The District supports Early Years Professionals and Operators by providing opportunities for engagement, learning and funding support. Read more about these opportunities below.
| Early Years Workshop Series |
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The District offers an Early Years Workshop Series geared to Early Childhood Education (ECE) Professionals. If you are an ECE Professional located in the Muskoka community and you would like to receive an invitation to upcoming workshops please email Kasia Oxley to be added to our workshop distribution list. Please note that your professional portfolio must include providing services to young children in the Muskoka community for you to be eligible to register for Early Years Workshops. If you practice outside of Muskoka region, please contact Kasia Oxley via email or phone 705-645-2412 ext. 4415 to inquire about space availability. Upcoming Workshops:March 9, 2023: Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder. Click here to register! |
| Resources |
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1. Child Care Resources for Reopening and Beyond.(10MB) This interactive resource guide contains a variety of resources and learning formats geared to reopening licensed child care, outdoor education, art therapy and emotional regulation in children and adults. This guide was designed to highlight resources available to you during the pandemic and through the re-opening of child care centres. Information contained in this resource document is intended to encourage conversation and self-reflection. Any information pertaining to mental and physical health throughout this guide is not to be used as a re-placement of medical or other professional advice. If you would like more information on the resources contained in this booklet, or any additional information as it pertains to professional development and practice in the early years field, please contact Kasia, Children's Services Community Facilitator via email or phone 705-644-1533. 2. The Ministry of Education – Building on How Does Learning Happen? Pedagogical Approaches to Reopening Child Care. 3. Early Years Muskoka Professional Development Newsletters |
| Wage Enhancement Program |
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The Ontario government has made an ongoing funding commitment to support a wage enhancement for eligible child care professionals working in licensed child care settings. The wage enhancement grant will help retain Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs), and support access to stable, high-quality child care programs for children in Ontario. The wage enhancement will also help to close the wage gap between RECEs working in the kindergarten program and RECEs/other child care program staff working in licensed child care settings. The wage enhancement grant supports an increase of up to $2 per hour, plus 17.5 percent benefits for licensed program staff and home visitors. In addition, the Home Child Care Enhancement Grant supports an increase of up to $20 per Licensed child care operators must apply annually for Wage Enhancement Funding. Licensed child care operators for both centre-based and home-based programs that had programs that were open and licensed in 2020, are eligible to apply for the 2021 Wage Enhancement Funding initiative. Centres and agencies that open in 2021 may be eligible for wage enhancement/HCCEG once they begin operations. If you are an eligible operator and would like to apply for 2021 Wage Enhancement Grant Funding or if you have questions regarding 2021 Wage Enhancement Funding, please send us an email or call 705-645-2412 ext. 4333. |