National Symposium: Educators Matter

On October 23 and 24, 2025, Child Care Now’s Educators Matter Project held a National Symposium in Ottawa. Participants gathered to continue the work of developing proposals to all levels of government on how to strengthen the early learning and child care (ELCC) workforce. Participants included members of the National ELCC Workforce Policy Table, representatives of the Canadian Child Care Federation, policy researchers, advocates, and early childhood educators from across the country.

Drawing on the three-year project objectives and approach, and responding to the current context of ELCC system building under the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program, the symposium addressed key questions such as: 

  • What workforce strategies are needed to build a high quality early learning and child care (ELCC) system in Canada?
  • What approaches to compensation and working conditions can improve the recruitment and retention of qualified early childhood educators?
  • What formal educational qualifications and professional development is needed to ensure high quality programs? 
  • What strategies, including immigration, are needed to expand the ELCC workforce? 
  • What steps can the sector and advocates take to advance workforce policy change?

The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families joined on the first day of the symposium to provide a brief update on the federal government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen and expand CWELCC and to reiterate her and the government’s commitment to addressing the workforce challenges. 

  • Pictured left to right: Marni Flaherty (Interim CEO, Canadian Child Care Federation), Martha Friendly (Executive Director, Childcare Resource and Research Unit) and Morna Ballantyne (Executive Director, Child Care Now).
  • Virtual meeting with the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families.
  • Participants listening thoughtfully to a presentation.
  • Pictured left to right: Morna Ballantyne (Executive Director, Child Care Now), Rachel Neville (Membership Outreach and Policy Analyst, Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario), Emily Mlieczko (Executive Director, Early Childhood Educators of British Columbia).
  • Participants engaged in group discussion.
  • National Symposium participants smiling together.
  • Participants engaged in a panel discussion.

Please see below for information about and copies of some of the presentation decks shared at the National Symposium.

Workforce Data: Statistics Canada Update

Presenters

Dr. Leanne C. Findlay
Principal Researcher, Health Analysis and Modelling Division, Statistics Canada

Leanne Findlay is a Principal Researcher with Statistics Canada. Her areas of expertise are population health data and healthy child development, with a specific interest in the health of vulnerable children and youth. She is also interested in mental health and correlates of positive mental health. Recently, Leanne has been involved in an extensive program of research on early learning and child care, with an emphasis on new data sources to address research gaps and to inform ELCC policy initiatives.


Dr. Kristyn Frank
Senior Researcher, Health Analysis and Modelling Division, Statistics Canada

Kristyn Frank is a senior researcher with Statistics Canada’s Health Analysis and Modelling Division. Her research spans topics on education, labour and occupations, immigration, and health services utilization. She has conducted several studies examining the early learning and child care workforce in Canada. Kristyn holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Waterloo.

Slide Deck
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Competitive, Equitable, and Effective Wages: An example compensation framework for ECEs

Presenter

Eric Swanson
Principal, Third Space Planning

Eric Swanson is a veteran of public interest non-profits, with 15 years experience in policy, operations and public engagement. Between 2014 and 2021 Eric served as Executive Director of Generation Squeeze, a UBC-based non-profit where he helped develop and advance comprehensive policy frameworks for family and housing affordability at the local, provincial and federal levels. He is currently a Principal of Third Space Planning, an award-winning planning and policy consultancy focused on the intersections of child care, housing, and climate change. Eric has worked extensively with the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC and Early Childhood Educators of BC to develop and publish recommendations for strengthening the implementation of $10aDay child care, including in relation to educator compensation, operational funding models, capital expansion, facility design and environmental health.

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Working Conditions Beyond Wages and Benefits: What they are & how they affect us

Presenter

Renuka Bhardwaj
Early Childhood Educator, Preschool Coordinator, Collingwood Neighbourhood House

Renuka is an Early Childhood Educator and Preschool Coordinator at Collingwood Neighbourhood House in Vancouver. She has been working in the field of early childhood education for over 25 years. Throughout her career, she has remained deeply committed to advocacy and leadership within the sector. Renuka has served on the ECEBC Board of Directors for three years as Treasurer and is currently an executive member of the ECEBC Vancouver branch. Renuka was also part of ECEBC’s Leadership Cohort 2, where she co-developed and presented the advocacy project “Childcare is Everyone’s Business”, that emphasized the shared responsibility of accessible, high-quality childcare in our communities.

Slide Deck
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Working Conditions for Early Childhood Educators

Presenter

Jodie Kehl
Executive Director, Manitoba Child Care Association

Jodie Kehl, involved with the Manitoba Child Care Association (MCCA) since 2000, became Executive Director in March 2018. She was the President of MCCA’s Provincial Board of Directors from 2012 to 2014, participated in numerous committees including the Public Policy and Professionalism Committee, and served as the Manitoba representative to the CCCF’s Member Council from 2014 to 2016. She represents the sector on numerous advisory committees including Red River College Polytechnic, the Social Planning Council of Manitoba, and the Minister’s Consultation Table. With 32 years in child care, Jodie has held various frontline and management positions and was Executive Director of a multi-site early learning
program in Winnipeg for 17 years. In addition, she worked as a CBA/PLA Advisor for the Province of Manitoba.

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Issues & Considerations for Immigration & ELCC Workforce Expansion and Shortage

Presenter

Dr. Yolande Pottie-Sherman
Associate Professor, Geography, Memorial University

Yolande Pottie-Sherman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at Memorial University. Her academic and advocacy work connects people, policy, and place. She has published extensively on immigration, diversity, and social infrastructure in Canada and currently
serves as the Steering Committee Chair of Child Care Now Newfoundland and Labrador.

Slide Deck
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Strategies for Expanding the Existing Workforce

Presenter

Dr. Ruth Lindsey-Armstrong
Retired Associate Dean, Health and Community Services, Red River College Polytech

Dr. Ruth Lindsey-Armstrong has worked in the post-secondary education sector since 2001 as an Early Childhood Education instructor and recently retired as the Associate Dean of Health and Community Services at Red River College Polytechnic. Ruth is an Early Childhood Educator III (RRC 1986), has a BA in Developmental Studies (U of W 2007), a Master of Arts & Integrated Studies, with a specialization in Adult Education (AU 2012) and has completed a Doctor of Education in Distance Education (AUn 2022). Ruth has developed a series of micro-credentials for mentorship and coaching in Early Childhood Education and has done work on curriculum development, review and revisions in the Polytech. Ruth is also a member of the Government of Manitoba Minister’s Consultation Table, the Public Policy Committee for the Manitoba Child Care Association and a board member on a local child care centre. In her spare time, Ruth has been studying Spanish at Université de Saint-Boniface and enjoys time at the family cottage.

Slide Deck
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Workforce Expansion: Strategies for Expanding a Qualified Workforce from ECDA of PEI’s Perspective

Presenter

Jennifer Nangreaves
Executive Director, Early Childhood Development Association of PEI

Jenn Nangreaves worked as both an Early Childhood Educator and as a Centre Director in the child care sector in both Alberta and Prince Edward Island before joining the Early Childhood Development Association of PEI in 2020. Jenn’s extensive experience in child care and her passion to promote professionalism in the sector has been a driving force for advancing child care services on PEI and in Canada. Jenn holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts with a Major in Sociology, a Bachelor of Education specializing in Indigenous Studies and Literacy in the Early Years, as well as a Certificate in Early Childhood Education from New Brunswick Community College. When Jenn isn’t advocating for children, families and Early Childhood Educators, she enjoys spending time at the gym with friends, being outside, and spending time with family.

Slide Deck
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Information about the Educators Matter project, including members of the National ELCC Workforce Policy Table, project objectives and approach can be found on the project webpage.