Employer Newsletter – Fall 2023
Supporting new RECEs as regulated professionals: We want your input!
The College of Early Childhood Educators (the College) is preparing to revise the Expectations for Practice Module. Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) are required to complete this educational component of the Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) Program in their first year of membership.
The current module includes topics as such:
- Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007
- Professional and ethical responsibilities
- College Council and committees
- Professional misconduct, incapacity and incompetence
Revisions to the module will include refreshing the content with information on legislation, College membership responsibilities and areas of professional practice most relevant to new members.
We are seeking your insights on the topic areas you believe new RECEs need to understand as regulated professionals. With your input, we can better support RECEs in their initial years of practice.
This voluntary survey will take about five minutes to complete and will remain open through November 17, until 11:59 pm ET.
Click here to access the survey.
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Sexual Abuse Prevention Program: How can you support RECEs?
Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) are committed to the personal safety, health, and well-being of all children. The Sexual Abuse Prevention Program empowers RECEs with proactive approaches to help prevent child sexual abuse.
While this subject matter can be challenging, the program includes supports for RECEs, so they can expand their understanding of child sexual abuse, recognize behaviours of concern and learn prevention strategies.
As an employer, you’re in a position to guide RECEs in your organization and support them as they complete the prevention program. Here’s how you can help.
What to know about the program
Mandatory for all RECEs, the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program consists of three required elements:
- Teatree Tells
- Commit to Kids
- College Resources to Review
RECEs may complete them over the course of several sessions. The estimated time for completion of the entire program is five to six hours.
Share this video: How to access the prevention program
The Sexual Abuse Prevention Program is available to RECEs any time, at no cost, in English and French, via My College Account.
To help RECEs in accessing the prevention program, the College has developed a short video guide:
Supporting RECEs as they complete the program
There are options to complete the program in a way that best suits an RECE’s individual learning style and schedule. Consider sharing these tips and supports with the RECEs in your workplace:
- The program can be completed in multiple sessions instead of all at once.
- The program can be completed alone, with a trusted friend, or in a group with colleagues or a community of practice. Note that each RECE must complete the knowledge validation test and quiz in their own Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P) profile and confirm completion of the program elements to the College upon renewal.
- RECEs can watch, listen and/or read the content in the Commit to Kids and Teatree Tells modules.
- transcripts are located below each module.
- Commit to Kids modules contain two to five embedded video testimonials. RECEs do not need to view or read these testimonials to successfully complete the Knowledge Validation Test.
- If an RECE experiences a technical issue on the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P) platform, you could suggest using a different web browser (e.g., Chrome, Edge) or deleting any site data (cache and cookies) related to the C3P platform website. If these tips do not solve the technical issue, please reach out to cpl@college-ece.ca.
Supporting self-care for RECEs
Although the program is designed with a focus on prevention, engaging with its content can be challenging for RECEs. For some, it can be particularly difficult due to lived experience(s).
We encourage you to share these College resources with your RECEs, which provide information on how to care for themselves while participating in the program; and how to find professional help for additional support if required.
- Caring for Self and Others: This resource provides RECEs with information about how to prepare and care for themselves, and possibly other educators, before and during the program.
- Trauma-informed care workshops for RECEs: These are optional workshops designed to support RECEs in understanding any reactions they may have when completing the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program and provide ways they may support themselves or others. RECEs receive invitations to these workshops by email.
- Trauma-informed care workshops for employers: These optional workshops for employers address how you can support RECEs in your setting with completing the program, as well as how you as an employer can get support in understanding any reactions that you or others might have when engaging with the content. See highlights from most recent workshop for employers here. Info on upcoming workshops and dates will be sent via email.
To learn more about the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program:
- Visit our website
- Check out our FAQs.
- Contact us at cpl@college-ece.ca
Council Elections 2024: What you need to know as an employer
Serving on the College Council offers an opportunity for Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) to play an important role in the regulation of their profession.
Nominations for Districts 3, 4 and 8 (South East, Central East and South West regions) open in December. Eligible members in these districts can put their name forward to run for election to become a member of the College Council.
If you employ an RECE who is interested in becoming a Council member, here’s what you need to know about the election process and how you can support the candidate from your organization.
What is a Council?
The College is governed by a 24-person Council that includes 14 RECEs elected by members, who serve three-year terms.
Members of the Council bring a wealth of knowledge and a diversity of experience that contributes to governing the profession and guiding the College’s work in delivering on its mandate of protecting children and families.
The Council is responsible for:
- protecting the public interest by establishing entry to practice requirements, ethical and professional standards, and processes for addressing professional misconduct and incapacity; and
- regulating the profession by overseeing policy development and the administration of College affairs.
Council members are responsible for:
- attending Council meetings – approximately 10 – 15 days per year. All meetings are held during business hours;
- serving on committees; and
- setting aside time to read the agenda and meeting materials prior to the meetings.
Benefits of having a Council member in your organization
As an employer, you know your team’s skills, experience and goals. You’re in a position to identify exceptional candidates and encourage them to consider running for election to Council.
Everyone benefits when one of your staff is elected to the College Council. When an RECE on your staff is an elected member of Council, they bring that experience back to their workplace, which is a benefit to you. Having a member of the Council on staff can help inspire other RECEs to engage in their own leadership development and expand their responsibilities within your organization.
For example, as a Council member, the RECE will gain in-depth knowledge and awareness of the role of the College, professional self-regulation, the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, along with changes in legislation or regulation. While serving on Council and working at your organization, they can share their new perspectives with colleagues as they work and collaborate, enhancing learning and understanding of the profession and the sector for all.
How can you support a Council member in your organization?
Being on Council requires a time commitment and additional responsibilities.
Council members are required to participate in 10 to 20 meetings annually, and possibly more depending on the member’s involvement in committees. Meetings are held during business hours. As part of their self-nomination, RECEs will be required to confirm their availability to attend meetings, and that they have discussed the time commitment with their employer.
It is very important for Council members to attend Council and Committee meetings to fulfil their governance obligations, keep up-to-date with their work, and to build their skills, competencies and teamwork with other Council members.
Council members receive a per diem honorarium intended to recognize their participation and to partially offset the cost of their contribution to the profession of early childhood education.
As an employer, you can
- acknowledge their commitment and dedication to the early years sector; the value they bring to their colleagues and your organization; and
- provide the space and time for them to fulfil their Council obligations.
Take action
If you know an RECE who would make a great candidate for Council, encourage them to submit their nomination.
For more information and election updates, visit our website and share this information with the RECEs on your team.