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About 2,600 early childhood service providers employed in regulated child-care facilities received an increase to wage enhancements on Monday, Sept. 1.

Social Development Minister Mary Schryer said the provincial government is investing an additional $475,000 this fiscal year in the Quality Improvement Funding Support Program, which provides professional development and wage supplements for regulated child-care service providers.

"Early childhood staff members play an important role in a child's development, so we are making additional investments in wage enhancements to help the regulated child-care facilities attract and retain qualified staff," Schryer said.

Regulated child-care staff receive a wage enhancement from government in addition to the salary provided by their employer.

As of Sept. 1, child-care staff with early childhood education will receive a wage enhancement increase of 9.7 per cent, to $4.50 an hour from $4.11 an hour.

As of Sept. 1, workers without early childhood education training will receive a wage enhancement increase of 7.4 per cent, to $2.75 an hour from $2.56 an hour.

"Future wage enhancements of child-care service providers will also be considered as part of the pay equity initiative," Schryer said.

The provincial government has released Be Ready for Success: A 10-year Early Childhood Strategy for New Brunswick, a new plan to guide future investments in early learning and child care. New investments totalling $5.7 million will be invested in 2008-'09 as part of the Early Childhood Strategy Action Plan, 2008-2009.

Copies of the strategy and action plan are available online or by calling (506) 453-2950.