About the Multilateral Framework on Early Learning and Child Care

What did First Ministers agree to in September 2000?

The September 2000 First Ministers’ Meeting Communiqué¹ outlines the agreement made by governments to improve and expand the early childhood development services and programs they provide for children under six and their families.

What is the Government of Canada's contribution to early childhood development?

The Government of Canada is providing $500 million per year to provinces/territories to support their investments in early childhood development. The funding profile for early childhood development provides a breakdown of the per capita funding being received by provinces/territories.

How are provinces and territories investing in Early Childhood Development?

Click on the links to the left of this screen to find out what programs and services are available across the country.

How can the public track what governments are doing with respect to early childhood development programs and services?

As part of this agreement, governments are reporting annually on the improvements and expansion of early childhood development programs and services, using a shared framework which includes jointly agreed comparable indicators.

Click on the links to the left of this screen to see the reports on early childhood development activities and expenditures from each jurisdiction.

How can Canadians learn more about the well-being of our young children?

As part of this agreement, governments are reporting regularly on the well-being of young children in Canada using a common set of 11 indicators of young children's well-being.

Click on the links to the left of this screen to see the reports on indicators of young children’s well-being from each jurisdiction. Note: some jurisdictions include these indicators in their reports on early childhood development activities and expenditures while others release separate reports.

¹ While the Government of Québec supports the general principles of the Early Childhood Development Agreement and the Multilateral Framework on Early Learning and Child Care, it did not participate in developing these initiatives because it intends to preserve its sole responsibility on social matters. However, Quebec receives its share of federal funding and the Government of Québec is making major investments toward programs and services for families and children.