Have Your Say on the Early Learning and Child Care Regulations

Press Release

June 8, 2026

Give feedback on the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Regulations. Responses to survey questions will help inform updates to the ELCC Regulations, improving early learning and child care services in the Northwest Territories.

In November 2024, new Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Regulations came into force. The updates were needed so the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) could meet its commitments under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and Action Plan, and to help advance the vision and goals of the 2030 Early Learning and Child Care Strategy.

Since then, ELCC stakeholders and the GNWT have identified gaps, outdated provisions, and opportunities for improved practices for better alignment with existing and future programming.

Regulatory updates are also required to formally incorporate the revised minimum rates of pay (wage grid) and other policy directions to ensure alignment between what is intended and what is identified in legislation.

These engagements are designed to:

Identify existing gaps in the ELCC Regulations
Ensure the ELCC Regulations are informed by the ELCC sector, Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, and the needs of families.

Results of this engagement will help inform decisions about what to include in the development of updates to the revised ELCC Regulations scheduled to come into force April 1, 2027.

In addition to Have Your Say engagement, the GNWT is engaging with Indigenous governments and getting input and feedback from licensed early learning and child care facility operators.

Visit the GNWT’s Have Your Say portal to complete the survey by August 21, 2026.