This brief summarizes what is known about the childcare workforce in Canada, the implications of this for regulated childcare, and identifies some considerations and strategies to address the ongoing issues and improve the overall state of ECEC. A summary of the relevant research and data leads to the conclusion that a coordinated and comprehensive strategy is needed to address the multiple and interconnected variables that impact the working conditions of those in the childcare workforce.

This brief is part of the Moving Child Care Forward project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada's Connections program, a joint initiative of CRRU, the Centre for Work, Families and Well-Being at the University of Guelph, and the Department of Sociology at the University of Manitoba.