Influential Organizations

Many resources are available to support ECEs and the children in their care.

You are encouraged to check out some of the most influential organizations that support educators.

Early Childhood Educators of British Columbia

Most of the resources have their foundation in prior decades as the sector has grown and changed and diverse philosophies have driven the development of new programs. One of the leaders in the province is the Early Childhood Educators of BC that has been serving the sector for over 50 years. It was established in 1969 as the British Columbia Preschool Teachers Association (BCPSTA), changing its name in 1988. ECEBC has provided training for ECEs including a yearly conference, workshops and programs such as the Leadership Initiative and Best Choices. The ECEBC Code of Ethics is a guide used throughout the sector in the province and is part of formal training in post-secondary. The organization strongly advocates for important issues such as the $10/Day Child Care Plan and partners with many others such as the Canadian Child Care Federation. It is a body that represents all early childhood educators in the province of BC who can choose to be members and receive benefits such as a monthly journal. In recent years ECEBC has also managed different levels of funding for grants and student bursaries. Navigate to the ECEBC website to learn more about the resources available.

For further information see their website https://www.ecebc.ca. If interested, you can also read about the history of ECEBC.

Canadian Child Care Federation

The CCCF has been in existence since 1983. The organization supports ECE members and provincial groups from across Canada. They produce webinars, guides and information sheets, support research, advocate for quality care, and disseminate international research and knowledge from the sector. To learn more about the CCCF, visit their website.

BC Aboriginal Child Care Society

The BCACCS was formed in the mid-1990s by the First Nations Summit as a body to administer new childcare funding that had become available through the federal government to develop Indigenous childcare spaces. From this beginning the society grew into providing training for ECEs and childcare providers in mostly First Nations communities across the province of BC. Annual conferences began in the early 2000s with training workshops and speakers, and importantly, the opportunity to gather educators who share similar work and values in their communities. The society has grown over the last decade in producing resources and research, administrating different program funding, including being the BC home for Jordan’s Principle.

Extending Your Understanding:

As a learner, you have been reading and reflecting on your personal experiences, values and beliefs on leading within the early learning and child care sector. You considered different styles of leadership and thought about families and their cultures.

This activity aims to broaden your knowledge of the strengths of other childcare programs in your community.

You are encouraged to interview or visit another program leader and listen to them speak about or observe their skills.

Some suggestions for questions:

  • How long have you been an ECE/program manager?
  • Have you worked in centres with other philosophies?
  • What influenced your decision to become a leader?
  • What is your preferred style of leadership?
  • Are there Indigenous and newcomer children in your program?
  • What resources would you like to have to make your program more accessible or inclusive?
Steps to complete the activity:
  1. Prepare a draft of your questions and plan not to take too much of their time.
  2. Choose a program that you are familiar with in your community. You may already know educators who work there, or you may be interested in meeting them.
  3. Call the program manager, and explain that you are doing an assignment and would like to ask a few questions.
  4. Set up an interview time, either in person or phone or virtually. How will you thank the person for their time?
  5. Refine and complete your selected questions. You may wish to send them ahead of time if it would be helpful to the interviewee.
  6. Consider and discuss confidentiality and any other issues that concern the interviewee. Clarify that your interview is not for the public.
  7. Stick with your planned questions in respect of the interview time. Take notes.
  8. Write up a report for your journal, including the questions.
Did you learn something you had not thought about before? Did the interview go off-topic? Did you wish you had thought about other questions?

References

BC Aboriginal Child Care Society. (2025). Jordan’s Principle Service Coordination Hub. https://jordansprinciplehubbc.ca/about-jordans-principle/

Canadian Child Care Federation. (n.d.). Canadian Child Care Federation. https://cccf-fcsge.ca/

ECEBC. (n.d.). Supporting, Facilitating & Connecting Early Childhood Educators in BC. https://www.ecebc.ca/