Early childhood education: We call it ‘heart work’
Forecasts show that Ontario will be short 8,500 ECEs
Child care in Ontario has undergone a fundamental transformation this past year. With the introduction of the CWELCC program (Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care), more families can afford child care, making the demand for early childhood educators greater than ever.
The provincial government forecasts show that Ontario will be short 8,500 ECEs in 2026 if we continue with the current trend line. As an industry, we need to educate people on the benefits of being an ECE and encourage more of them to join our vocation. This is my small contribution to the cause.
I have been in the child-care field for over 30 years and have had a front-row seat to a lot of change. But what has never changed is why I chose the field in the first place and what keeps me going to this day.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it — being an ECE is not a cakewalk. Some days are challenging, and others are just plain tiring. However, the ECE profession is also incredibly fulfilling and gives one a true sense of purpose and giving back to society.
From a young age, I always knew I wanted to be an educator, but I stumbled into the ECE profession after hearing a professor speak about how the most formative years of brain development happen between zero to five years. It was at that point I realized I could have the largest impact on the younger cohort. It is still astounding to me that young children’s brains see more cognitive development in their first five years than at any other time in their life.
I can’t tell you how rewarding it is to witness a child reach a developmental milestone and know that you played a key role. I was an infant teacher for many years and getting to see babies learn to walk and talk can turn around a bad day in a hurry. The success of the children and seeing them grow into independent little human beings is what drives me.
To be successful in this field, you need to have a great deal of patience and creativity. You need to understand how to corral toddlers, while at the same time introducing them to an activity that will help with their growth. It’s a balance between providing nurturing care and educating. And that’s where creativity sets in!
As with all jobs, the team surrounding you will tremendously impact your job satisfaction. Being an ECE is different from other educational roles as you always have a classroom partner(s) due to government-mandated child-care ratios. I love the team approach to education at ChildVentures, not only for my own personal gratification, but also for the children who are introduced to different personalities and teaching styles at a young age.
At the end of the day, being an ECE is what I call “heart work.” It fills my bucket to be taking care of and educating society’s youngest members. There is such a strong sense of duty and responsibility knowing that parents trust you enough to hand over their children. And the relationships with the children are everything to me.
It is my sincere hope that society recognizes the importance of the profession and the enormous impact ECEs have on our future generations. I also hope more Ontarians look and see the opportunity to join such an incredible field, where jobs are in demand and each day provides them with the chance to make a lifelong impact on a child. I know that I wouldn’t change a minute of my time as an ECE for the world.