Career Map: Early Childhood Educator

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Access to the Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Profession in Ontario

This career map was updated in June 2011. Requirements may have changed by the time you apply. Please visit the website of the College of Early Childhood Educators for the most up-to-date information about applying for membership.

Copyright in this career map is held jointly by the Queen’s Printer for Ontario and the College of Early Childhood Educators, (ECEC) © 2011. This career map may be used or reproduced by any third party for non-commercial, not-for-profit purposes, as long as no fee, payment or royalty of any kind is charged by the third party for any further use or reproduction of the career map by any person. Any proposed commercial or for-profit use or reproduction of this career map requires a written licence from the Queen’s Printer for Ontario and the College of Early Childhood Educators.

This career map is for internationally educated Early Childhood Educators (ECEs). Early Childhood Educator is a regulated profession in Ontario. You must be a registered member of the College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE) to work as an Early Childhood Educator in Ontario. This career map describes the process to become a registered member of CECE.

The College of Early Childhood Educators

The College of Early Childhood Educators (or the "College") is the professional organization that regulates early childhood educators in Ontario. The College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE) is the regulatory body for Early Childhood Educators in Ontario. It was created by an Ontario law called the Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007. Currently, CECE has over 27,000 members. The job of the College is to protect the public by:

• Making sure that only qualified individuals can register as members;
• Keeping a public list of Registered Early Childhood Educators;
• Establishing a code of ethics and standards of practice for Early Childhood Educators;
• Investigating complaints from the public about the conduct of its members and, if necessary, disciplining members;
• Setting standards of practice that all Early Childhood Educators must meet; and
• Assuring the public that members of the College will provide a high standard of early education and care for children.

You must be a registered member of the College of Early Childhood Educators to call yourself an Early Childhood Educator or a Registered Early Childhood Educator in Ontario and to perform the duties that are within the scope of practice of early childhood education as described in the Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007. To qualify for membership with the College, you must have, at minimum, an ECE diploma from an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology (OCAAT) or the equivalent.

For more information on the licensing requirements for ECE in Ontario, contact:

College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE)
438 University Avenue, Suite 1900
Toronto, Ontario M5G 2K8
Tel: 416-961-8558
Toll free: 1-888-961-8558
Fax: 416-961-8772
Email: info@collegeofece.on.ca
Website: www.collegeofece.on.ca

If you have a background in early childhood education or kindergarten/primary school education, this e-Career Map will give you:

• Background information about the field of early childhood education in Ontario; and
• An explanation of the steps required to become registered, including how to have your international education evaluated.

Background Information

Who Pays for Child Care in Ontario?

Families and government pay for child care in Ontario. There are five government programs that help families with these expenses.

Child Care Subsidy

The childcare subsidy program is paid for by the Ontario government and municipal governments and is administered by local municipal governments. The subsidy is provided directly to childcare programs in each community. The amount a family pays depends on the family’s income. To learn more, visit the website for your local government.

Ontario Child Care Supplement for Working Families

This is a tax-free monthly payment that helps low-income and middle-income families pay for the costs of raising children under 7 seven years of age. To learn more, visit the Ontario Government’s Ministry of Revenue website.

Ontario Child Benefit

This an Ontario government benefit for low-income families. In 2009, the payment to low-income families was a maximum of $92 a month for each child. To learn more, visit the Ontario government’s Ministry of Children and Youth Services.

Canada Child Tax Benefit

This is a program of the Canada Revenue Agency, that provides a tax-free monthly payment to eligible families to help them with the cost of raising children under age 18. Your family’s eligibility depends on your income. To learn more, visit the Canada Revenue Agency.

Universal Child Care Benefit

This federal government program provides families with a taxable $100 monthly payment for each child under the age of six to help cover the cost of child care. Families who are receiving the Canada Child Tax Benefit automatically receive this benefit as well. Even if you don’t receive the Canada Child Tax Benefit, you can still apply for the Universal Child Care Benefit. Learn more by visiting their website.

Early Childhood Educators

Early Childhood Educators work with children from infancy to age 12, including children with special needs. They plan and organize activities that help children develop intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally. Their job duties include:

• Assessing children’s developmental needs and stages;
• Planning and delivering activities that help children make developmental progress;
• Maintaining healthy emotional and social learning environments for children; and
• Assessing children’s progress and communicating with parents and supervisors about children’s developmental progress.

ECEs can have various job titles. These may include:

• Preschool teacher
• Childcare worker or supervisor
• Daycare worker or supervisor
• Childcare practitioner
• Home childcare visitor or consultant
• Nursery school teacher
• Childcare coordinator
• Early learning educator
• Registered Early Childhood Educator

Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Ontario

Child care and early childhood education options in Ontario include child care provided in home settings and in childcare centres.

Home child care is provided by caregivers in their own homes to small groups of children (no more than five unrelated children). The children cared for in a home daycare may be of different ages.

Home daycares may be run by independent operators or by caregivers who work under contract with a licensed childcare agency. This type of home daycare is monitored by home visitors who have training in early childhood education, child development, and family studies. They make sure that caregivers are following the agency’s policies and procedures.

Childcare centres are run by churches, municipalities, school boards, workplaces, and community centres. They include nursery schools, full-day care, extended daycare, and school-age care. School-age care is provided for children aged 6 to 12, before and after school; during lunch breaks; and during school breaks. Staff at childcare centres include registered Early Childhood Educators (ECEs), and activities are planned for children of different ages.

To explore child care options in your area, visit the Ontario government’s Ministry of Education.

Every neighbourhood in Ontario has an Ontario Early Years Centre, where parents and their children up to the age of six can participate in programs and activities together. Early Years Centres can also give you information about other programs and services for young children. Visit the Ontario government’s Ministry of Education website to find information about the Ontario Early Years Centre in your area.

Legislation

The Day Nurseries Act

The Day Nurseries Act is the Ontario law that governs the care of young children in Ontario. Under the law, any location that provides care for more than five children under the age of 10 (who are not in the same family) must be licensed.

Staff from the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services inspect licensed childcare programs frequently to make sure they meet health, safety, and caregiver training standards. If Ministry staff decide there is a threat to the health or safety of the children, they can close down the location until the problems are fixed.

In a licensed childcare program, at least one staff person must be a registered member of the College of Early Childhood Educators. The Day Nurseries Act specifies how many staff must be registered early childhood educators (RECEs), depending on the number of children and the ages of the children the location is licensed for. You can also work in a licensed program as an Early Childhood Assistant (ECA). ECAs are not regulated at this time.

Learning and Care Programs

Some types of early learning and care programs for children do not require licensing by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS). For example, if you run a private home daycare for families in your community, and you have no more than five unrelated children under the age of 10 in your care, you don’t need a license, and you don’t need to be an RECE.

Programs in which parents participate together with their children such as family resource programs, parenting and family literacy centres, and Early Years Centres don’t need a license from MCYS. Programs operated by local boards of education don’t need a license. Individual employers may require you to be an RECE to work in these programs, but you are not required by law to have an ECE diploma or be a member of the College to work in these programs.

Professional Associations

The Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario

The Association of Early Childhood Educators (AECEO) has worked to create awareness and respect for the education and care of young children in Ontario since the 1950s. The Association advocates on behalf of people working in the field of early childhood education and provides professional development opportunities to its members. The Association does not have any regulatory powers. Visit their website.

L’Association francophone à l’éducation des services à l’enfance de l’Ontario (AFÉSEO)

AFÉSEO is the French language professional association for ECEs in Ontario. Like the AECEO, it advocates on behalf of people working in the field and provides professional development opportunities to its members. The association does not have any regulatory power. Visit their website.

Requirements to practice as an ECE

A) Academic Requirement

To become a registered member of the College of Early Childhood Educators, you need to have a diploma or degree from a program related to the practice of early childhood education. The program must be at least four semesters in length. (An academic semester is usually a four-month period, for example, September to December or January to April.)

Your academic program must include vocational courses that allow you to develop the following skills:

• Plan curriculum that is based on a thorough understanding of child development;
• Plan and implement individual programs and curriculum to meet the developmental needs of children;
• Use observation techniques to enhance work with children, families, and co-workers;
• Maintain responsive relationships with individual children and groups of children;
• Establish and maintain safe and healthy environments that meet the requirements of current legislation, regulatory bodies, and program policies;
• Develop and maintain effective written, oral, nonverbal, and electronic communication with children, families, co-workers, employers, and individuals/agencies;
• Apply relevant legislation, policies, procedures, and regulations to early childhood education programs and settings in a changing social context;
• Apply a personal philosophy of early childhood education within the framework of ethical and professional standards; and
• Act in a manner consistent with principles of fairness, equity, and diversity to support the development and learning of children within the context of their individual family, culture, and society.

B) General Education Requirement

In addition, your academic program must include some general education courses. Your general education course credits cannot be used to meet the vocational learning outcomes listed under academic requirements. The general education requirement consists of three courses of approximately 45 instructional hours each that address one or more of the following goals:

• Aesthetic appreciation: understand beauty, form, taste, and the role of the arts in society;
• Civic life: understand the meaning of freedoms, rights, and participation in community and public life;
• Cultural understanding: understand the cultural, social, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of Canada and the world;
• Personal development: gain greater self-awareness, intellectual growth, well-being, and understanding of others;
• Social understanding: understand relationships among individuals and society;
• Science: appreciate the contribution of science to the development of civilization, human understanding, and potential; and
• Work and economy: understand the meaning, history, and organization of work; understand the challenges of working life to the individual and to society.

C) Practical Experience

You must be able to show that you have practical experience in early childhood education. This experience can be gained through paid employment, through an internship, or through a practicum that is part of your educational program in early childhood education. You cannot meet this requirement through volunteer work.

Your practical experience must include work with at least two of the following three age groups:

• Infant/toddler
• Pre-school
• School age

Your practical experience combined with the course content of your academic program must relate to all three age groups.

The College will assess your practical experience to determine if it is equivalent to the field placement (practicum) required by a four-semester diploma program in early childhood education offered at an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology. The practicum requirement is usually a minimum of eight weeks. Find a list of Ontario Colleges and Universities.

D) Citizenship / Immigration Status

You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada or be authorized to work in Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) to qualify for registration with the College.

E) Guarantor

A guarantor is a person who signs the copy of your original academic credential, (Diploma, Degree or Letter of Equivalency Certificate), to show that he or she has seen the original and that the photocopy you send with your application for registration with the College is a true copy of the original. A guarantor cannot be your relative. He or she must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada and must be licensed in Ontario to practise one of the following professions:

Medical doctor   Dentist   Notary public   Bank manager   Judge or magistrate   First Nations band administrator or Council member   Minister of religion authorized under provincial law to perform marriages   Lawyer

Optometrist   Professor or senior administrator of a college, university or Aboriginal educational institute   Mayor   Police officer   Professional accountant (CA, CMA, or CGA)   Child care manager from a Consolidated Municipal Service Manager or District Social Services Administration board   Chiropractor

Your Path to Becoming a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE)

This section explains the steps you need to take to become a registered member of the College of Early Childhood Educators.

1. Credential assessment
2. Language proficiency
3. Application for registration
4. Appeals
5. Upgrading
6. Fees

1) Credential Assessment

Before you can apply for registration as a member of the College of Early Childhood Educators, you need to have your international academic credentials assessed. You can do this before or after you come to Ontario.

In the past, the College delegated responsibility for assessing the credentials of internationally educated individuals to AECEO/AFÉSEO. This process was called "equivalency," and the document issued to show that your credentials were equivalent to an Ontario college ECE diploma program. This document was called a Letter of Equivalency certificate.

However, starting on April 1, 2010 for French-language applicants, and on July 31, 2010 for all other applicants, you must submit your academic credentials to a third-party credential assessment agency accepted by the College, for example, World Education Services. (Please contact the College to get information about other acceptable assessment agencies). The assessment agency will evaluate your credentials and send an academic credential evaluation report and accompanying documents directly to the College.

Here are the documents WES needs from you to evaluate your academic credentials:

Documents You Need to Send to WES

• A clear photocopy of your certificate, diploma, or degree;
• Proof of name change if required (for example, a clear photocopy of your marriage certificate or the court order changing your name); and
• English translations of any documents that are not in English. The translation must be done by a certified translator and should include the translator’s identification number, name, address, and telephone number. Visit the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario (ATIO) website to find a certified translator.

Alternatively, WES offers a single application form for credential assessment and translation in partnership with COSTI Language Services. To learn more about this service, visit the WES website.

Documents Your Educational Institution Needs to Send to WES

• Your educational institution must send directly to WES official transcripts showing the courses you took and the grades you achieved; these must be signed by and bear the seal of authorized officials from your educational institution; your educational institution must send your transcripts directly to WES; WES will not accept any transcripts directly from you.

WES has additional guidelines, depending on the country where your educational institution is located. It’s important that you follow the specific guidelines for your country.

Visit the WES website to learn more about how to apply to WES for credential assessment and the fees involved.

The College will accept your Letter of Equivalency certificate from AECEO/AFÉSEO as proof that you meet the academic requirement for registration, as long as your certificate is dated before February 23, 2014. The College will not accept Letter of Equivalency certificates dated after February 23, 2014.

However, when you apply to the College for registration, you need to provide the College with documents related to your academic credentials. The College will make a final determination regarding your educational qualifications.

You can have your credentials assessed by an accepted credential assessment agency only if you completed a degree or diploma program related to early childhood education. If you have job experience working with young children, but no educational background, a credential assessment agency will not be able to evaluate your qualifications, and you will not meet the requirements for registration with the College.

2) Language Proficiency

Early Childhood Educators need to be able to communicate effectively with parents, colleagues, and children. If you have a degree or diploma in early childhood education from a program where the language of instruction was entirely in English or French, you don’t need to provide further evidence of your language proficiency.

However, if the language of instruction of your program was not English or French, you need to demonstrate language proficiency in English or French at Canadian Language Benchmark level 7 in each of speaking, listening, reading, and writing, based on an assessment done by an approved Canadian Language Benchmark assessment centre.

For more information, please visit www.language.ca to find an assessment centre, or use this online tool.

3) Application for Registration

Once you have completed the credential assessment process with an acceptable assessment agency and completed your language proficiency test, you can apply to the College for registration as an ECE.

To apply for registration in the College, visit the College website and download the application form and registration guide.

Alternatively, you can telephone (416-961-8558 or toll free in Canada:1-888-961-8558), fax (416-961-8772) or e-mail (info@collegeofece.on.ca) the College. A College staff person can complete your request together with you on the telephone.

Along with your completed application form, you need to send:

• Proof of your Canadian citizenship, permanent resident status, or authorization to work under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, (for example, Canadian passport, certificate of citizenship, or record of landing).
• Proof of name change, if the name on your documents is different from your current name (for example, a photocopy of your marriage certificate or the court order that changed your name)
• A photocopy of your degree, diploma, or certificate.
• Official transcripts from your educational institution showing the courses you took and the grades you achieved. These must either be sent directly from your educational institution to the College, or must be sent to you from your educational institution in a sealed envelope that you can then send to the College; do not open the envelope before you send it to the College.
• An official course outline or syllabus of your academic program that describes the content of your academic courses and practicum, if a practicum was included.
• Letters from your previous employers verifying your work experience in early childhood education; these letters should include your job title, job duties, and information about your performance. You can include additional documents related to your work experience, such as job descriptions.
• A payment of $75 CDN to process your application, and a separate payment of $150 CDN for your registration fee.

Translation of Documents

If any of your documents are not in English or French, you also need to provide original translations. These must include the seal and contact information of the translator or agency. You can have your documents translated by:

• A translator accredited by a professional association of translators in Canada, for example, the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario (ATIO). Visit their website
• A Canadian embassy, consulate, or high commission in the country from which you emigrated
• The consulate, high commission, or embassy to Canada of the country that issued your documents
• A member agency of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI). A list can be found on the OCASI website.

After receiving your completed application and required documents, along with an academic credential evaluation report from an accepted credential assessment agency, the College will process your application.

The College will compare your academic program to the standard for four-semester early childhood education programs at Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. If the College determines that your program is equivalent to an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology diploma program, the College will consider this proof that you meet the academic requirement for registration as a member.

If the College determines that your academic credentials are not equivalent to an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology diploma program in early childhood education, the Registrar will do one of the following:

• Issue you a certificate of registration with terms, conditions, or limitations; for example, you may be issued a certificate that is time definite or that restricts you to practise in a specific area
• Propose to refuse your application for a certificate of registration

Once you have sent in your application, you will hear back from the college within four to six weeks. You will receive written reasons for the Registrar’s decision. If you do not meet the requirements for registration, the College will return your $150 registration payment to you.

4) Appeals

If the College does not approve your application for membership, you will automatically receive from the College a Registration Appeal Form. If you want to appeal the College’s decision, the first step is to fill out the form and explain why you think your application for membership should be accepted. You should include with your letter any additional information you want the Registration Appeals Committee to consider. The committee will consider your case and will send you a response, usually within four months.

5) Upgrading

If the College issues you a certificate of registration with terms, conditions, or limitations, or if the college denies your application, you may have to upgrade your academic qualifications by completing ECE courses at an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology. You may upgrade your ECE qualifications through the Access Bridging program offered by the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario.

For more information on this Bridging program, please visit this website.

6) Fees

These fees are for 2010. All fees are shown in Canadian dollars and are subject to change.

Credential assessment and assessment report by credential assessment agency	Ranges from $120 to $150
Language proficiency test	Variable
Application fee to CECE	$75
Appeal	No charge
Access Bridging Program (AECEO)	Learn more
Upgrading courses at an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology	Variable
Annual registration fee	$150

Labour Market Information

Understanding the Canadian labour market is important for achieving success with your career. Gathering information about jobs and salaries, profiles of cities and communities, future trends and conditions, statistics, and other indicators that can affect your job search over the short and long term is a key step to finding successful employment.

Labour market information includes:

• Occupations and skills employers are looking for
• Potential employers and where they are located
• Employment conditions
• Education and training requirements for jobs
• Barriers to employment
• Occupational forecasts

Understanding labour market information will help you to identify any barriers that might exist as you search for work in Canada. For example, if you have professional qualifications and work experience outside of Canada, knowing how those are valued in Canada is very important.

This website provides you with more resources about labour market information.

Useful website links

• Education Canada
• Jobs in Education
• Ontario Job Futures
• Ontario Workplace Gateway
• Employability Skills Profile
• Full-day Learning

The Ontario government has recently announced that it will start full-day early learning for children in kindergarten. Children usually start kindergarten when they are four years old. Instead of going to school for a half day, children in kindergarten will have the option of attending school for a full day. The program will be offered in 600 schools throughout Ontario starting in September 2010, with more schools added each year. Full-day early learning is expected to create many jobs for RECEs, who will work in partnership with kindergarten teachers to offer the program. Visit the Ontario government’s Ministry of Education website to find your local school board to find out about job opportunities in your area.

Salary Expectations and Finding a Job

Salary Expectations

According to the Government of Canada’s Labour Market Information website, the average hourly wage for Early Childhood Educators and Early Childhood Assistants ranges from $14.40 to $16.90 per hour, depending on where you live in Ontario. (This information is based on a survey done in 2009.) ECE supervisors and program administrators can expect to earn more.

Finding a Job in Early Childhood Education

• A good way to start looking for a job is to contact the licensed child care facilities in your community.

With full-day early learning for kindergarten children, many new RECE jobs will be created. Try approaching your local Board of Education

• Visit the Best Start website of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services to learn more about early education programs in your area.
• Ontario Early YearsCentres are places where children up to the age of six and their parents or caregivers take part in activities together. Visit the Early Years Centre in your community and ask for information about other local programs for young children.
• Visit the Children’s Services page of the City of Toronto website to learn about programs and services for children in the Toronto area.
• Visit Settlement.org to find websites where employment opportunities are posted.

You could also try:

• The Association of Day Care Operators of Ontario's website has a job bank for ECEs.
• The classified ads in local newspapers

Related Occupations

You don’t have to be an RECE to work with young children in Ontario in some related occupations. However, RECEs have more employment opportunities, more responsibility and challenge at work, and better pay. To work in a supervisory position, you must be an RECE.

Related Jobs that Don’t Require Registration as an ECE

You don’t have to be a registered member of the College of Early Childhood Educators to work in some jobs with young children in Ontario. However, many employers do require you to be an RECE. For jobs with more responsibility and better pay, and for supervisory positions, you usually need to be an RECE.

Early childhood educators work in different places, including:

• Licensed child care centres
• Licensed home daycares
• Private home daycares
• Before and after school programs
• Hospital daycares
• Nursery schools
• Education programs for children with special needs
• Kindergartens and primary grade classrooms
• Parent cooperative centres
• Paediatric playrooms
• Ontario Early Years Centres and family resource centres
• Community centre children’s programs
• Parent/child/caregiver drop-in programs

Definitions

Early Childhood Assistant (ECA) – ECAs assist RECEs deliver play-based activities in early childhood learning environments.

Nanny – Nannies care for children in a family’s home. Sometimes two families share a nanny. Some nannies live with the family.

Home daycare operator – you can provide care for up to five children of families in your community in your own home. You don’t have to have a license from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, and you don’t have to be an RECE to do this job. You can also have a licensed daycare in your home. Learn more about establishing a licensed home daycare.

Camp counsellor – Summer camps for children operate throughout Ontario. Camp counsellors supervise children and plan and deliver outdoor activities. For more information, visit this site.

Recreation assistant – Recreation assistants work in community centres assisting with recreational activities for children such as sports and games.

Questions and Answers

Is there a difference between an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) and a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE)?

Early Childhood Educator and Registered Early Childhood Educator are professional titles used by people who work with young children in Ontario. You cannot use either of these professional titles unless you have applied for and been granted registration by the College of Early Childhood Educators.

What is the difference between the College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE) and the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario (AECEO)?

The College of Early Childhood Educatorsis the regulatory body for early childhood educators in Ontario that regulates the profession by setting standards for practice that all Early Childhood Educators must meet, and makes sure that only qualified individuals can work as Early Childhood Educators in Ontario. In addition, the College investigates complaints about the conduct of its members and disciplines members. The Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario has no regulatory powers. Its role is to advocate on behalf of the profession and educate the public about the profession. It also provides professional development opportunities for its members.

Can I be an Early Childhood Educator if I’m not registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators?

You cannot call yourself an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) in Ontario if you are not registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators. There are some jobs you can do working with young children that don’t require registration. For example, you can work as an early childhood assistant (ECA). However, to work in jobs where your duties are within the scope of registered ECE duties as defined in the Early Childhood Education Act, 2007, you must be a member of the College of Early Childhood Educators.

I want to operate a daycare in my home. Do I have to be a registered member of the College of Early Childhood Educators?

You can operate a daycare in your own home without being registered with the College, as long as you have no more than five unrelated children under the age of 10 in your care. If you have six or more children in your home daycare, you must get a licence from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. For more information, visit this site. In order to get a licence, you must have at least one staff member in your daycare who is an RECE.

What is a Letter of Equivalency certificate?

In the past, the College delegated responsibility for credential assessment to l’Association francophone à l’éducation des services à l’enfance de l’Ontario (AFÉSEO) for French-language applicants and to the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario (AECEO) for all other applicants. These two organizations issued a Letter of Equivalency certificate or a Recognition of Equivalency certificate to applicants whose credentials they considered equivalent to an ECE diploma from an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology.

However, starting on April 1, 2010 for French-language applicants and July 31, 2010 for all other applicants, credential assessment is no longer the responsibility of AECEO/AFÉSEO. The College will continue to accept your Letter of Equivalency/Recognition of Equivalency certificates as proof that you meet the academic requirement for registration with the College as long as it is issued before February 23, 2014. The College will not accept certificates dated after February 23, 2014.

Where do I send my educational credential documents for assessment?

In the past, the College of Early Childhood Educators designated the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario (AECEO) and l’Association francophone à l’éducation des services à l’enfance de l’Ontario (AFÉSEO) to evaluate the qualifications of people who gained their academic credentials outside of Ontario. However, as of April 1, 2010 for internationally educated French-language applicants and July 31, 2010 for all other internationally educated applicants, you need to have your academic credentials evaluated by a credential assessment agency acceptable to the College and request the agency to send a credential evaluation report directly to the College. The College will take this evaluation of your credentials into account when considering your application for registration. However, when you send in your application for registration to the College, you need to include documents related to your academic background and work experience. The College will make a final determination regarding your educational qualifications and experience.

If my documents are not in English or French, do I have to have them translated?

Yes. If your documents are not in English or French, you must have them translated by a certified translator. For help finding a translator, contact the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario (ATIO). World Education Services (WES), in partnership with COSTI Languages Bureau, also offers a combined service that includes credential assessment and document translation.

I don’t have a college diploma or university degree, but I have many years experience working as a nursery school teacher, and I have an excellent reputation. Can I get credit for my work experience so that I can be an ECE in Ontario?

To qualify for registration as a member with the College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE), you need to complete the academic requirement, which is a diploma/degree in early childhood education that is at least four semesters long. (A semester is a four-month period, for example, September to December or January to April.) However, you can work with young children in Ontario in jobs that don’t require registration in the College, for example, as an ECA.

My university degree has already been evaluated by WES, and I have been told it meets North American standards. Do I have to have my degree evaluated again?

If you have received an Academic Credential Evaluation Report from WES and have authorized the report to be sent to the College, then you may submit your application for membership to the College. However, when you send in your application to the College, you need to include documents that relate to your academic background and work experience. The College will make a final determination about whether you meet the educational requirement.

Do I have to pass an English language examination?

If you have a degree or diploma in early childhood education from a program where the language of instruction was entirely in English or French, you don’t need to provide further evidence of your language proficiency. However, if the language of instruction of your program was not English or French, you need to demonstrate language proficiency in English or French at Canadian Language Benchmark level 7 in each of speaking, listening, reading, and writing, based on an assessment done by an approved Canadian Language Benchmark assessment centre. You can find an assessment centre at any Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology.

My proficiency in English is very good even though my educational program was in another language. Do I still need to demonstrate language proficiency by taking an examination?

Yes, if your educational program was not in English or French, you need to demonstrate your language proficiency. You can find an assessment centre at any Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology.

What happens if the credential assessment agency or the College says my academic program is not equivalent to an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology ECE diploma?

If the credential assessment agency or the College determines your academic program is not equivalent to an Ontario college ECE diploma, the Registrar at the College will do one of the following:

• Issue you a Certificate of Registration with terms, conditions or limitations or
• Propose to refuse your application for a Certificate of Registration

If I already have a Letter of Equivalency certificate, can I work as an ECE?

If you have a Letter of Equivalency certificate now or if you receive your Letter of Equivalency certificate from AECEO/AFÉSEO before February 23, 2014, the College will accept your certificate as proof that you meet the educational requirement for membership in the College. You still need to apply for membership with the College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE). This is the regulatory body for early childhood educators in Ontario. When your application has been processed and completed, you can call yourself a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) or an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) and apply for RECE jobs in Ontario.

Contacts & Resources

You may find the following contacts and resources useful in your path to establishing your career in early childhood education in Ontario.

Regulatory, Professional & Government Bodies

Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario (AECEO)
40 Orchard View Blvd., Suite 211
Toronto, ON M4R 1B9
Tel: 416-487-3157
Toll free: 1-866-932-3236
Fax:416-487-3758
Email: info@aeceo.ca
Website: www.aeceo.ca

L’Association francophone à l’éducation des services à l’enfance de l’Ontario (AFÉSEO)
140, rue Genest, bureau 280
Ottawa, ON K1L 7Y9
Téléphone:613-741-5107
Télécopieur: 613-746-6140
Courriel: marylinedion@afeseo.ca
www.afeseo.ca

Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS)
www.children.gov.on.ca

This government ministry is in charge of early childhood education in Ontario.

Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU)
www.edu.gov.on.ca

Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
Global Experience Ontario (GEO)
163 Queen Street East, 2nd Floor
Toronto, ON M5A 1S1
Tel: 416-327-9694 or 1-866-670-4094
Telecommunication Device for the Deaf
416-327-9710 or 1-866-388-2262
Fax: 416-327-9711
Email: GEO@ontario.ca
www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/geo/index.htm

Translation Services

Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario (ATIO)
1 Nicholas Street, Suite 1202
Ottawa, ON K1N 7B7
Tel: 613-241-2846
Toll free: 1-800-234-5030
Fax: 613-241-4098
Email: info@atio.on.ca
www.atio.on.ca

Copyright to this career map is held jointly by the Queen’s Printer for Ontario and the College of Early Childhood Educators, © 2011