Steps to Earn Your AECEO Certification (ECE.C)

Step One: Fill out the AECEO Certification Application form and submit to the AECEO Provincial Office during one of the two intake periods.
Intake Periods: March 1-30 & September 1-30.

Step Two: Read the AECEO Certification Package sent to you by the Provincial Office. Commit to the process by submitting Part One. Begin gathering information for your essays and professional portfolio.

Step Three: Submit Competency Essay Question Answers to the AECEO Provincial Office.
Due: 6 months after receiving AECEO Certification package

Step Four: Competency Essay Results sent to you from the AECEO Provincial Office.

Step Five: Submit your Professional Portfolio.
Due: One Year After Competency Essay Submission.

Step Six: Professional Portfolio results sent to you from the AECEO Provincial Office.

Step Seven: Receive your AECEO Certification Certificate

Certification Requirements
Competency Essay Questions

This submission answers a series of ten essay questions designed to demonstrate professional competency beyond entry level practice and based on the principles and values of the AECEO Code of Ethics.
Applicants are given 6 months from the time of registration to complete this segment.

Professional Portfolio

This submission involves the creation of a binder that contains documents, diary entries, resumes, reference letters, reflections and other materials that are carefully organized, sorted, and labeled to demonstrate how each item matches the given benchmarks. As expectations are that applicants must be able to demonstrate a level of professional competency beyond entry level practices, it is highly recommended that applicants do not apply upon immediate entry into a field of practice (practitioner, administrator or faculty). The portfolio requires the accumulation of documentation and demonstration of learning that may not be possible for a novice.
Applicants are given one year to complete this segment.

Register for the AECEO Certification Process
A registration and assessment fee is applicable. The AECEO is a non-profit organization and fees levied are calculated on a cost recovery basis and are therefore subject to change. See current application form for fees.

Registration applications are only accepted during specified registration dates and must be received by the Provincial Office (postmarked accepted) within the dates stated. All other applications received outside of these dates will not be processed and applicants will be required to wait until the next registration date to enter the Certification process.

The intake periods for certification are between March 1-30 & September 1-30.

To download a certification application form, click here.

All applicants must hold a membership with the AECEO. For a membership application form, click here

Certification Inquiries 1-866-932-3236 xt. 27 or email by clicking here

Important Note:
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Evaluation Process
The submissions are evaluated by an assessor and a trained team, knowledgeable in the professional domain chosen (Practitioner, Administrator, Faculty) and the AECEO Certification Benchmarks.

The AECEO Certification benchmarks are guided by current professional and training standards such as the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities ECE Program Standards, Canadian Child Care Federation Occupational Standards for Child Care Practitioners, and the AECEO Code of Ethics.