Province says Ontario could be short of thousands of early childhood teachers by 2026 Globalnews.ca

The Ontario government estimates that the province could be short of 85-hundred registered early childhood educators by 2026.

Only then would parents pay an average of $10-a-day child careAnd the province expects to add 86,000 new spaces to meet the increased demand that will come from the lower fees.

Ontario is launching workforce consultations with people in the child care sector on Monday, and a slide deck obtained by The Canadian Press shows the government will need 14,700 new registered EC-Es.

But without further steps to address recruitment and retention, they say Ontario would be about eight thousand,500 short.

As part of the province’s deal with the federal government, the province set a wage floor for EC-E at $18 per hour in 2022, increasing by $1 to $25 per year.

The Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario says there should be an immediate $30 minimum wage for registered EC-Es and $25 for other staff, as well as a pay grid.

Executive director Rachel Wickerson says it’s the most important part of a provincial workforce strategy, because even if the government gives people more incentives to enter the field, they won’t stay if the pay is low and there’s no progress .

She says benefits and pensions also need to be made part of the discussion.

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