Response re: Regulatory Registry Consultation Document supporting the Renewed Early Years and Child Care Policy Framework under the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA), 2014

Introduction

The AECEO is the professional association for ECEs and its primary purpose is to support early childhood educators in their professional practice and advocate for respect, recognition and appropriate wages and working conditions for all ECEs.  Our members are working throughout Ontario in programs for young children and their families, including regulated childcare, full-day kindergarten, family resource programs and support services for children with disabilities.

As it is our mission to act on behalf of Ontario’s registered early childhood educators (RECEs), our response to the Regulatory Registry Consultation Document supporting the Renewed Early Years and Child Care Policy Framework under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA) focuses mainly on issues of concern to RECEs. We commend the government for its initiative to expand the current childcare system in Ontario, but remain concerned about the fundamental reliance of the existing and potential system on a poorly paid, over-burdened yet increasingly professionalized workforce. We feel that creating a system where workforce issues are a central rather than peripheral pillar of planning is necessary to ensure Ontario’s children and families do not just have access to a childcare space, but high-quality care and education programs. This response thus commends the government for removing the Schedule 2 optional approach to age groupings and ratios which would have seen younger children in larger group sizes, creating a more stressful work environment and ultimately decreasing the quality of individualized, responsive care that children deserve. 

Download the full response here