Prince Edward Island’s early childhood educators will see a wage increase and licensed childcare centres will get more support for extra health and safety measures to benefit children and staff.
Starting Oct. 1, salaries will go up for 367 early childhood educators and more than 110 autism assistants and special needs assistants in the province.
Early childhood education wages will include the following increases:
- 50 cent per hour increase for level 1 educators;
- $1 per hour increase for level 2 educators; and
- $1.50 per hour increase for level 3 educators.
Special needs assistants and autism assistants will receive a $1 per hour wage increase.
Also, early childhood centres that currently receive the quality enhancement grant and provide service to children from birth to school entry will get an increase in their annual funding.
To further support centres, the province will be using a portion of its federal COVID-19 relief grant to provide licensed early learning and childcare centers with additional support staff, personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies to meet health and safety measures.
Funding for the wage increases was announced in the P.E.I. 2020-21 provincial operating budget.
For more information on early childhood education visit ecdaofpei.ca.
