The AECEO regrets to hear of any cost increases for registered early childhood educators (RECEs), including the recently announced College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE) $10 registration fee increase. Despite the necessary role of the CECE in professionalization, we know that RECE wages still do not adequately reflect the value of their work or their level of education and many experience financial hardship. This is why we believe it is in the best interest of our members to focus on our successful advocacy campaign for improved wages and working conditions for all RECEs.
The AECEO emphasizes the importance of advocating for decent wages and supports the development of a wage scale for all RECEs. We know that only with these structural changes will all RECEs experience working conditions and compensation that match their value as professionals. Our work on these issues has been successful and we are continuing our efforts to win decent work for all in the sector.
The AECEO’s Decent Work Task Force developed the Ontario Early Childhood Sector Decent Work Charter and published policy recommendations in our report Transforming Work in Ontario’s Early Years and Child Care Sector (2017) to mobilize a collective effort to achieve greater recognition and improved compensation and working conditions so that all RECEs experience;
BELONGING: Recognition of staff as valued professionals
WELL BEING: Professional Pay/Compensation
ENGAGEMENT: Professional Learning
EXPRESSION: Quality work environments
When early childhood educators come together we have a stronger collective voice as a profession. An overarching goal of the AECEO’s Professional Pay & Decent Work campaign is to unite all RECEs in influencing positive change that will benefit us all. We strongly believe that all RECEs need to support one another no matter where they work. We all face different challenges depending on where we live and work but in our heart we are all early childhood educators and we are stronger together.