Yellowknife, NT (March 28, 2025) - The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) implemented today an increase of $3.5 million in Dedicated Wage Funding and a permanent increase of $664,000 in Flexible Funding to support the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Sector. 

The Dedicated Wage Funding is intended to increase wages to early childhood educators working in licensed centre-based early learning and child care facilities. This funding represents a significant increase to the wage grid and increases the minimum that all early childhood educators in centre-based facilities must be paid by approximately $9/hour. 

The GNWT recognizes that increasing wages is essential for recruiting and retaining educators, while also promoting the early childhood field as a rewarding, professional, and attractive career option. Increasing interest among current and future educators in committing to their career, and ultimately improving the quality of care, helps ensure the early learning and child care sector continues to offer programs that are high quality, accessible, affordable, and inclusive.

Licensed centre-based facilities also employ individuals for whom they do not receive funding for. The Flexible funding is intended to support offsetting the costs of employing these individuals. It is determined by the number of spaces occupied within a facility. Where previously the flexible funding provided $2,500/space per year for infants and preschool spaces, the funding has increased to $3,250/space per year. This represents an increase of $750/space per year. The flexible funding available for out-of-school students was $833/space per year and is now $1,083/space per year. This represents an increase of $250/space per year. 

This increase to the wage grid through dedicated funding and the increase in flexible funding will support all early childhood staff working in licensed centre-based facilities. Investment in early learning education plays a pivotal role in the long-term social and economic prosperity of the Northwest Territories. The GNWT continues to work with its partners to ensure the NWT has a robust, mature, and sustainable system that meets the needs of children, families, and communities. 

Quote:
“Increased funding for early learning and child care is always a good thing. Dedicated wage funding and Flexible funding recognizes the valuable contribution of employees working in the early childhood sector. This significant investment in the early learning and childhood sector will help us ensure we can attract and retain employees and continue to offer accessible and quality child care now and into the future.” 
          - Caitlin Cleveland, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment  

Quick Facts:

• The Dedicated Wage Funding applies to early childhood assistants, educators, supervisors and administrators working in Zones A, B, C and D.
• Zones were created to accommodate the variations in the cost of living throughout the region.
• The funding for the increases to the wage grid applies to licensed centre-based educators only. Evidence suggests that early childhood educators in centre-based facilities currently have after-tax incomes that are below home-based operators and Jk-12 education assistants. This wage increase will support closing that gap.
• A standardized wage grid is a long-term solution to address retention and recruitment issues for educators working in licensed centre-based programs. 
• The wage grid was developed to support centre-based facilities in offering accessible and quality child care by recognizing early childhood educators’ valuable contributions to children’s early learning and development.  
• Flexible funding is calculated based on the number of spaces the program is licensed for, empowering them to make program-level decisions that align with their own unique needs, and is intended to supplement other revenue sources earned by licensed centre-based programs.
• This funding brings the hourly starting wages for educators in licensed centre-based facilities to $34.20/hr in Zone A and $39.95/hour in Zone D.

Related links:

Wage grid for centre-based employees

For media requests, please contact: 

Christina Carrigan
Public Affairs and Communications
Education, Culture and Employment
Government of the Northwest Territories 
Christina_Carrigan@gov.nt.ca