Today is the 24th annual Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day. This day recognizes the skill, commitment and hard work of Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) and all early years and child care staff. This day is organized each year by the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care (OCBCC) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Today official proclamations are being made by dozens of municipalities and school boards across Ontario. Some town halls and local landmarks are being lit purple to celebrate ECEs. Today ECEs and child care workers are being honoured in child care centres, schools, Early ONs, union halls, colleges, universities, and in communities all across the province.
“All across Ontario, in big cities and small towns, in child care centres, EarlyONs and schools, ECEs are being celebrated for their important work,” said Carolyn Ferns of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care.
Today’s Appreciation Day theme is WORTH MORE! to recognize the vital importance of ECEs and child care workers and the need to ensure that they have decent work and pay, no matter what setting or part of the province they work. Through the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) plan we’ve seen modest progress – like the first wage floor and annual increases for ECEs in CWELCC programs – but we have so much further to go. The Worth More! campaign by the OCBCC, AECEO, CUPE Ontario and our partners and allies advocates for a wage grid, benefits and pension plans for all workers in the CWELCC program. And we need decent work and pay for all RECEs in the broader early years and child care sector too. That’s the way our province can show real appreciation for their work.
Appreciation Day has been organized each year for 24 years and is possible thanks to the generous donations of sponsors: AECEO, AEFO, CUPE, ETFO, OFL, OECTA, OPSEU, OSSTF, Society of United Professionals, Unifor, and USW.