Purpose and Mandate

The College of Early Childhood Educators (College) regulates and governs Ontario’s Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) in the public interest.

The College was established under the Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007 (ECE Act), and came into existence in February 2009.

With more than 57,000 members in good standing, the College is one of the largest professional self-regulatory bodies in Ontario and is the only professional self-regulatory body for early childhood education in Canada.

The College regulates the profession of early childhood education by establishing and enforcing:

Registration requirements;
Ethical and professional standards for RECEs;
Requirements for continuous professional learning; and
Complaints and discipline process for professional misconduct, incompetence and incapacity.

Vision

Leadership in early learning and care by trusted, accountable professionals.

Mission

Serve and protect the public interest by regulating the profession of early childhood education.

Values

Transparency and Accountability
Processes are open, information is clear and accessible to members and the public.	The hallmark of self-regulation: we accept responsibility for our actions.

Integrity and Fairness
Firm adherence to moral and ethical principles; making the right decisions.	Processes give equal opportunity to all; decisions meet predetermined, defensible criteria.

Professionalism and Leadership
Use of specialized knowledge, skills and judgment for the benefit of the community served.	A process of social influence which empowers and magnifies the efforts of others toward shared goals.

Inclusion and Respect
Creating an environment of belonging, in which diversity and differences are welcomed and valued.	We recognize the dignity and value of our work, our members and the public we serve.

Commitment to Anti-Racism

We are committed to embedding anti-racism into all of our work. We acknowledge this ongoing effort is necessary to fulfil our responsibility of regulating a diverse profession in the interest of all children and families in Ontario. Read our full Statement of Commitment to Anti-Racism here.

Strategic Plan 2022-2027

Proactive Public Protection

As a modern regulator, we continue to evolve the focus of regulation to emphasize proactive intervention, using data to identify areas of risk and prevent harm. As part of our duty to serve the public interest, we will work to help ensure that all families have access to qualified early childhood educators.

The objectives supporting this goal are:

Apply evidence-based innovation in regulation and governance
Continuous evolution and improvement in the way we execute our mandate, informed by data and evidence.

Equip and support practice excellence
Ensure that members enter the profession prepared and are supported throughout their careers to practice at the highest standards

Build a resilient and sustainable profession
Support recruitment, retention and development in the profession to ensure all families have access to qualified professional educators.

Collaborative Leadership and Engagement

As a collaborative leader and stakeholder in the early learning and child care sector, we will work across boundaries to identify and address systemic challenges to support high-quality practice and access to care. We will enhance our effectiveness by nurturing meaningful relationships that support mutual learning and trust.

The objectives supporting this goal are:

Embed equity, diversity and inclusion into all aspects of our work
Take concrete action to deliver on our Statement of Commitment to Anti-Racism.

Establish and maintain meaningful relationships with stakeholders, the profession and the public
Communicate in ways that increase understanding of our role while supporting meaningful dialogue. Communicate more and listen better.

Enable generation and sharing of high-quality data
Leverage our unique position and access to information to contribute to a better understanding of the sector.