If you’re a childcare worker, your world is about to change – for the better! Thanks to the provincial government, you will be rewarded and appreciated even more than before. The government believes childcare is essential for a child’s development. This can help kids start on the right path toward success, according to EnergeticCity.ca. Therefore, the government is happy to make improvements to the childcare sector to provide children and families with better care.
On September 5, 2018, the provincial government announced that it would be spending $136 million to support the new Early Care and Learning Recruitment and Retention Strategy, which will boost the earnings of thousands of childcare workers across British Columbia, according to EnergeticCity.ca. This will give childcare providers a $1 per hour wage increase starting in April of 2020. In more exciting news, the federal government will also fund projects to improve Early Childhood Educator (ECE) bursaries. This will give ECEs and children better facilities for teaching and learning.
What is the government’s strategy?
According to BC Gov News, the new strategy involves the BC government’s encouraging more people to start involvement or remain involved in ECEs to give their children the best possible education early in life. By improving early childcare, more families in British Columbia will have access to stable, high-quality and reliable childcare programs. This 3-year plan will improve the quality of British Columbia’s childcare programs and recognize the value of these workers and appreciate what they do for our families.
How will this affect early childhood educators in BC?
Current and future ECEs will benefit greatly from this change. The increase will pay them $4,000 more per year, according to BC Gov News. The government’s strategy will also:
Create an expanded and enhanced ECE Education Support Fund with:
An increase in ECE Student Bursary funding.
- A new payment schedule that will reimburse students quickly for their education costs
- Access to a new ECE Workforce Development Fund that will give them $5,000 per semester to help them upgrade their credentials
- Provide investment to fund opportunities for 620 new ECE graduates from post-secondary institutions throughout British Columbia
- Provide continuing education opportunities that will allow ECEs to learn from peer networks, and courses to provide the newest and best teaching and care techniques
- Provide a pilot program that can offer more flexibility to students who are working in childcare
- Create new standards for ECEs to ensure that they are meeting the quality standards and methods for the childcare sector
This change is the most significant investment in childcare in the province’s history. The government will be investing more than $1 billion in childcare over the next few years. According to FirstCallBC.org, this is a well-deserved increase in wages for ECEs and is long overdue. With these steps, the quality of early childcare will improve and the families of BC will receive the top-notch early education they deserve.
If you have considered a career in early childhood education, Sprott Shaw College is a provincial leader in Early Childhood, Special Education and Community Support training with a variety of programs ranging from 12 weeks to 18 months. For more information about a rewarding career working with children, contact us today!
