Early Childhood Education

By the end of the program, graduates will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. Create learning contexts to enable, build and maintain caring, responsive relationships* in partnerships with children*, families* and communities that value and respect social, cultural and linguistic diversity* including Indigenous* peoples’ worldviews and Francophone identity.
2. Co-create, facilitate and reflect upon inquiry and play-based* early years and child care* programs and pedagogical* approaches to support children’s* learning, holistic development* and well-being following children’s* capabilities, interests, ideas and experiences.
3. Co-design and maintain inclusive* early learning environments* to value and support equitable, accessible and meaningful learning opportunities for all children*, their families* and communities in a range of early years and child care* settings.
4. Collaborate with children*, families*, colleagues, agencies and community partners to create, maintain, evaluate and promote safe and healthy early learning environments* to support independence, reasonable risk-taking and healthy development and well-being.
5. Use observation strategies* to identify children’s* strengths and challenges and to ascertain when children* and families* might benefit from additional support or community resources.
6. Use professional communication in interactions with children*, families*, colleagues, employers, the regulatory body*, government authorities and children’s* service agencies to meet legal and ethical standards of the early years sector*.
7. Act in accordance with relevant legislation, regulations, College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, agency policies and procedures and principles of evidence-informed practice* and reflect* upon their impact on one’s own role in early years and child care* settings.
8. Identify, report and document when a child is in a situation of perceived risk for, or actual neglect or abuse, in accordance with legislation, the College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, policies and procedures.
9. Create and engage in partnerships with families*, communities, colleagues, inter-disciplinary professionals, authorities and child service agencies to advocate for quality early years and child care* programs and services.
10. Engage in reflective practice* and continuous professional learning* in accordance with principles of lifelong learning, evidence-informed practices* in the early years sector* and requirements of the College of Early Childhood Educators.

View Ontario ECE program standards.