AssociationofEarlyChildhoodEducatorsOntario489CollegeSt.#206,TorontoON.,M6G1A5

AECEOsubmissiontothe

StandingCommitteeonFinanceandEconomicAffairs’Pre-budgetconsultationprocessFebruary2017

TheAssociationforEarlyChildhoodEducatorsOntario(AECEO)istheprofessionalassociationforEarlyChildhoodEducators(ECEs)inOntario.WesupportECEsintheirprofessionalpracticeandadvocatefortherecognitionandappropriatecompensationoftheprofession.EarlyChildhoodEducatorsarefundamentaltohighqualityearlylearningandchildcare.OurmembersworkthroughoutOntarioinprogramsforyoungchildrenandtheirfamilies,includingregulatedchildcare,full-daykindergarten,familyresourceprograms,andsupportservicesforchildrenwithdisabilities.

InSeptember,theOntariogovernmentmadeasignificantcommitmenttoexpandlicensedchildcareintheprovincebycreating100,000newspacesoverthenextfiveyears.Thiswoulddoublethenumberoflicensedchildcarespacesforchildren0-4yearsofage(currentlythereareenoughlicensedspacesfor23%ofchildren0-4yrs)1andcreate20,000newjobsinlicensedchildcareinOntario.MPPIndiraNaidoo-Harris,MinisterresponsibleforEarlyYearsandChildCarehasreferredtothiscommitmentasOntario’sopportunitytobetransformative,tobegroundbreakingandtobevisionary.TheAECEOcommendstheGovernmentofOntarioforitscommitmenttoimprovelifeforchildrenandfamiliesinOntarioandwesupporttheconceptoftransformingthecurrentpatchworksystemofearlyyearsandchildcareservicesthatparentsandfamiliesstruggletonavigate.Westronglyrecommendthatfundsinthe2017budgetbedirectedtotheMinistryofEducationtosupportsystemicsolutionsthataddressaffordabilityforparentsandlowcompensationforEarlyChildhoodEducatorsandearlyyearsstaff.Werecommendbasefundingofoperationalcostsfornon-profitandcommunityprogramscoupledwithaslidingfeescaleasafundingstructuretoensureprofessionalpayanddecentworkforallECEsandearlyyearsstaff

ExecutiveSummaryofRecommendations

TheAECEOrecommendsthattheOntarioGovernmentdevelopandinvestinacomprehensiveworkforcestrategyfortheECEprofessionthatincludes:

• Aprovinciallyestablished,annuallyindexed,regionalwagescale2alongwithannuallyindexedbasefundingforchildcareandotherfamilyresourceandsupportprogramsinordertoequitablyraisethesalaries,workingconditionsandmoraleofallECEsandearlyyearsstaffandtostrengthenrecruitmentandretention.Astandardizedwagerateintheearlyyearsandchildcaresectorwillensurestaffwithequivalenteducationandworkresponsibilitiesarepaidasimilarrateofpaynomatterwheretheywork.Theseinitiativeswouldfurthercontributetohigherandmoreconsistentqualityacrossprograms.TheGovernmentofManitobaannouncedawagescaleprogramonJanuary12,2016.

AssociationofEarlyChildhoodEducatorsOntario489CollegeSt.#206,TorontoON.,M6G1A5

• WesupporttheOntarioCoalitionforBetterChildCare’scallforatleast$500millionincapitalfundingforYear1ofthechildcareexpansiontobegintomakearealdifferenceinavailabilityofspaces;provide$300millioninnewoperatingfundingtokeeppacewithexpansionofspaces,tosupportchildcareservicesdirectlyandkickstartaprocessofsystemtransformation.Theprovinceshouldcontributeanadditional$75milliontoaddressimmediatecrisesfacedbyexistingprograms;

• Theprovinceshouldcommittomovingfromthecurrentbrokenfeesubsidysystemtoanaffordableslidingfeescale,andbeginworkimmediatelytodesignanaffordablefeemodelthatworksforallOntariofamilies;

• AprovincialmandateandsupportingfundingarrangementtomaketheDesignatedECEpositioninfull-daykindergartenafull-time,full-yearpositioncomparabletothatofelementaryschoolteachers;

• Supportforessentialongoingeducationandprofessionallearningforearlychildhoodeducatorsandearlyyearsstaffatalllevels,nomatterwheretheywork;

• Appropriateinfrastructuresupport,includingfundingtofacilities,programming,curriculumdevelopment,andearlychildhoodeducationandcareorganizations.

Context

TheAECEOhasrecommendedthattheGovernmentofOntariodevelopacomprehensiveworkforcestrategyforECEsinordertoaddressthelongstandingandsystemicissuesoflowwages,inconsistentworkingconditions,highturnover,andjobdissatisfactionthatplaguetheearlyyearsandchildcaresectorinOntario.3ByinvestinginaworkforcestrategyforECEsandearlyyearsstaffthathascleargoals,targetsandsustainedfunding,Ontariowillbeworkingtowardtheimportantobjectiveofinvestinginpeople’stalentsandskillswhilealsoaddressingthegenderwagegapinfemaledominatedsectors.

Everyday,ECEsmakethedifficultdecisiontoleavethesectorandtheworkthattheyloveduetolowwagesandchallengingworkingconditionsthathindertheirabilitytofulfilltheirprofessionalrolesinearlyyearsandchildcareprograms.AnalarmingconcernastheanticipatedtransformationofearlyyearsandchildcareinOntariorestsontheabilityoftheearlychildhood(EC)workforcetotakeup20,000newjobs.Inordertorecruitandretainwell-trained,well-educatedandpassionateECEsitisimperativethattheGovernmentofOntarioaddresstherootoftheproblem:staffwagescannotbetiedtoparentfees.

AssociationofEarlyChildhoodEducatorsOntario489CollegeSt.#206,TorontoON.,M6G1A5

¢ 24%ofRegisteredEarlyChildhoodEducators(RECE)workinginlicensedchildcareearnlessthan$15/hr.

¢ 45%ofRECEsworkinginlicensedchildcareearnbetween$15-$20/hr

¢ HourlywagesofDesignatedECEsinFDKarehigherbutduetofewerpaidworkinghoursandsummerlayoffsannualsalariesstillworkouttobeclosetothesame.

¢ RECEsworkinginOntarioEarlyYearsChildandFamilyCentreshavenotseenaraiseforoveradecade.

¢ ThroughourconsultationswithECEsandearlyyearsstafftheAECEOhasidentifieda‘professionalizationgap’thatexistswithinthesector.TheprofessionalizationgapreferstotherapidincreaseintheexpectationsandresponsibilitiesofECEswithverylittleimprovementtowagesorprofessionalworkingconditions.

ToaddresstheseissuestheAECEOrecommendsaprovinciallyestablished,annuallyindexed,regionalwagescale4alongwithannuallyindexedbasefundingforchildcareandotherfamilyresourceandsupportprogramsinordertoequitablyraisethesalaries,workingconditionsandmoraleofallECEsandearlyyearsstaffandtostrengthenrecruitmentandretention.Astandardizedwagerateintheearlyyearsandchildcaresectorwillensurestaffwithequivalenteducationandworkresponsibilitiesarepaidasimilarrateofpaynomatterwheretheywork.Theseinitiativeswouldfurthercontributetohigherandmoreconsistentqualityacrossprograms.TheGovernmentofManitobaannouncedawagescaleprogramonJanuary12,2016.

ECEsareskilledprofessionalswithaspecializationinfacilitatingyoungchildren’sdevelopmentandlearning.Theimpactoftheirworkextendsbeyondthechildtoincludethechild’sfamilyandtheircommunity.Thevalueofthisworkhasbeenclearlydocumentedinanextraordinarybodyofevidencehighlightingtheimportanceofhealthychilddevelopmentandsupportsforfamilieswithyoungchildren5.ECEshavecontinuedtoadvancetheirprofessionthroughincreasedlevelsofprofessionalpreparationandon-goingprofessionallearning,aswellasbeingregulatedbytheCollegeofEarlyChildhoodEducators.ECEsareheldaccountabletothepublicthroughtheCollege’sCodeofEthicsandStandardsofPractice.Inaddition,ECEscontinuetofaceamplifiedpressuretoimplementanumberofkeyprogramsofferedbythegovernmentunderincreasinglyhigherqualitystandardsandframeworks.

Ithasbeenwellestablishedthroughresearchandexperiencethatatrained,professionalECEworkforcewithprofessionalwagesandworkingconditionsiscentraltoprovidinghighqualityexperiencesforthechildrenandfamiliesusingtheseprograms.6Thisisofcoursesignificantlyimportant,asweknowthatin

AssociationofEarlyChildhoodEducatorsOntario489CollegeSt.#206,TorontoON.,M6G1A5

ordertoachievetheintendedbenefitsofearlychildhoodeducationandcareforchildrenandfamiliesprogramsneedtobeofthehighestquality.

Asstudiesofhaveshown,investmentinearlyyearslearningandeducation,throughaccessible,quality,andaffordableoptionshassignificantpositiveeconomicimplicationsforindividualsandforsociety7.TheworkperformedbyECEsisdirectlytiedtoOntario’sobjectiveofinvestinginpeople’stalentsandskillsinmanynotableways.Herearethreethatwewouldliketohighlight:

1. ECEscareforyoungchildrenwhileparents/guardianscontinuetoworkorstudyinordertodevelopandusetheirowntalentsandskills.TheessentialrolethatECEshaveinstrengtheningregionalandnation-wideeconomicprosperitybyassistingparentswhoarecombiningwork,studies,andfamilyresponsibilitieshasbeenwelldocumentedbytheOrganisationforEconomicCo-operationandDevelopment(OECD)intheirhighlyregarded,rigorousreviewsofearlychildhoodeducationandcare(ECEC)inmembernations(includingCanada).8

2. ECEsworkwithyoungchildreninarangeofearlyyearsprogramsthatsupportacrucialphaseofdevelopmentduringwhichchildrendevelopthebasiccognitive,socialandemotionalskillsusedtothriveinlearninganddevelopingtheirownuniquetalentsandskills.A2013accordreleasedbytheAssociationofCanadianDeansofEducationhighlightedthattherehasbeenashiftinCanadians’understandingoftheimportancethatearlylearningexperienceshaveinshapingthequalityofchildren’slives.Wearenow,morethanever,awarethathighqualitylearningprogrammingisanessentialpartofallresponsiblecareforchildren.9

3. ECEspossessuniquetalentsandwell-developedskillsthatarethekeytothequalityofearlychildhoodeducationandcareprograms.ItiswidelyacknowledgedthatECEsandtheirearlylearningandcareactivities,interactions,andknowledgehaveamajorimpactonchildren’swell-beinganddevelopment;10itisonlyhighqualityearlychildhoodeducationandcaredeliveredbyECEsthattrulysupportsOntario’sobjectiveofinvestinginpeople’stalentsandskills.11

EvenwiththeincreasingprofessionalizationofECEsandthemountingevidencepointingtotheimmenseimportanceoftheirwork,ECEshaveseenaveryslowandlimitedincreaseinprofessionalrecognitionthroughimprovedcompensationandbenefits.LowECEsalaries,inconsistentworkingconditions,andprecariousworkscheduleshaveresultedinpoormorale,jobdissatisfactionandhighstaffturnover.Particularlyinlicensedchildcareprograms,ECEsaretransitioningovertofull-daykindergarten,orworse,areleavingthesectoraltogether.ItistheexperienceofmanychildcareprogramsacrossOntariothatqualifiedECEscannotberecruitedtoworkintheseunder-resourcedearlychildhoodenvironmentsthatserveouryoungestchildren.Thisishavingasignificantimpactonchildcarestaffconsistency,programquality,andsectorstabilitythatpromisestoendureforyearsifitisnotaddressednow.

EvenamongstthechallengesthatstillexistforECEs,theAECEOremainshopeful.TherehavebeenpositivedevelopmentsinearlyyearspoliciesthatshowusthattheOntariogovernmentisawarethatthereareissuesthatarehavinganimpactonthesector.Importantinitiativessuchasfundingforin-servicetrainingandalthoughflawed,Ontario’sWageEnhancementStrategydemonstratetousthateffortsarebeingmadetochangeelementsoftheearlyyearsandchildcaresystem.

AssociationofEarlyChildhoodEducatorsOntario489CollegeSt.#206,TorontoON.,M6G1A5

Apiecemealapproach,however,cannotaddressthesystemicundervaluingofECEsasprofessionalswhichwillcontinuetoresultinlowwagesandinequitableworkingconditionsacrossthevariousprogramsthatECEsaredelivering.Provincialinvestmentsinwell-developed,moresystem-focusedinitiativesinearlyyearsandchildcarewillultimatelybemoreeffectiveandmorecost-efficientinthelongterm.Caseinpoint:publicresourcesdevotedtopostsecondarytrainingandin-servicesupportsareshowntobemoreefficientandeffectivewithconcurrentinvestmentinwagesandworkingconditions.WithoutacomprehensiveapproachthatrecognizestheprofessionalstatusandworkofallECEswewillcontinuetoseequalifiedandpassionateECEswithdrawfromthesector–publicinvestmentsintheirpost-secondarytrainingandprofessionallearningwillbewasted.Thetalents,skillsandworkofECEsareofgreatpublicvalueand,therefore,deservingofpublicresourcestoensurethatthisworkiscompensatedappropriately.

TheAECEOasksthattheMinisterofEducationconfirmtheProvince’scommitmenttosustainingfundingfortheWageEnhancementGrantin2018asaninterimmeasurewhiletheMinistryofEducationworkstoestablishaprovincialwagescaleandmovestowardthegoaloftransformationalchangeinearlyyearsandchildcare.Furthermore,allocationforthewageenhancementgrantforchildcarestaffshouldbeextendedtoprovidecoverageforallhoursforwhichstaffispaid,andeligibilitywidenedtoincludeECEstaffinfamilyresourceandsupportprogramswhobringthesamespecializedtrainingtothefamiliesandchildrenwhodependontheseservices.

1Friendly,Grady,Macdonald&Forer(2015).EarlyChildhoodEducationandCareinCanada,2014.Toronto:CRRUhttp://childcarecanada.org/publications/ecec-canada/16/03/early-childhood-education-and-care-canada-2014

2https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/aeceo/pages/797/attachments/original/1447178740/AECEO_discussion_paper_on_wage_scales_FINAL_Sept_2015.pdf?14471787403http://www.aeceo.ca/response_to_modernizing_childcare_discussion_paper4https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/aeceo/pages/797/attachments/original/1447178740/AECEO_discussion_paper_on_wage_scales_FINAL_Sept_2015.pdf?14471787405http://nieer.org/publications/ece-consensus-letter-researchers6http://www.movingchildcareforward.ca/images/policybriefs/MCCF_canadas_childcare_workforce.pdf7Bartik,T.J.(2009).Whyuniversalpreschoolisactuallyalabourmarketprogram.EmploymentResearch,16(3),8.Alexander,C.,&Ignjatovic,D.(2012).Earlychildhoodeducationhaswidespreadandlonglastingbenefits,SpecialReport:TDEconomics(pp.1-9).Toronto,Ontario:TDBankGroup.Marope,P.T.M.,&Kaga,Y.(Eds.).(2015).Investingagainstevidence:Theglobalstateofearlychildhoodcareandeducation.Paris,France:UnitedNationsEducational,ScientificandCulturalOrganization.

AssociationofEarlyChildhoodEducatorsOntario489CollegeSt.#206,TorontoON.,M6G1A5

Heckman,J.,&Masterov,D.(2004).Theproductivityarguementforinvestinginyoungchildren.Workingpaper5,Committeeforeconomicdevelopment.8http://www.oecd.org/edu/school/earlychildhoodeducationandcare.htm9http://www.csse-scee.ca/docs/acde/Accord_Early_Learning_En.pdf10http://www.oecd.org/publications/starting-strong-iv-9789264233515-en.htm(StartingStrongIV:MonitoringQualityinEarlyChildhoodEducationandCare,releasedOctober2015)11http://www.childcarequality.ca/wdocs/QbD_LiteratureReview.pdf