On August 10th, the federal government announced a new workforce initiative. Click in read more for details.

Opportunities to join the AECEO and the CARE Collectives this Summer!

In this issue:

• Program Profile: Early Years at Tungasuvvingat Inuit (to read previous articles from the AECEO Guiding Committee on Truth and Reconciliation click HERE)  
• From Burnout to Renewal: Rediscovering Joy and Purpose in School-Age Programs
• Reconsidering Behaviour Support in Contemporary Early Learning Environments: A Structural Perspective
• ECE Voices:
  • Is It Not “Real” Work
  • Borrow My Calm
  • Professional Lone Rangers
  • The Meeting Place
  • Beyond “Just Babysitters”: My 27-Year Journey as an Early Childhood Educator
  • The Difference We Don’t See…
• The Peer Reviewed Collection: (Open Access)
  
  • Navigating the Hurdles of the CWELCC System: Centring Ontario Early Childhood Education and Care Operators’ Perspectives
  • Nourishing Care: Conceptualizing School Food within a Multi-Level Framework

Our sincere thanks and gratitude to everyone who contributed! Click HERE for information on submitting to the ECE Voices or general sections of the the eceLINK.

We would also like to thank AECEO Members, and the following advertisers, for supporting this issue of the eceLINK:

belairdirect

Raffi Foundation

HeartSafe EMS

 (AECEO MEMBER ACCESS FOR FULL CONTENT)

Click HERE to become an AECEO member or renew!

In January of 2024, the Ontario Ministry of Education first announced their “back to basics” kindergarten curriculum, set to be implemented in September 2025. These changes were delayed by one year, and will now be implemented in September 2026. In April 2026, the AECEO released a survey to gain insight into how ECEs are feeling about these changes, and how they anticipate the implementation may impact their role, work, and relationships. This is a report of our findings.

Have you heard about the updates made to the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA)? In case you missed it, the AECEO has got your back! 

The Family Supports Institute of Ontario (FSIO), in partnership with the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario (AECEO), is launching a province-wide campaign—including a formal petition— calling on the Government of Ontario to establish a comprehensive salary grid that ensures equitable recognition for RECEs, Legacy Practitioners, and staff working in EarlyON Child and Family Centres and family support programs.

Learn more on the FSIO website. 

New Federal Investment in CWELCC: Still Negotiating Agreement in Ontario

A message from the AECEO on Indigenous History Month and 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride Month.

Seeking: Great ECE Jobs - How to find work that meets YOUR needs

Join the AECEO and our partners at SECEO and the OCBCC on May 6th and 11th for this special workshop where we turn the job search process on its head by centering YOU, ECEs and child care workers. Click here to register!

The AECEO is now accepting submissions for the eceLINK peer-reviewed collection to be published in the Fall/Winter 2026-27 issue.

We invite submissions on a broad range of themes related to early childhood education, including, but not limited to:

Early Childhood Policy; Early Childhood Practice; Early Childhood Pedagogy; First Nations, Inuit, and Métis perspectives and approaches to early childhood education; Social Justice and Equity in ECE; Professionalism in the ECE Sector; Disability, Accessibility, and Inclusion; Environmentalism in ECE; Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Practices; Diversity and Anti-Bias Approaches in ECE; Action Research and Practitioner Inquiry; Program-Level Issues in Early Childhood Classrooms; Pedagogical Documentation; Engaging with How Does Learning Happen?

We welcome contributions that reflect innovative ideas, critical insights, and meaningful connections to practice.

Click here to access author guidelines for the peer-reviewed collection. 

Deadline for submissions is July 31, 2026. Please email submissions to [email protected]

The AECEO is currently searching for contributions to General Articles and the ECE Voices sections of our publication, eceLINK. ECEs, child care workers, early childhood students, faculty & researchers, you're invited to share your insights, experiences, expertise & connect with the ECE community! 

Available now: 2026 Ontario Budget - Response from the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario

Download Budget Response in PDF

The AECEO is looking for RECEs working in the Full Day Kindergarten Program to share their thoughts about the recent update to the Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum. If you work or supply in FDK, we want to hear from you! Click here to take the survey.

• Organized
• An excellent team player
• Interested in public policy and government relations
• And love the idea of engaging with members

This role might be for you! 

In this issue:

• Families Need Action: Stand Up For Jordan’s Principle  OPEN ACCESS. Find out more about the Guiding Committee's Jordan's Principle campaign HERE. To read previous articles from the AECEO Guiding Committee on Truth and Reconciliation click HERE
• Decent Work Project Update
• The AECEO 75th Anniversary Card
• AECEO Timeline: 75 Years Of Impact OPEN ACCESS
• Official List of AECEO Certified Members
• ECE Voices:
  • I Promise Never to Poison You With Bananas
  • Celebrating Our Educators: Reflections From Brock University’s B.ECE Program
  • Feminist Ethics of Care And How They Impact ECEs

Our sincere thanks and gratitude to everyone who contributed!

We would also like to thank AECEO Members, and the following advertisers, for supporting this issue of the eceLINK:

belairdirect

Raffi Foundation

 (AECEO MEMBER ACCESS FOR FULL CONTENT)

Click HERE to become an AECEO member or renew!

2026 Ontario Pre-budget submission from the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario.

Letters to Ministers in advance of the Federal Provincial Territorial Forum on Early Learning and Child Care