The long awaited Early Learning Advisors’ Report on Full Day Early Learning was released on the morning of June 15 by Premier McGuinty at a formal launch in Queen’s Park.

Charles Pascal’s “With Our Best Future in Mind: Implementing Early Learning in Ontario” not only recognizes the valuable role early childhood educators play in the early learning and care of Ontario’s children. It also highlights problems ECEs have long voiced around our patchwork system, and champions a system that provides choices for everyone, not just for some.

Ontario’s families are diverse in many ways, and their needs are individual. The new early learning and care system outlined in this report would support children and families with one-stop resources including health and nutritional guidance, developmental assessment and support resources, community connections and parental engagement strategies.

These services would be widely available and open to all those involved in the care of young children, not just to families who utilize full-day learning programs. The time has come to take a fragmented system of valuable programs and resources and turn it into a cohesive system that works for Ontario’s families.

The Early Learning Advisor’s report clearly acknowledges the vital work early childhood educators do, and the important role they have to play in the vision of a new system of early learning and care. However, as transitions take place to implement the new system this report calls for we must remember that it is not all about who, but rather why.

Early childhood educators at their very core believe in supporting children and families, and in ensuring our children receive the best possible start in life. This report is going to help our province do that better. The result? Less failure in school, child poverty, youth violence, and unmet expectations of new Canadians and their children, which Dr. Pascal identifies as “enemies of prosperity for all of us.”

The AECEO is calling on its members, early learning professionals, parents and communities across the province to come to action on behalf of children, families and also the future of our province. We are asking that each and every one play a role in advocating for a change to the early learning and care system in Ontario.

How You Can Support This New Vision for Ontario

1) Write a letter to the Premier. We've created templates for you.

Premier McGuinty's email: dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
Fax: 416-325-3745

Professional letter template

Parent & community letter template

2) Contact your local MPP. Here's a contact list.

In order to gauge the effectiveness of this campaign we ask that you report back to us on your efforts by sending us copies of support letters you have sent/gathered from your centre, branch and community.

This is our window of opportunity and we cannot afford to let it go. We must all be a part of the push to bring in an early learning and care system that works not just for children and families but for our society as a whole.

Early Learning Advisor's Report

A Message from Charles Pascal