Creating Workforce Stability in the Early Learning and Child Care Sector

Who is AECEA?
The Association of Early Childhood Educators in
Alberta (AECEA) represents the voice of the ELCC
workforce in Alberta. It sees a qualified workforce
as the foundation for a high-quality child care
system. Through advocacy, AECEA is setting the
path for the ELCC workforce to become a
recognized and respected, qualified, and wellcompensated
profession. One important step
towards achieving its mission is to create a stable
and motivated ELCC workforce (AECEA, n.d.).
What is the project working
on?
The project is still at the beginning stages.
Meetings with AECEA and other stakeholders took
place to discuss the scope of the project. The
project team is conducting a rapid literature review
and has identified three pillars of workforce
stability:
Compensation: wage, wage grid, benefits, and
paid sick days
Credentials: education and training, such as
post-secondary qualifications and continued
professional development
Workplace conditions: dedicated spaces for
ECEs' work and rest, effective resources,
supportive work environment and working
hours
The team is conducting further research to flesh
out the three pillars and gather evidence to
propose solid recommendations for
strengthening workforce stability in the ELCC
sector. The next steps of the project will focus on
more community engagement. Interviews with
ECE are being planned to collect further evidence
and tell their stories.
Why is the project
meaningful?
This project emphasizes the needs of the ELCC
workforce in Alberta. Without meeting their
needs, children’s needs cannot be met. The
project contributes to AECEA’s efforts in creating
a framework for building a professional ELCC
workforce. Findings will be used to advocate for
supported and qualified ECEs resulting in more
workforce stability and better standards.
Resources
Edmonton Council for Early Learning and
Care
Child Care Now
Canadian Child Care Federation - The
Canada-wide Child Care Plan: What You Need
to Know
Reference
AECEA. (n.d.). About us. https://aecea.ca/about-us
Government of Alberta. (2022). Federal-provincial child care agreement. https://www.alberta.ca/federal-provincial-child-careagreement.aspx
Roadmap to a quality early learning and child care system in Alberta. (2021, November). https://timeforchildcare.ca/wpcontent/uploads/2021/11/AB-ELCC-policy-road-map-FINAL-VERSION.pdf
Acknowledgment
We thank the Mount Royal University Bachelor of Child Studies students involved in this project for their contributions to this project.
March 2022