| Province(s)/Territorie(s): Ontario |
Ontario
One staff person per group of children is required to have a two-year diploma in Early Childhood Education from an approved Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology (OCAAT) or the equivalent. Centre supervisors must have the same education and have at least two years experience. There are no educational requirements for other staff to work in a child care centre in Ontario.
The College of Early Childhood Educators, established in Ontario in 2007, is a professional self-regulatory organization for Early Childhood Educators. The college regulates the practice of early childhood education, establishes and maintains qualifications for membership and issues certificates of registration. It also has responsibility to enforce professional and ethical standards, investigate complaints against members and deal with issues of discipline.
All individuals using the term "Early Childhood Educator" or "Registered Early Childhood Educator", or who have an ECE diploma or equivalent and are working as a supervisor, staff or resource teacher in a child care centre within the scope of practice as defined in the Early Childhood Educators Act are required to join the College and, effective February 14, 2009, must have applied to the College for registration. See membership requirements
There is one general certificate of registration for the title of :
Applicants to the College must submit the application form and a diploma in ECE or a transcript from an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology (OCAAT) or a post-secondary institution approved by the College, or a Letter of Equivalency or Recognition of Equivalency. A guarantor's signature verifying the applicant's educational qualifications and proof of Canadian citizenship or immigration status must also be enclosed. English or French fluency is required for registration. See the application form for entry to the College.
See the Application Guide for details.
There is a one-time application processing fee of $75 and a registration fee of $150.
There are no residency requirements for certification.
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Registration must be renewed annually. Currently there are no requirements for ongoing professional development. The annual registration fee is $150.
The College of Early Childhood Educators may suspend a certificate for non-payment of fees, or suspend or revoke a certificate resulting from an action taken by the Fitness to Practice Committee or the Discipline Committee of the College of Early Childhood Educators.
All ECE diplomas from an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology (OCAAT) are recognized. Non-OCAAT programs recognized by the College include:
Related ECE credentials other than those listed above are not usually recognized. An applicant may have their credentials assessed at a post-secondary institution to determine if any of the courses are transferable to an ECE diploma program.
Previously, Canadian trained applicants were referred to the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario (AECEO) or the Association francophone des services a l enfance de l Ontario (AFESEO) in order to have their educational qualifications individually assessed.
The College's process for individual assessment of educational credentials will apply to individuals who have relevant post secondary educational credentials, equivalent to an ECE diploma from an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology, but did not graduate from:
Please contact the College for more information regarding this process.
The College's application guide contains a list of Canadian Early Childhood Education programs outside of Ontario whose credentials are recognized by the College as of August 2008. See pages 5-8 of the Application Guide.
Applicants with an ECE credential as outlined in the Guide from an approved post-secondary institution may proceed with an application for registration with the College. Following the review, a learning prescription outlining necessary courses is provided to the applicant. See the steps to equivalency.
Applicants are usually required to take, at a minimum, Ontario-specific courses on legislation, health and safety, and a supervised practicum. The requirements must be completed within a two-year time frame. Once the prescription is completed, the AECEO provides a Letter of Equivalency Certificate to the applicant, who can then move to the registration process with the College.
Applicants must submit a completed application form, proof of language fluency, copies of official diplomas/degrees and transcripts, and documentation of relevant work experience, including a resume, job descriptions and reference letters. Unless the applicant is exempt, an ECE Knowledge Assessment Exam and Language Fluency Testing is a required part of the equivalency process. See the equivalency handbook and the equivalency application.
There is an equivalency application fee of $100 and an ECE knowledge assessment exam fee of $50. The time from application to receiving a letter of prescription is approximately 6-8 weeks.
Out of province equivalency assessment will eventually become the responsibility of the College of Early Childhood Educators.
Note: Dialogue is underway between the College and the Ministry of Child and Youth Services regarding the implementation of the terms of the Agreement of Internal Trade.
French language applicants who are internationally trained and require an individual assessment of their educational credentials should apply directly to the College beginning April 1, 2010. Please contact the College for more information regarding this process.
English language applicants who are internationally trained and require an individual assessment of their educational credentials should continue to seek a Letter of Equivalency from the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario until Friday, July 30, 2010 5:00pm. As of July 31, 2010 the College will directly handle applications from internationally trained applicants who require an individual assessment of their educational credentials.
Please Note: Letter of Equivalency certificates or Recognition of Equivalency certificates issued by the AECEO or AFÉSEO prior to February 23, 2014 will continue to be accepted by the College as meeting the educational qualification component of the application process for membership in the College.
An individual denied registration may present their case in writing to a Registration Appeals Committee of the College. Following the review, the committee's decision is binding.
Individuals seeking equivalency from AECEO or AFÉSEO who are not in agreement with the letter of prescription have 30 days to appeal. There is a $100 fee for a second appeal.
There are no educational or registration requirements for regulated family child care providers; however, many agencies provide training.
Home visitors (home child care advisors) in family child care agencies are required to have completed a post-secondary program of studies in child development and family studies. They must also have at least two years of experience working with children who are at the same age and developmental levels as the children enrolled with the agency and must be approved by a Director. Home visitors with an ECE credential who wish to use the title of Early Childhood Educator must register with the College of Early Childhood Educators.
Details of the mandate, authority and governance of the College can be found here.
The Early Childhood Educators Qualifications Upgrade Strategy assists child care professionals working in licensed child care settings who want to upgrade their qualifications and obtain an ECE diploma. Financial support is available to eligible applicants in three ways:
A College of Trades is being proposed in Ontario, which would be the professional body that includes apprentices. Ontario has an apprenticeship program for ECE that accounts for 16% of all involved in apprenticeship programs. The implications for the child care sector are not yet known.
College of Early Childhood Educators
438 University Avenue, Suite 1900
Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2K8
Telephone: (416) 961-8558; Toll-free: 1-888-961-8558
Email: info@collegeofece.on.ca
AFÉSEO
140, rue Genest
Ottawa, Ontario, K1L 7Y9
Telephone: (613) 741-5107
Fax: (613) 746-6140
www.afeseo.ca
AECEO
40 Orchard View Blvd., Suite 211
Toronto, Ontario, M4R 1B9
Telephone: (416) 487-3157 ext. 21; Toll-free: 1-866-932-3236
Fax: (416) 487-3758
www.aeceo.ca
Copyright Canadian Child Care Human Resources Sector Council
Formerly funded by the Government of Canada's Sector Council Program
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