CHILDCARE NEWS:

Surrey Board of Trade Advocacy Progresses with Continued Quality Childcare Investments by the BC Government - Announcement for New Teaching Network for Early Childhood Educators

On February 3, the BC Government announced that early childhood educators (ECES) will now benefit from an expanded professional development program geared to exploring the latest child care teaching philosophies, curriculums and techniques. Run by the Early Childhood Pedagogy Network (ECPN), a $2-million investment will allow 32 teaching specialists – known as pedagogists – to be hired around the province. This improves access to professional development for ECES and boosts the quality of childcare for children and families. Each pedagogist will work with up to 45 ECES in their area through community hubs at eight post-secondary institutions, 10 child care referral centres and seven Indigenous communities, in partnership with the BC Aboriginal Child Care Society. “The demand for quality child care continues to increase, due to the potential benefits of peer socialization, school readiness, and numeracy and language skills,” said Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade. “In Surrey, there is a widespread shortage of qualified, well-trained ECE workers. Because of this shortage, operators are less stringent in hiring and vetting practices.”

“We are pleased that there will be two teaching specialists – known as pedagogists – to be located at Options Community Centre for the Delta, Surrey, and White Rock area,” said Anita Huberman.

The Surrey Board of Trade’s specific advocacy to the BC Government for the last ten years has been to:

1. Provide more funding to adequately train Early Childhood Educators that have been exempted to date;

2. Improve access to child care by introducing a new capital budget to purchase and build publicly- owned child care facilities;

3. Enhance child care quality and address the recruitment and retention crisis in the childcare sector; and,

4. Reduce child care fees for families.