WHEREAS    Prince Edward Island is receiving a historic investment from the federal government of approximately $121 million dollars from 2021-2026 to expand access to child care services for children ages 0-5, this calls attention to an opportunity for the PEI Provincial Government to address the gap in after-school child care for children ages 6-12 (1), and

WHEREAS    there are currently 8,361 school-age children ages 5-9 living on PEI, and in 2018 there were 56 licensed school age centres providing 2000 spaces for families needing after school child care, and even when the 10-12 year old children are not accounted for, at full capacity these spaces do not meet the national average of children seeking after-school care (2, 3, 8), and

WHEREAS    evidence reveals that in Quebec the 1998 universal after-school care policy increased the use of after-school care by 6–10 percent, replacing self-care and care provided by a sibling, achieving the policy’s primary goal of combating child safety concerns and the phenomenon of latchkey children (4), and

WHEREAS    children with disabilities face significant challenges in access to health, social, and educational services and continuity of care for children who require additional human resources in-school, currently do not follow through to support the child at an after-school program (5, 6), and

WHEREAS    ensuring that before and after-school care is affordable, accessible and culturally sensitive is critical to meeting the child care needs of Island families (7), and

WHEREAS    evidence supports that accessible after-school care is a preventative care service for children living in a high-risk environment (8), and

WHEREAS    those in the visible-minority status, immigrant status and Indigenous identity are all associated with lower odds of participation in any form of before or after-school child care (7), and

WHEREAS    families in rural areas face barriers to accessing childcare, as low population density means that children must travel longer distances to after-school care facilities (7), and

WHEREAS    current research suggests that school-based after-school programs are better equipped for effective programing versus off site or tenant run programs (9), and

WHEREAS    current research states after-school programs improve healthy eating and physical activity among school-aged children (11), and

WHEREAS    PEI employment targets are at risk as the availability of after-school care is associated with labour force participation among mothers of school-aged children (10, 12), and

WHEREAS    supporting women in the workforce is supporting maternal mental health, a primary indicator for childhood mental health and healthy development (13, 14), and

WHEREAS    high quality after-school care is associated with positive outcomes for children and communities, including improvements in social adjustment, academic achievement, workforce participation, and economic goals (15);

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the P.E.I. Home and School Federation requests the Ministers of Education and Lifelong Learning, Status of Women, and Social Development and Housing, to work collaboratively to streamline resources to create accessible and universal afterschool programs for all PEI students in grades K -6, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the P.E.I. Home and School Federation requests the Ministers of the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning, Department of Social Development and Housing, and Department of Health and Wellness, and Minister responsible for the Status of Women, to work collaboratively to create accessible and universal after-school programs for all PEI students in grades K-6, where inclusivity with disabled, neuro diverse, immigrant, visible minorities and Indigenous children are at the forefront of program planning and implementation.