There’s no word on when the province will implement a new wage grid for early childhood educators as promised earlier this year.

In March the province indicated that a pre-kindergarten pilot program would be implemented by September, with the intent of creating 3,100 regulated spaces for four-year-olds by 2025-26.

Part of the program included an updated wage grid that would increase ECE salaries from an average of $15 an hour to $25 to $26 an hour.

Former Education Minister Tom Osborne indicated that details of the wage grid would be announced over the summer, with the goal for implementation being January 1. But, the Department of Education says an independent report from the Early Childhood Educators Human Resource Council is currently under review and next steps “will be announced at the earliest opportunity.”

Over the summer, Minister John Haggie told VOCM News that an RFP had been issued and the proponent chosen, but scheduling problems delayed meetings with the Association of Early Childhood Educators.

He did say at the time that there is a lag time in getting new ECEs trained and certified, but he expected the wage grid to be in place by the time new ECEs graduate from their programs.