Child Care Counts

Introduction

Every day, early childhood educators (ECEs) provide Ontario’s children with safe, responsive, and caring interactions that build a strong foundation for their development and well-being.

Children who participate in high-quality learning environments experience increased verbal communication, reading, math, and science skills, as well as a host of other benefits.

Uncover the facts about the many ways ECEs benefit children, their families, and the growth of our economy. Download our fact sheet.

High-quality child care provides Ontario's children with safe, responsive, and caring interactions that build a strong foundation for development and well-being.1

 

High-Quality Licensed Child Care

When children are nurtured in environments where their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical health is considered, they thrive in countless ways. 

90% of adult brain development occurs between birth and age five.2 

High-quality licensed child care helps children develop vital skills during their first five years, which marks a critical developmental period in a child’s life.

Early childhood educators (ECEs) provide children with the foundation they need to grow into future leaders. ECEs use their extensive knowledge of learning and child development to create high-quality learning opportunities through play and exploration.

Find Licensed Child Care

Educators are trained to:

  • Understand brain development and how to support healthy growth1
  • Identify children’s developmental stages and capabilities in social, emotional, cognitive, linguistic, and physical domains3
  • Build partnerships with families to support children’s well-being3
  • Plan activities that promote learning and build on children’s current abilities and interests3
 Importance of Early Childhood Educators

 Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) play a pivotal role in the learning and development of young children in a variety of settings including child care, kindergarten, and other children’s services and family support programs. “Early Childhood Educator” and “Registered Early Childhood Educator” are protected titles that can only be used by those who have met the education and other requirements of the profession, including the ethical and professional standards set by the College of Early Childhood Educators. Similar to the regulatory colleges for professions like nurses, teachers, and social workers, the College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE) governs and regulates RECEs in Ontario, as set out in the Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007.


“ECEs have knowledge of early childhood development. They focus on age-appropriate planning that promotes each child’s physical, cognitive, language, emotional, social and creative development and well-being”.4

 

Early Childhood Educators ensure that “high-quality early childhood programs:

  • establish positive, responsive relationships with children and their families;
  • value children as individuals and as active and competent contributors with their own interests and points of view;
  • recognize the connection between emotional well-being and social and cognitive development and the importance of focusing on these areas holistically;
  • provide environments and experiences for children to explore ideas, investigate their theories, and interact with others in play;
  • engage with families and support each child within the context of his or her family, recognizing that family and child well-being are inextricably linked”1

Learn more about becoming a Registered Early Childhood Educator

College of Early Childhood Educators

Ontario ECE Grants - Qualification Upgrade

Participation in high-quality learning environments, can help support children and their communities and to improve social, health, and academic outcomes.

Benefits for Children

  • Improved physical and mental well-being5
  • Decrease in chronic health problems8
  • Increased self confidence5
  • Improved outcomes in literacy,6 math, and science7
  • Higher rates of completing high school9
  • Increase in conflict resolutions skills5

Benefits for Communities

  • Increases the number of women in the workforce10
  • Decreases the need for social assistance10
  • Increases household income10
  • Decreases participation in criminal activity10

Download the Licensed Child Care Fact Sheet

 

Drawn image of a boy climbing steps with his shadow outlining himself as an adult in a graduation academic dress holding his accolades up high

 

 References
  1.  Ontario Ministry of Education. (2014). How does learning happen? Ontario’s pedagogy for the early years. Toronto https://files.ontario.ca/edu-how-does-learning-happen-en-2021-03-23.pdf
  2. McCain, Hon. M.N. (2020). Early Years Study 4: Thriving Kids, Thriving Society. Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation Inc. https://earlyyearsstudy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/EYS4-Report_01_15_2020.pdf
  3. College of Early Childhood Educators. (2017). Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. 

    https://www.college-ece.ca/en/Documents/Code_and_Standards_2017.pdf 

  4. Ontario Ministry of Education. (2022). Kindergarten. Government of Ontario. https://www.ontario.ca/page/kindergarten
  5. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2016). From Best Practices to Breakthrough Impacts: A Science-Based Approach to Building a More Promising Future for Young Children and Families. Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu

  6. Domond, P., Orri, M., Algan, y., Findlay, L., Kohen, D., Vitaro, F., Tremblay, R.E., & Côté, S.M. (2020). Child care attendance and educational and economic outcomes in adulthood. Pediatrics. 146(1) 

  7. McClure, E. R., Guernsey, L., Clements, D. H., Bales, S. N., Nichols, J., Kendall-Taylor, N., & Levine, M. H. (2017). STEM starts early: Grounding science, technology, engineering, and math education in early childhood. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.
  8. Blewitt, C., Morris, H., O’Connor, A., Ifanti, A., Greenwood, D. and Skouteris, H. (2021), Social and emotional learning in early childhood education and care: A public health perspective. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 45: 17-19. https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13058

  9. Yoshikawa, H., Weiland, C., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2016). When Does Preschool Matter? The Future of Children, 26(2), 21–35. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43940579

  10. Oxfam Canada (2019). Who Cares? Why Canada needs a public child care system. https://www.oxfam.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/who-cares-report-WEB_EN.pdf

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