Nunavik Childcare

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October 23, 2024

OTTAWA – Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami congratulates Julie-Ann Berthe, a dedicated childcare and language advocate from Kuujjuaq, and winner of our 2024 Award for Inuit Excellence.

The prize was announced during ITK’s annual general meeting in Inuvik on September 18, 2024, and presented to Berthe in Ottawa on Oct. 22.

Berthe was pregnant with her second child when she got her first job with the Kativik Regional Government as a childcare technical assistant – doing secretarial, reception and translation work to support a small team overseeing four childcare centres.

jaberthe

Twenty-five years later, Berthe is now Assistant Director in the KRG’s Sustainable Employment Department in charge of its Childcare Section, which manages 19 childcare centres in 14 communities. Her team helps to ensure Nunavik childcare centres are safe, culturally appropriate and well managed and that includes providing expertise for financial, staff and building management, insurance, nutrition, health, hygiene, board activities, and laws and regulations.

It’s a huge and important responsibility but she did not expect to win an award for it.

- I thought it was a scam because I’m not used to getting those kinds of messages. I was in shock, said Berthe of outreach from ITK to inform her of the prize. I had good parents raising me and you just do what you have to do to help your people.

Read the whole article

During the week of March 18th, 2024, directors of childcare centres from across Nunavik were in Salluit for the community-based training program entitled Management of Childcare Centres. A total of 8 participants are registered, 5 being returning participants who will be graduating in November 2024. The program teaches about communication, leadership, the role of childcare centre managers, and how to better express Inuit culture in a childcare centre setting.

The program will take a little over a year to complete with one week of training delivered approximately every six weeks. Each one-week session will be organized in a different community. Successful participants at the end of the program will receive a recognized college-degree diploma.

The Management of Childcare Centres training program was developed by the CEGEP de Saint-Félicien with the support of many partners, including the Kativik Regional Government, the Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, the Cree Nation Government, and the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission. The very first edition of this childcare centre management program for Nunavik was implemented from February 2018 to June 2019.

(from left, Mary Eetook, Quara Amamatuak, Joshua Kiramathypathy, Susie Moreau, Kitty Annanack, Leanna Greig, Patsauq Irqu , pictured with Teacher Sabrina Scott Paige. Missing, Louisa Etok)

curiculum 2023

Download the New Curriculum 2023

KRG Childcare Section is pleased to present its new Curriculum, a culturally rooted early learning and childcare programming, made in Nunavik for Nunavimmiut.

The Nunavik curriculum is meant to be used by educators, centre directors, pedagogical counsellors, Nunavik Early Childhood Education (ECE) College teachers, parents and community members.

Using the curriculum will benefit and help the children, the childcare centres’ staff, the school transition and all Nunavik communities.

Here are the printable version of the curriculum and the poster for you to download

‘Amazing things are coming !

Centre directors from across Nunavik with select educators have been invited to attend the launching of the Nunavik Childcare Curriculum which will be taking place from January 31st to February 2nd 2023 in Montreal.

At this launch, the Nunavik Childcare curriculum with the Early childhood monitoring tool will be introduced, discussed and then brought back to implement in their childcare centres.

The Nunavik Curriculum document will be accessible to the public at a later date.

We are so excited to share this with you