Activity 1.1 | Exploring the System and Systems Thinking

The ECE System in Canada

This activity (activity 1.1) will begin by supporting you in examining the ECE system in Canada broadly and then more narrowly within a British Columbia context.

To understand how the ECE sector is organized and managed in Canada, it is essential to note that Canada is a nation of 10 provinces and three territories. As such, ECE governance falls across federal, provincial and territorial authorities. Additionally, these levels of government work with Indigenous governments, organizations and communities to serve the needs of Indigenous peoples. Within the federation, provinces and territories have exclusive jurisdiction over education and responsibility for early learning and childcare programs, except those that fall under the scope of Indigenous governments.

Provincial and Territorial governments are primarily responsible for designing and delivering Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programs and services in Canada.

Across Canada, these systems aim to be respectful of language and culture and recognize the unique needs of French and English linguistic minority communities, as well as of Indigenous peoples.

The Government of Canada provides support to Canada's Provinces and Territories in the provision of regulated Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programs and services for children under the age of six.

ECEC in Canada is split between two main categories: (1) ELCC for children under age 6 (before a child enters the formal education system), and (2) kindergarten (the age at which a child enters the formal education system varies by PT but is typically the year before attending primary school) 

Governance and provision of ECEC in Canada differs across its 13 Provinces and Territories and exists through a mix of:

• Public, private for-profit, and private not-for-profit
• Centre-based care
• Home-based care 
• Regulated and unregulated  

ECEC quality in Canada is a key feature influenced by Provincial and Territorial regulations, investment decisions, and the workforce. In addition, sharing experiences, knowledge, and best practices between Canada's Provinces and Territories contributes toward continued improvements in the sector. This includes developments of curriculum frameworks, licensing regulations, training programs, and more (p. 2). 

The Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU), an independent, non-partisan, policy research institute focusing on ECEC and social and family policy, has published a recent report, curating and presenting cross-Canada, longitudinal data and information about regulated child care, kindergarten and parental leave. The "CCRU report series has reliably served as Canada's sole source of consistently collected and presented cross-Canada, longitudinal data and information about regulated child care, kindergarten and parental leave." (Beach et al., 2021, p. 6). 

References

Beach, J., Friendly, M., Nogueira, P. B., Taylor, M., Mohamed, S., Rothman, L., & Forer, B. (2021). Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada 2021. https://childcarecanada.org/publications/ecec-canada/23/04/early-childhood-education-and-care-canada-2021

Employment and Social Development Canada (2019). Canada Country Background Report - Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/early-learning-child-care/reports/2021-canada-country-background-quality.html