Government of Canada supports Indigenous early learning and child care in Atikameksheng Anishnawbek

NAUGHTON, ON, Oct. 15, 2024 /CNW/ - Indigenous children benefit greatly from early learning opportunities rooted in their culture and language. In the spirit of reconciliation and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action #12, the Government of Canada is committed to promoting and investing in Indigenous-led early learning and child care to ensure First Nations, Inuit and Métis children have the best possible start in life.

Today, Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and to the Minister of Official Languages, on behalf of Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, joined by Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, announced the Government of Canada's investment of $1,388,000 in Atikameksheng Anishnawbek's Quality Improvement Project. 

The project, Anishnawbek Cultural Values and Well-being Based Early Childhood Development, will work to engage children in the community to learn Anishnawbek culture, laws, language and traditions from Elders and traditional knowledge keepers as part of their early childhood development.

Moreover, it will advance the vision and goals of the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework by:

• developing a vision or framework for a high-quality, culturally appropriate early learning and child care system in an Indigenous context;
• building and strengthening local Indigenous early learning and child care licensing rules and procedures;
• supporting ongoing education and training for Indigenous early learning and child care leaders, management and staff; and/or
• creating new tools, curriculum or training to support Indigenous early learning and child care staff working with children with special needs.

Quotes

"The Atikameksheng Anishnawbek people know what is best for their children, and this program ensures that they will be cared for in a way that honours their culture and traditions. This investment supports their inspiring vision of a better future for their youth and their community."
– Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

"Congratulations to Atikameksheng Anishnawbek on the successful creation of their new childcare project! Culturally aware childcare practices are crucial for Indigenous children and communities as they help preserve cultural heritage, foster a sense of identity and ensure that children grow up with a strong connection to their traditions and values."
– Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official Languages

"Learning opportunities rooted in Indigenous culture and language are crucial for not only creating a foundation for a child's cultural identity but also future success. Atikameksheng Anishnawbek's Anishnawbek Cultural Values and Well-being Based Early Childhood Development will accomplish just that. This project will directly impact the children in the community and provide them with invaluable resources for generations."
– Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury

"This project constitutes an investment to restore our cultural traditions beginning with the children. Our seven sacred laws include love, courage, humility and wisdom, which have long been the foundation of our capacity to flourish on the traditional lands of our ancestral homelands. Our hope is that by planting the seeds of our traditional ways of being, living and governing in our children, our community will build the capacity for future leadership and wise governance."
– Tammy Manitowabi, Chief Executive Officer of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek

Quick facts

• The Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Quality Improvement Projects aim to advance the vision and goals of the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework through research and innovation.
• The co-developed Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework was jointly released by the Government of Canada, the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and the Métis National Council in 2018. It adopts a distinctions-based approach to strengthening high-quality, culturally appropriate early learning and child care for Indigenous children guided by Indigenous priorities.
• Budget 2017 included up to $1.7 billion over 10 years, starting in 2018–19, to support the co-developed Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework and strengthen culturally appropriate early learning and child care programs for Indigenous children and families.
• To sustain this 10-year investment, the 2020 Fall Economic Statement committed to make this funding permanent and ongoing at $210 million per year, starting in 2028–29.
• Budget 2021 invested an additional $2.5 billion over five years and $542 million in ongoing funding to implement this framework to ensure early learning and child care systems meet the needs of Indigenous families, wherever they live.
• Budget 2021 also announced that program funding for Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care will increase by 3% each year starting in 2027–28.

Associated links

• Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework
• Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

Contacts: For media enquiries, please contact: Geneviève Lemaire, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]