December 15, 2021 Roundtable concerning the critical shortage of ECEs sponsored by OCBCC and the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario (AECEO).

CFUW Ontario Council supports early learning and childcare that is accessible, affordable, and comprehensive, emphasizing the development of the whole child. 

Ontario’s childcare workforce is being pushed to the breaking point. While anxiously awaiting a National Child Care partnership with the Federal Government, the sector cannot increase the number of childcare spaces at a proposed feel of $10 a day, so desperately wanted by Ontario Families.  The reasons:

• ECEs not receiving proper compensation including benefits for their skills, workload, and mental health burn out.
• Qualified staff is leaving the sector, leaving centres struggling to stay open.
• Many centres throughout Ontario have closed due to funding and staff leaving.

What they need:

• Full and sufficient operational funding for the childcare centres.
• Starting salary of $25/hour for the sector.
• Compensation package which includes professional learning opportunities, paid sick leave
• Paid planning time.
• Vision for career longevity!

For more information, please view the video Ontario’s Child Care Crisis, Early Years Workforce Recruitment & Retention from the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, the Association of Childcare Educators Ontario, and the Toronto Community for Better Child Care.

Click here to view an informative webpage from Child Care Now that provides some good background about the important issues that need to be addressed to build a national system for early learning and child care in Canada. 

Wendy Taylor, Chair, OC Education Standing Committee