Arranging child care is not a task to be done in a hurry. If you have questions, make sure all of them are answered to your satisfaction. The first one: Who will be caring for and educating my child?
Increasingly, parents are seeking trained, accountable professionals when searching for child care. The College of Early Childhood Educators, Ontario’s self-regulatory body for early childhood educators, offers a public register – available online at www.college-ece.ca/publicregister – which allows verification of the registration status of the more than 54,000 registered early childhood educators in the province.
RECEs are required to be present under the Day Nurseries Act in many licensed child care settings. These skilled professionals are specifically trained and qualified to take care of children in numerous different educational and social settings. They are dedicated to the wellbeing and development of young children, and they are accountable to ethical and professional standards.
In Ontario, all practising early childhood educators are required to register with the CECE. The CECE is not an educational institution or a professional association that advocates for early childhood educators. It is an organization that works in the interest of the public, of children, and of families. It sets registration requirements and ethical and professional standards for ECEs, and ensures member compliance through a complaints and discipline process.
More information is available at www.college-ece.ca. Parents can also visit the provincial government website at www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/steps for a list of things to consider when looking for child care.
– www.newscanada.com