1.3 Early Childhood Education: Structures, Frameworks and Resources

Guiding Documents

There are a variety of documents that guide childcare and Early Childhood Education in the province of British Columbia:

• British Columbia's Child Care plan, 
• BC Early Learning Framework
• BC Early Childhood Educator Occupational Competencies 
• Code of Ethics: Early Childhood Educators of BC

The BC Childcare Plan

The BC Child Care care plan aims to establish child care as a core service. The plan focuses on affordable, high-quality, inclusive, and culturally safe childcare accessible to all families.

First, read the Government of BC's (2018) "Child Care BC: Caring for Kids, Lifting Up Families" guide to explore the plan further. This quick fact sheet from Stronger BC can also provide commonly requested information.

Activity 1.3 | ECE Occupational Competencies

Occupational competencies for Early Childhood Educators have been developed to support building a qualified workforce of Early Childhood Educators. Many post-secondary institutions' programs and government policies are based on these competencies. Before engaging in the provided reflection, read the BC Child Care Sector Occupational Competencies to familiarize yourself with them.  

Now take some time to review the BC First Nations Early Childhood Educator Occupational Standards. 

Reflection

Consider how you might use these competencies to open a discussion with staff about the overall practices happening within your context: 

• Where are the practice strengths in your programming concerning these competencies? 
• What competencies need more attention? 

Review section A-2 of the BC Child Care Sector Occupational Competencies, and read these statements outlining children’s rights: 

1. “Understanding and respecting children’s rights is an essential part of good practice. Practitioners need to understand the concept of inherent rights and the relationship between rights and responsibilities.”

2. "Children’s right to participate in decisions that affect them, to their maximum developmental capacity"

Consider:

How is this lived in your centre? What practices demonstrate this competency? 

Look to these examples for inspiration: 

British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education. (2001). Childcare sector occupational competencies.  https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/early-learning/teach/ece/bc_occupational_competencies.pdf

BC Early Learning Framework

The BC Early Learning Frameworkfocuses on children from birth to age eight. It connects with BC’s Curriculum and Core Competencies, encouraging collaboration between early childhood educators and teachers. 

The framework emphasizes reconciliation with Indigenous peoples by resisting colonial practices, honouring Indigenous knowledge, and aligning with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action. 

The BC Early Learning Framework also promotes inclusive practices for children with diverse abilities. It introduces intentional new language, such as “living inquiries” and “pathways,” to inspire fresh perspectives on childhood care, learning, and holistic development.

Reflect  

How does the governance structure of your ECE centre align with the principles of the BC Early Learning Framework, particularly in fostering collaboration, promoting reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and creating inclusive practices for children with diverse abilities? 

References

British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2019). British Columbia early learning framework. Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Children and Family Development, & Early Advisory Group. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/early-learning/teach/early-learning-framework

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2015). Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to action. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf

United Nations. (2007). United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (A/RES/61/295). https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf

Child Care Resource and Referral

Child Care Resource and Referral centre (CCRR) programs receive their funding through the Ministry of Education and Child Care and play a key role in improving the accessibility and availability of diverse child care options and services. |They offer a range of pertinent resources for any centre. These programs foster relationships within the childcare sector by providing services such as lending libraries and professional learning and networking to childcare providers. They also house the registry for licence-not-required childcare programs. 

Find your local Child Care Resource and Referral centre through the BC Goverment website and explore their programming and resources. Additionally, consider visiting other CCRRs listed on the site, as they offer lots of great resources, and it is worthwhile to visit them all! 

Reflect: 

After exploring your local Child Care Resource and Referral centre and others, consider: 

1. What is your definition of quality childcare?

2. How can you draw on these resources to critically reflect on your Early Learning and Care program?