NWT seeking input on proposed changes to Child Day Care Act

The Northwest Territories government is asking for residents’ feedback on proposed amendments to the territorial Child Day Care Act.

The act, last amended in 2012, and its accompanying regulations, amended in 2021, set standards for the supervision of children in NWT facilities outside of their homes. 

The Department of Education Culture and Employment has proposed five changes to the act that it said will “support transformation of the early learning and child care system” and help achieve goals in the 2030 Early Learning and Child Care Strategy. 

Those amendments include establishing a certification process for licensed day care programs and a wage grid for early childhood educators in centre-based programs, as well as increasing the department’s ability to collect information about children in licensed programs to meet federal reporting requirements. The NWT government also wants to implement cost control measures, establish mandatory provisions to protect the rights of families and their children, and update language in the act to reflect modern terminology. 

Residents can share their comments on the proposed changes by phone or email before June 27 at 5pm.