Kamloops early childhood educators call on ministry to standardize qualifications

Early childhood educators in Kamloops are calling on the provincial government to implement measures that will ensure staff are better qualified to care for children.

The Kamloops branch of Early Childhood Educators BC sent a letter last week to the minister of state for childcare advocating for a higher standard of qualification for ECEs.

Among the signatures on the letter was the co-director of Kamloops-based Gateway Children’s Centre, the owner and operator of Blooming Butterflies, working ECEs, ECE students at Thompson Rivers University and concerned members of the community.

An ‘unstable’ system

Karolyn Hendra, the chair of ECEBC Kamloops and assistant teaching professor at TRU, said early childhood education assistants are being relied upon more and more to staff new childcare spaces being opened by the province in response to a lack of available space.

In a group of 25 children between the ages of three to five, Hendra said the minimum staff required is one ECE and two ECE assistants.

The problem, according to Hendra, is the lack of qualifications needed to become an assistant.

“An ECEA could have one course, it could be child health and safety and nutrition, child development or child guidance, one of those three courses, and they can qualify to be an ECEA for five years,” she said.

“It's causing our ECEs [a] great deal of burnout, because they're filling in the gaps and they're having to compensate for this underqualification.”

Hendra said ECEs are “bleeding” out of the industry, with 50 per cent leaving in their first five years. She said further capacity can’t be built when empty positions aren’t being filled fast enough.

When no ECE is available, a childcare provider can qualify for an exemption where an ECEA will then fill the position for up to 30 days.

“What can happen in 30 days? A lot,” Hendra said.

Ministry action needed

Altogether, Hendra said underqualification creates a system that is “unworkable” and “unstable” and can impact children, citing a recent example in Kamloops where children were harmed in the care of Inquiring Little Minds’ daycare space at Ralph Bell elementary.

Prior to an investigation confirming the allegations earlier this year, the same location was found to be operating without qualified staff and a ratio of employees to children that was less than permitted. A routine inspection in August found the daycare was in compliance with all requirements.

“We also have to recognize that we're all culpable, we're all responsible for that because we allow these kind of things to take place and we don't hold the government to account,” Hendra said.

She said qualifications for ECEs and ECEAs need an overhaul.

Hendra suggested a standard education with accredited programs is needed to ensure all ECE’s have the proper competencies, and a more robust education for ECEAs that includes a practicum component could be implemented in B.C. as well.

“This is a 21st century child and family and conditions that we’re living in, and early childhood educators need to be able to navigate that,” she said.

“That requires a skill set, it requires education, it requires ongoing professional learning — just like teachers.”

Starting the conversation

She said ECEBC aims to raise awareness about the issues, and industry professionals and experts will need to work alongside the ministry to create a system that will be more sustainable for ECEs.

Hendra acknowledged some may not agree with their solutions, but hoped others in the community will share their thoughts as well.

She said ECEBC’s goal is to get the conversation started.

“Regardless of who gets into the government, we’re not going to stay quiet about this,” Hendra said.

“We are looking for a collaborative, co-creation relationship with government and with other interests, that will help us create a system that is maybe, for the first time in 30 years, not in crisis.”