Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Dennis King have announced funding to create more child care spaces in PEI and support early childhood educators. Effective October 1st, wages will increase for Early Childhood Educators and staff in designated Early Years Centres in PEI. Wage increases in designated Early Years Centres include a 50-cents per hour for level 1 educators and cooks; $1 per hour for level 2 educators; and $1.75 per hour for level 3 educators and Directors. It’s the third wage increase for Early Childhood Educators in PEI since the signing of the Canada-PEI Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Agreement in 2021. Also, for the first-time, employees of Early Years Centres in PEI will soon benefit from a defined contribution pension plan, with matching government funds. Funding was also announced Monday to increase the number of spaces in Early Years Centres through an expansion grant. It is anticipated that over 300 new spaces will open within the next 18 months.
