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In this study we demonstrate why oversight and monitoring of the home child care (HCC) sector deserves more scrutiny and policy attention in Canada. Focusing on Ontario as a key case given its population and particular licensing model, we propose a model of licensing which would bring HCC in line with requirements in child care centres and ensure all HCC providers are licensed and monitored. Recognizing that licensing alone does not guarantee quality child care, we propose a system of program supports to accompany licensing. Finally, we estimate the costs associated with implementing our proposal and demonstrate that on a per provider/child basis our model is much more cost effective and equitable than the current system. Cette etude vise a demontrer pourquoi la surveillance et le suivi du secteur des Responsables de service de garde en milieu familial (RSG) meritent plus d'examen et d'attention des politiques au Canada. En mettant l'accent sur l'Ontario en tant que cas cle compte tenu de sa population et de son modele de licence particulier, nous proposons un modele de licence qui alignerait les RSG sur les exigences des garderies et garantirait que tous les RSG soient agrees et surveilles. En reconnaissant que la delivrance d'un permis ne garantit pas a lui seul un service de garde de qualite, nous proposons un systeme de soutien aux programmes pour accompagner l'octroi du permis. Finalement, nous estimons les couts associes a la mise en oeuvre de notre proposition et demontrons que sur une base par fournisseur/ enfant, notre modele est beaucoup plus rentable et equitable que le systeme actuel., Introduction Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services play an important role in the lives of Canadian working families, especially those with children who have not yet reached the age [...]

Early educational settings such as early childhood education and care and kindergarten (i.e. formal schooling) are important contexts to foster children's peer collaboration, an important skill for the twenty-first century. The prevalence of technology in early educational settings has continued to increase rapidly in ways that can support the development of peer collaboration. The purpose of this scoping review, therefore, was to identify the types of technology used to support peer collaboration in early educational settings. The search was conducted in ERIC, PsycInfo, Education Source, and Child Development and Adolescent Studies. This scoping review is based on 24 articles that incorporate use of technology during peer collaboration in educational settings with at least one child between the ages of zero to six years of age. The results of this review found six types of technology hardware (iPads, computers, robots, Microsoft Kinect, multi-touch tables, and cameras) and seven software types (video games, digital drawing, media capture, mixed reality, tangible programming, multimedia editing, and content delivery) that were used to support the development of collaboration in early educational settings. While interacting with these hardware and software types, children were observed engaging in the following collaborative skills: exchanging ideas, turn-taking, negotiating, sharing, joint understanding of goals/processes, joint action, and other behaviours. Findings from this review synthesise empirical evidence that can serve as a tool for educators and researchers when considering the integration of technology in the classroom to foster early peer collaboration skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined early childhood education and care (ECEC) utilization in Canada, focusing on use of unlicensed home child care (HCC) from an equity perspective. Data from the 2011 cycle of the General Social Survey (GSS) were used. Across Canada, parent responses reveal that 16.6% of children between the age of 12 months and entry to school were in unlicensed HCC. Another 24% of working parents reported having no regular form of non-parental childcare. Families with higher incomes were more likely to report using center-based care. Conversely, lower-income working parents with lower levels of education were more likely to use unlicensed HCC or report using no non-parental care at all. Comparison of parent responses in Ontario, however, where government estimates for the number of licensed and unlicensed HCC spaces are available, revealed that more parents report that their children are in licensed HCC than is possible. The lack of accurate parental reporting calls into question a key assumption of current regulatory systems, which is that parents are informed consumers of ECEC services. Given that many parents misreport the type of HCC their children use, and the equity concerns raised by the overall utilization patterns we found, we argue that governments need to take a more active role in oversight and support of HCC.

BackgroundEpidemiological findings suggest a relationship between Alzheimer disease (AD), inflammation, and dyslipidemia, although the nature of this relationship is not well understood. We investigated whether this phenotypic association arises from a shared genetic basis.Methods and resultsUsing summary statistics (P values and odds ratios) from genome-wide association studies of >200 000 individuals, we investigated overlap in single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with clinically diagnosed AD and C-reactive protein (CRP), triglycerides, and high- and low-density lipoprotein levels. We found up to 50-fold enrichment of AD single-nucleotide polymorphisms for different levels of association with C-reactive protein, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and triglyceride single-nucleotide polymorphisms using a false discovery rate threshold

Peer collaboration is a foundational skill that emerges in early childhood. Children spend significant time in early educational settings, making it an important setting where young children can learn how to collaborate with peers. However, research on how to support children's collaboration effectively is limited and findings in this area have been inconsistent. This systematic review synthesises the effectiveness of interventions designed to enhance peer collaboration among children aged zero to six in early educational settings. The searches were conducted in Education Resource Information Centre (ERIC), PsycINFO, Education Resource, and Child Development and Adolescent Studies. A total of 18 studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. Included interventions targeted five components of peer collobaration: (1) communication skills; (2) ability to share goals; (3) collaborative products; (4) knowledge exchange; and (5) collaborative prosocial skills. The structure and implementation of the interventions were examined. Diverse strategies such as grouping children based on criteria, evaluations of collaborative products, role assignments, and adult observation and guidance were used to enhance young children's peer collaboration. The interventions primarily focused on children's direct engagement in tasks, with limited attention given to educators. The systematic review found mixed results regarding the impact of interventions on children's peer collaboration. Our findings provide researchers, policy makers and educators with empirical guidance on how to support this skill in young children. Context and implicationsRationale for this studyEarly educational settings are in a unique position to support children's peer collaboration. This study synthesised research on how to support the development of peer collaboration in these settings.Why the new findings matterThis study identified heterogeneity in how peer collaboration is supported and measured. Findings about the effectiveness of interventions were mixed.Implications for policy makersThe heterogeneity in measures found in this study highlights the need to develop and utilise consistent measures of peer collaboration. It is important for interventions to identify the specific type of peer collaboration skills that they target and tailor interventions accordingly. Future studies should continuously aim to ensure the quality of research and the replicability and clarity of intervention procedures across contexts for integration of evidence. Finally, more research is needed to understand how to support process‐oriented collaboration outcomes in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more historic sites are engaging their descendant communities in order to tell a more complete history. Similarly, many descendants are seeking out the ancestral homes of their family members and are finding and connecting with these places. This article tells the story of one of the writer's ancestral homes, Appomattox, Virginia, where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant on 9 April 1865. The author traces her ancestors from enslavement in Prince William County and Appomattox to freedom and beyond. In 2024, after fifteen years of urging by the writer, Appomattox Court House National Park posted a historical marker recognizing the writer's ancestor and others who had been enslaved there. Given the recent emphasis on Juneteenth, readers need to know more about Appomattox, one of the most significant sites of our ancestors' liberation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An expanding body of research demonstrates that high quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) programmes generate positive outcomes for children; in response, policy makers in a number of countries are making significant programme investments. No research consensus, however, has emerged around the specific types of policy intervention that are most effective. Much remains to be clarified in terms of specific policy interventions that flow from the evidence base. To respond to these important gaps in ECEC knowledge, we advance a call for a research agenda that will systematically examine the effects of early years policy instruments and settings.

In over half of Canada's provinces, a recent commission has recommended major reform of ECEC systems; in response, provincial governments in nearly all cases have chosen to implement full-day kindergarten funded by the province and delivered through public schools. We analyze the commission processes that led to changes to investigate the relationship between experts, policy makers, and policy outcomes. Our analysis of processes in BC, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and PEI leads us to conclude that governments rarely fully implement the programs supported by the evidence base and recommended by their own experts. Instead, recent policy changes have been driven by a highly selective and path-dependent approach to the complex issue of early childhood care and education. Recemment, des commissions ont recommande une reforme de fond des systemes de protection et d'education de la petite enfance dans plus de la moitie des provinces du Canada. Dans presque tous les cas, les gouvernements ont choisi de mettre en oeuvre le programme de maternelle a plein temps, finance par les provinces et execute par le biais des ecoles publiques. Nous analysons les rapports et processus des commissions en C.-B., Alberta, Ontario, Quebec et I-du-P.-E., qui ont etudie ces systemes, ainsi que les relations entre experts, decideurs de politiques et les resultats des politiques. Notre analyse nous permet de conclure que les gouvernements mettent rarement en oeuvre les programmes reposant sur des donnees scientifiques et qui sont recommandes par leurs propres experts. Par contre, de recentes modifications concernant les politiques ont ete dictees par une approche fortement ciblee et dependante du chemin parcouru eu egard a cette question complexe., Numerous advanced industrialized countries have recently introduced or expanded policies to support the employment of parents of young children. The biggest policy investors have traditionally been the Scandinavian welfare states [...]