very heart of the high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care system that the Government of Canada is building with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners.
The Minister travelled to First Light: St. John's Friendship Centre, one of the many social purpose organizations across Canada that have received Investment Readiness Program funding. During her tour of the centre, she learned how Investment Readiness Program funding provided First Light the opportunity to develop four new modules to enhance their Cultural Diversity Training package. Topics include intergenerational trauma, systemic violence, missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and family structures and parenting.
Finally, Minister Gould made several site visits to Service Canada offices, which have been supporting local Newfoundland and Labrador residents at every stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, offering one of the many important ways to access critical supports. Minister Gould thanked Service Canada employees for their hard work and noted that the Government of Canada will continue to take concrete steps to ensure that everyone in Canada can access the services and benefits to which they are entitled while respecting public health guidelines and keeping all people across the country safe.
