The London Free Press reports that the City of London, partnering with the Province of Ontario, will sponsor a study on why there is a shortage of RECE’s  despite increasing demand.

What a great opportunity to summarize some of the excellent information already out there. The Child Care Human Resources Sector Council was a federal board of child care employers specifically tasked with researching labour market shortages in early childhood education. Unfortunately, the Sector Council was recently defunded by the Federal Conservative government, but not before publishing up to date and comprehensive research.

You Bet We Still Care, published this year, has excellent facts and figures about the challenges for our sector.

- Ontario parents pay the highest child care fees in Canada (page 15).

- Over the last 14 years, in Ontario, wages for early childhood educators have declined by 2.7% (page 18)

You can access the study and many reports on ECE Training, Qualifications and Retention at: http://www.ccsc-cssge.ca/

The two statistics show the essential problem with child care. We expect parents to pay the full costs. If parents can’t afford the full cost, they can apply for a subsidy. Those same parents – paying the highest fees – are responsible for wage increases though child care board of directors. Until we have base funding – allowing child care fees to be reduced and wages to be increased – Ontario wages will remain stagnant. As long as most RECE’s are underpaid and undervalued, we will continue to see qualified staff leave the field to work in other sectors.

To read the full article, please click here: http://www.lfpress.com/2013/04/21/city-seeks-labour-study-into-shortage-of-educators

CUPE Ontario’s Pre-Budget Submission Statement on Child Care:

“Every $1 milion invested in high quality child care creates 40 jobs and brings a $2.42 million return in short- and long-term benefits to Ontario—including educational benefits as well as increased earnings and reduced social costs.” » Continue reading “CUPE Ontario’s Pre-Budget Submission on Child Care!”

“According to new research from the Child Care Human Resources Sector Council, Ontario child care fees are the highest in Canada.”

On Friday March 22nd, the OCBCC presented to the Standing Committee on Finance. » Continue reading “OCBCC Ontario Pre-Budget Submission Presented to the Standing Committee on Finance”

The Child Care Human Resource Sector Council have released: You Bet We Still Care! Highlights Report, a survey of employers and employees in Canada’s licensed full-day child care centres in 2012.
» Continue reading “You Bet We Still Care! Highlights Report Released”

“It’s kind of neat,” says CUPE 1902­6 recording secretary Peggie Olson, in reflecting on their achieve­ment. “We didn’t realize when we were going into this that we were making history, but I’m proud we did.”

A pension plan has been a longstanding goal of the local, but members also needed a benefit plan so that became the goal of the last bargaining round. This time,virtually everyone agreed they had to push for a pension plan. » Continue reading “Child care workers in Regina achieve pension breakthrough”

To order your free buttons and posters, please click here.

Materials:

For a certificate you can print and give to staff (both in english puis en français) click here.

Have kids and families fill out these sheets saying “My educator is special because…” - Design #1 – Design #1

En français – Mon éducatrice est speciale parce que… style #1 – style #2

Copy of the letter send to Mayors and Council members

Copy of the recommended motion to Mayors and Council members for proclamation – English or en français

CCWAD 2012 How to Celebrate (English)

CCWAD 2012 How to Celebrate (français)

PDF of CCWAD poster

PDF of CCWAD button

You may have heard that the Liberal government is recalling the Provincial Legislature on Monday to try to pass special legislation to impose a contract on Ontario’s teachers.

After the hard work and advocacy of the child care community, and collaborative work between the Ontario NDP and Liberals, $242 million over 3 years of new child care funding was secured in the 2012 budget. (For more on the announcement of this funding, click here.)

The portion of 2012′s funding to be used for financial impacts from FDK and transitional issues have now been flowed through to municipalities. If you want to find out how the funds are to be distributed within your municipality, contact your children’s services representative.

Below, you will find a summary of the policies that have been put out by the Ministry of Education thus far. » Continue reading “Child Care Funding – Where do we stand now?”

Low pay, difficult working conditions and the lure of a better-paying job with benefits in the school system are contributing to a shortage of Early Childhood Educators (ECEs).

Long hours, shift work and often times poor working conditions have contributed to the many ECE’s in Hamilton looking for new employment in the field of education. The city of Hamilton has seen many ECE’s leaving daycare’s and wants information from the public on how these working conditions can be improved in order to provide a better child care system in Hamilton. » Continue reading “Hamilton ECE’s leaving child care centres to try new opportunities with school board”

Inside Halton reports on the child care crisis in Oakville, Burlington and Milton.

Shortage of spaces and inadequate wages show why provincial funding is so essential to preserve and grow our child care programs.

“In Milton, we have providers interested but it’s very difficult to find a space to put a licensed child care program,” said Mary Beth Jonz, Halton’s director of children’s services.

Jonz said low wages for early childhood educators (ECEs) is creating a shortage of employees in this sector. She said only 23 per cent of ECEs make a living wage, which she pegged at $18 an hour, with the average wage sitting at $14 an hour. » Continue reading “Halton: Shortage of child care spaces and qualified staff”