Don't Delay! Nominate an Outstanding Early Childhood Educator today
for the 2009 Prime Minister’s Awards (PMAs) for Excellence in Early
Childhood Education

Prime Minister’s Awards – Deadline Extended to April 20, 2009

The original deadline for submitting applications by March 31, 2009 has been extended to April 20, 2009; this gives nominators more time to complete their packages and send them in.

Now is a great time to think about recognizing an educator that has
made a difference in your child's life. The 2009 guidelines and
nomination forms for the Prime Minister's Awards (PMAs) for Excellence
in Early Childhood Education are available online at www.pma.gc.ca. You can also obtain hard copies by calling 613-946-0651 or sending an email to pmaece-ppmepe@gc.ca.

The program honours outstanding educators from across Canada who excel
at fostering the early development and socialization of children in
their care. These awards are unique as they are the only national
awards for early childhood educators.

If you know an exceptional early childhood educator that you feel deserves national recognition, visit www.pma.gc.ca to find out more about the Prime Minister's Awards.

From Child Care Resource and Research Unit news item

The number of nurseries, childminders and
out-of-school clubs has dropped dramatically since last summer,
official figures reveal, as early years organisations blame the
recession for driving providers out of business.

Ofsted statistics on the number of registered childcare
providers and places in England show that there are now at least 8,181
fewer childcare providers than there were at the end of August.

At the end of December 2008 the number of group settings was down by 6,510 and there were 1,671 fewer childminders.

Figures for the end of March, due next month, are expected to reveal a bleaker picture.

Is this also happening in Canada?  Are child care centres in your community closing due to the economic crisis?