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.
High-Quality Licensed Child Care Fact Sheet
High-quality licensed child care provides Ontario’s children with safe, responsive, and caring interactions that build a strong foundation for development and well-being.1
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 five2
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. 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
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-being4
Decrease in chronic health problems7
Increased self confidence4
Improved outcomes in literacy5, math, and science6
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2016). From best practices to breakthrough impacts: A science-based approach to building amore promising future for young children and families. http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu
Domond, P., Orri, M., Algan, y., Findlay, L., Kohen, D., Vitaro, F., Tremblay, R.E., & Côté, S.M. (2020). Child care attendance and educational andeconomic outcomes in adulthood. Pediatrics. 146(1)
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.
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
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
We are designing a Workforce Development Strategy for the Early Years and Child Care Sector, to support the retention and recruitment of a qualified child care and early year’s workforce.
Early childhood education provides a solid foundation for a bright and successful future. Do you want to help build that foundation?
Check out the resources below to assist you in becoming a Early Childhood Educator:
College of Early Childhood Educators - the College is one of the largest professional self-regulatory bodies in Ontario and is the only professional self-regulatory body for early childhood education in Canada.
Education Grants - The education grant is available to cover the cost of tuition fees related to studying in a recognized Early Childhood Education diploma program. Applications are processed on a first come, first served basis once all required documents have been received. Funding is based on the number of applications received, and available funding per semester.
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