Question Period Note: THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR WORKFORCE

What federal investments are being made to support the Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Workforce?

The Government of Canada is committed to working with provinces and territories to put early childhood educators at the heart of the Canada-wide system.

$420 million was provided to provinces and territories in 2021–2022 to attract and retain early childhood educators.

Further, Canada-wide Agreements, totaling over $27 billion over five years, include commitments to support a workforce of highly qualified early childhood educators.

Many provinces and territories have already announced new supports for early childhood educators in areas such as hiring, retention, training, and wage increases.

As part of Budget 2021, the Government of Canada made a transformative investment of over $27 billion over five years to build a Canada-wide ELCC system with the provinces and territories. Through this, the Government of Canada has provided funding to provinces and territories to support the vision of a Canada-wide ELCC system where children in Canada have access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care no matter where they live.

As of November 2022, Canada’s Labour Force Survey estimates that the employment level among Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) and Assistants in Canada is more than 11 per cent below pre-pandemic levels, with close to 29,000 fewer people, mostly women, working in this occupation. At the same time, Canada’s overall employment levels surpassed pre-pandemic levels (+2.7 per cent), suggesting many of these workers may have moved to different occupations in the last two years.

According to advocates and ECEs, among others, low pay in the sector is one of the most critical factors contributing to workforce shortages. Lack of benefits, working conditions, and lack of recognition or respect for the profession have also been raised. In 2021, the median hourly wage for staff working in licensed child care was $20.

Note that for jurisdictions that have not yet developed formal wage grids (BC, SK, NU, NT), data on low/median/high wages has been taken from the Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey (November 2022). These figures are representatives of self-reported ECE and may not be inclusive of some early learning workers – such as support staff – who may be eligible for wage top-ups or increases using federal funding.

Canada-wide Agreements include commitments made by PTs towards a high-quality ECE workforce and federal funding is being allocated to support them. However, PTs maintain primary jurisdiction over the ECE workforce, their education and training requirements to work as a certified/registered ECEs and other labour-related considerations (e.g. wages and compensation). Several provinces and territories have announced new programs, grants, or supports for the ECE workforce over the past year using federal funding, whether through workforce or Canada-wide agreements. For example:

Alberta announced in December 2022 increases of up to $2 per hour to the existing wage top-up program for all ECE paid hours, beginning in January, 2023. To help retain dedicated ECEs, the province also announced a one-time payment for all employed ECEs with claimed hours in October and November 2022. Combined, these initiatives represent an investment of over $174 million in federal and provincial funding through to the end of the fiscal year 2025-26. 

British Columbia announced in August 2022 $1.15 million in federal funding through the 2021-25 Canada-British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement to expand the ECE dual-credit program, which gives more Grade 11 and 12 students opportunities to study and work in early learning and child care.

Newfoundland and Labrador announced in July 2022 a new Early Childhood Education Needs-Based Incentive Grant, which will provide eligible students in approved programs with non-repayable grants of up to $10,000. The estimated federal investment of $2 million per year is funded through the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

Manitoba announced in June 2022 nearly $37 million in federal and provincial funding to implement a wage grid that will support wage equity for the early childhood workforce in funded child-care facilities. Under the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, $34.7 million in federal funding will be allocated to the existing operating grants through an additional Wage Grid Supplement to support wage equity for early learning and child-care sector staff who care for children under the age of seven.

Saskatchewan announced in March 2022 a one-time grant to regulated and operational child care centres to assist them in recruiting and retaining qualified early childhood educators. This grant is supported by funding provided through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

Prince Edward Island announced in February 2022 a new one-time Return to the Early Childhood Education Profession Grant, to help recruit early childhood educators back to the sector. The Grant will provide a one-time $5,000 grant to eligible early childhood educators, who have worked outside the sector for a minimum of two (2) consecutive years. This grant is being funded in part by one-time investments in 2021-22 to support the early childhood educator workforce.

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