Council meets four times a year to oversee the College of Early Childhood Educators’ activities in regulating the profession in the public interest.
Here are highlights from the meeting held on January 15, 2026.
Evidence-based innovation and preventing professional dishonesty
There is an objective in the College’s strategic plan to apply evidence-based innovation in regulation. In January, Council discussed the new Practice Note: Preventing Professional Dishonesty and the three companion resources published with the Practice Note. The companion resources include a document about honesty in interactions with the College, which was prepared partly in light of data that shows significant differences between self-declaration of compliance of continuous professional learning (CPL) requirements by RECEs and the actual rates of compliance. For example, in the quarter ending September 30, 2025:
- Of the members who were required to complete the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program, 95% self-declared that they met the requirement, but only 64% actually did.
- Of the members who were required to complete the Expectations for Practice Module, 98% self-declared that they met the requirement but only 86% actually did.
Public register notation for as-of-right registrants
Council approved a change to the College’s By-Laws. The change means that the public register will include a notation identifying individuals who are registered with the College “as-of-right”.
It is important to publicly identify these registrants because
- They have not yet given the College evidence that they are in good standing with other provincial regulators and do not have a history of professional misconduct, that they meet the language fluency requirements, or that they have knowledge specific to the practice of the profession in Ontario.
- Their certificate of registration, which is granted as required by the Ontario Labour Mobility Act, expires after 6 months unless they give evidence to the College of the facts listed above. If they do give the required evidence to the College, they receive a regular certificate of registration that can be renewed annually.
Statement of Commitment to Anti-Racism
The Statement of Commitment to Anti-Racism was approved by Council in 2020. In January, Council engaged in a facilitated discussion about the Statement to identify its current uses and influence and to identify elements that need renewal. This discussion was part of a wider consultation on the Statement, which will include RECEs and other interest holders.