The College of Early Childhood Educators (the College) welcomes the release of the early years and child care workforce strategy as part of the provincial government’s commitment to improving access to quality licensed child care for children and families in Ontario.
Qualified and accountable professionals are key to the delivery of high quality early years programs, and we are pleased that the government is acting on the recommendations of Growing Together: Ontario’s Early Years and Child Care Workforce Strategy.
The College regulates Ontario’s 52,000 registered early childhood educators (RECEs) in the public interest. RECEs have specialized training, which makes them uniquely qualified to practise the profession of early childhood education. As regulated professionals, they practice in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, and are committed to undertaking continuous professional learning throughout their careers. Through the College, RECEs are accountable to the public.
The College is encouraged by the government’s commitment to retaining qualified professionals in the workforce and supporting environments that allow RECEs to practice in accordance with the high standards of the profession.
The development of a framework of qualifications and professional standards across the sector will protect the public by supporting high quality learning environments and ensuring that the full early years workforce is accountable to practice in accordance with standards and codes of conduct that are professionally overseen and regulated.
The College looks forward to working with the Ministry in the implementation of the workforce strategy to support high-quality child care and early years programming delivered by qualified, accountable educators.
About the College of Early Childhood Educators
The College of Early Childhood Educators regulates the profession of early childhood education in the public interest in accordance with the Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007. With more than 52,000 members in good standing, the College is one of the largest professional self-regulatory bodies in Ontario and is the only professional self-regulatory body for early childhood education in Canada.
