Today the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) released the What We Heard Report – Approaches to Early Learning and Child Care Space Creation as well as the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Framework.

In summer and fall 2024, the GNWT held engagement sessions with partners and stakeholders on the proposed approaches to creating new early learning and child care spaces, and to find the most effective way to spend infrastructure funding. These partners included Indigenous governments and organizations, communities, not-for-profit organizations, and licensed centre-based early learning and child care facility operators.

Early learning and child care infrastructure funding is for projects that support the maintenance,  expansion and creation of licensed child care centres in NWT communities. Eligible project costs include the reasonable costs necessary for expansion such as construction and renovation costs, building materials, professional fees, and the cost of labour.

The GNWT hosted 11 engagement sessions with a total of 25 participants representing all regions of the Northwest Territories.

During these sessions, participants discussed new centre-based early learning and child care spaces for NWT families. Five key findings emerged:

• Ensure that the space-creation approach is context-dependent for each community.
• Ensure the design of new early learning and child care spaces is culturally appropriate.
• Address funding-related barriers, such as inadequate funding.
• Strengthen partnerships through improved engagement, support and communication.
• Consider completing a needs assessment to advise on early learning and child care infrastructure implementation.

Participants provided feedback on three approaches for creating new licensed centre-based early learning and child care spaces:

• Capital contributions for infrastructure projects
• Modular or ready-to-move
• Asset ownership

Feedback from the engagement sessions is summarized in the What We Heard Report – Approaches to Early Learning and Child Care Space Creation. The report details the challenges and strengths of creating new child care spaces in the Northwest Territories. The Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Framework has been updated to reflect the findings in the What We Heard Report. The Framework is the roadmap for expanding access to licensed early learning and child care spaces. 

Quick Facts

• Data was collected in summer and fall 2024 through 11 engagement sessions with a total of 25 participants that represented all regions of the Northwest Territories.
• In May 2024, the Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories announced that the territory would receive approximately $10.6M from 2023-24 to 2026-27 fiscal years to support the development of centre-based licensed early learning and child care infrastructure.

Related Links

• What We Heard Report – Approaches to Early Learning and Child Care Space Creation
• Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Framework

For media requests, please contact:

Agata Gutkowska
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Education, Culture and Employment
Government of the Northwest Territories 
Email: Agata_Gutkowska@gov.nt.ca 
Tel: (867) 767-9352 ext. 71073