Beyond appreciation: Building a better future for early childhood educators
Early childhood educators play a vital role in our society. While parents go about their daily activities, these dedicated workers ensure that our little ones develop healthily by providing them with a safe, loving, and learning-friendly environment.
Every interaction, whether it's a smile or a moment of play, becomes an opportunity for the child to grow. These moments, which may seem insignificant, are crucial for children's cognitive, social, and emotional development, as well as their ability to express themselves and interact with their world1.
Recall the essentials
Many stakeholders already recognize the importance of supporting educators. The findings are well known, but it remains crucial to give them weight and to reiterate concrete approaches that enjoy consensus. We therefore wish to highlight promising initiatives that can truly contribute to their well-being, the quality of services, and, ultimately, children's development.
Supporting educators’ wellbeing
The ability of educators to meet children's needs depends directly on their mental health and wellbeing, which influences the quality of the services they provide2. However, the demanding and complex nature of their work can expose them to the risk of burnout.
To remedy this, several initiatives can be implemented: mentoring to benefit from the experience of more experienced colleagues, collaborative spaces—either in person or online—that encourage the sharing of ideas, or self-care practices such as regular breaks or stress management workshops. These measures could help strengthen staff resilience and their ability to create inclusive and caring environments for children.
Improve working conditions
Precarious or inadequate working conditions can complicate the task of educators working with children. Competitive salaries and appropriate educator-child ratios can be beneficial in supporting the sector in the face of staff shortages, retention issues, and challenges related to service quality.
Measures combining material and organizational aspects not only enhance the value of educational staff but also guarantee children the high-quality services that are essential to their well-being and long-term success1.
Investing in staff training
Initial and continuing training, combined with good working conditions and effective communication with parents, directly improves the quality of services and the well-being of children.
Providing safe and stimulating environments that respect children's rights and foster trusting collaboration with families requires qualified and competent staff, supported by leadership that encourages engagement, collaboration, and professional development3.
Several resources are available to support staff practices, whether in targeted areas or more general areas related to child development or classroom management. Among the programs recognized for building staff confidence and self-efficacy and promoting the creation of caring and stimulating environments is the Positive Early Childhood Education (PECE) Program, a variation of Triple P, an evidence-based parenting program.
Offered online, PECE consists of interactive modules designed to build the confidence and skills of educational staff in caring for children, effectively responding to child behaviour, and promoting healthy child development. Additional training is also available to those who support teams, helping them to put the strategies they have learned into practice and provide individualized support to educators.
Reach the peak
On the occasion of the Early Childhood Educators and Workers Appreciation Days across the country, let us remember the importance of recognizing and supporting early childhood educators who, every day, enable our little ones to develop their full potential and reach their “peak.”
Supporting their well-being, improving their working conditions, and investing in their professional development means giving them the means to continue helping our children grow.
References
- Li Grining, C., Cybele Raver, C., Champion, K, Sardin, L, Metzger, M & Jones, S. (2010) Understanding and Improving Classroom Emotional Climate and Behavior Management in the “Real World”: The Role of Head Start Teachers' Psychosocial Stressors. Early Education & Development 21, 1 65-94.
- O’Connor, E, Dearing, E, & Collins, B. (2011). Teacher-Child Relationship and Behaviour Problems: Trajectories in School. American Educational Research Journal. 48 (1), 120-162.
- Canadian Child Care Federation (2024). Interaction of the Nine Crucial Elements of Quality Learning and Child Care. Retrieved from https://cccf-fcsge.ca/about-canadian-child-care-federation/values/quality-child-care/