Child Care Now’s workforce policy table tackles question of qualifications
Since February 2025, Child Care Now’s National Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Workforce Policy Table has met twice to discuss ELCC workforce qualifications, following the publication of policy recommendations on wages, benefits, and pensions.
The Policy Table’s deliberations have been informed by research assembled by Child Care Now’s “Educators Matter” staff team, including a portrait of the current qualifications required to work in child care centres across Canada, and of the qualification requirements in other countries. The staff team is now drafting a discussion paper to facilitate the development of a long-term vision for the ELCC workforce in Canada and a roadmap for increasing the qualifications of those who work in the sector.
About the project
Educators Matter is a three-year project by Child Care Now, dedicated to advancing collective knowledge on Canada’s early learning and child care (ELCC) workforce. The project aims to develop policy solutions that address the retention and recruitment crisis and support the implementation of a high-quality Canada-wide ELCC system.
About the National ELCC Workforce Policy Table
Through the Policy Table, the Educators Matter project seeks to represent diverse experiences and perspectives of early childhood educators (ECEs), operators, and others committed to policy changes that improve the working conditions of ECEs and child care workers across Canada. The composition of the Policy Table will continue to expand as gaps in collective knowledge are identified and relationships develop between the project and the community.
More information about the project and the Workforce Policy Table can be found here.