Children across Canada deserve a professional early childhood education workforce

Almost as many trained early childhood educators work outside licensed child care as in it. Many say they would return to the field if offered decent work. (Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages) , CC BY-NC

A report released April 13 by University of Toronto researchers highlights what many in the early learning and child-care sector have long known: Canada’s early childhood educators (ECEs) are undervalued, underpaid and under-resourced. Unless governments get serious about addressing their working conditions, a Canada-wide child-care plan will be derailed.

Canada’s child-care plan will be derailed unless governments improve working conditions for the early learning and child care workforce. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan