Why Is King’s Gov’t Sitting On So Many Early Learning & Childcare dollars?

I don’t have time to answer my own question, but did feel it important to bring the following to the attention of those who consider themselves advocates for early childhood learning and development in PEI.

We entered into a big agreement with the feds in 2021.

Changes can’t be made to that agreement without them being approved by an Order in Council, and by Council is meant “Executive Council,” i.e., King and crew sitting around the Cabinet table with the Clerk of Executive Council doing business.

Those Orders are public, and on January 30th, despite there being a clause in that initial agreement saying that a whopping 54% of the allocated budget for those services in PEI for the fiscal year 2021-22 could be carried forward (one wonders why they’d ever have to be given the great need and also – I’m assuming – the great ASK from advocates and service deliverers in the field!

But the King government, without getting into details, says in the “Whereas” clauses to the Order that the province had some difficulties spending that money, the Amendment raises the amount to an even whoppier whooping 70%to be carried forward into 2022-23.

I assume the amendment would have only went as high as necessary to capture all unspent funds for the fiscal year in question, but no higher….it would be even harder to explain and more embarrassing, or so I’m assuming.

Is that what happened: they only spent 30% of the 2021-22 budget for early learning and childcare?

Am I missing something?

So is that what happened and now these financial doings and dealings behind closed doors are happening with hopes no one reads Orders in Council.

I don’t know. I only know they amended the agreement, and the wording for that is attached, and if I was a child advocate lobbying for more resources to meet growing needs of Island children I’d be asking some questions. I hope they do!