Public Policy and the Early Childhood Educator
In Ontario, Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) work in a variety of programs and services for children and families such as regulated child care services including full or part-day centre based child care, preschools or nursery schools, regulated home based family child care, family resource programs including Ontario Early Years Centres (OEYCs), early intervention and support services, and as Designated Early Childhood Educators (DECEs) in full day kindergarten and extended-day programs in the public school system. As well, many ECEs are employed in government, post-secondary institutions and other related organizations.
ECEs in Ontario are therefore working within various systems, legislation and regulatory environments and policy frameworks. Although we are united in our shared collective knowledge and identity as ECEs, we may also have very different working contexts and experiences. This section of the website outlines the public policy context and supporting information for some of the key areas of early childhood education and care in Ontario, as well as the legislative framework for the regulation of the profession by the College of Early Childhood Educators.
There have been a number of significant initiatives and changes for the early childhood education and child care sector in Ontario starting with the roll out of full day kindergarten and the transition of responsibility for child care to the Ministry of Education in 2010. Since then, a new funding formula for child care has been implemented and a number of policy documents have been released. Most recently, the Ontario government passed Bill 10, the Child Care Modernization Act, 2014.