Early Childhood Education

Start Dates & Ontario Colleges Program Codes:

• Fall Start (September): 0102

Help a Child Grow and Discover

Early Childhood Education with the College of Early Childhood Educators (College of ECE)

The first years of a child’s life are crucial for their development. During this time, children learn the most, and educators have the opportunity to significantly impact their lives. Are you someone who wants to make a difference? 

Confederation College’s Early Childhood Education program offers a comprehensive education in the theory and practice of early childhood education. It focuses on play-responsive practice through a holistic lens, including elements of child development, social justice, and an anti-bias curriculum, as well as how children flourish in the world with others.

You’ll acquire the skills and knowledge needed to plan early learning programs and create play-responsive environments that nurture each child’s growth, learning, and curiosities. Our courses cover various topics, including play and inquiry-based learning, effective communication, child development, family engagement, guidance, and health, safety, and wellness. This program will provide students with various theoretical approaches to provoke their thinking and inspire their work alongside children and families.

Top Highlights

• Field Placements: Includes three field placements for real-world learning experiences
• Hands-On Learning: Demonstration classroom used by faculty to create practical learning experiences
• Current Curriculum: Course content follows the latest trends in professional practice, using new and innovative ways of thinking and learning in classroom settings. These unique methods of assessment and instruction include hands-on learning and collaborative dialogue with others.

Program Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. Create learning contexts to enable, build and maintain caring, responsive relationships in partnerships with children, families and communities that value and respect social, cultural and linguistic diversity including Indigenous peoples’ worldviews and Francophone identity.
2. Co-create, facilitate and reflect upon inquiry and play-based early years and child care programs and pedagogical approaches to support children’s learning, holistic development and well-being following children’s capabilities, interests, ideas and experiences.
3. Co-design and maintain inclusive early learning environments to value and support equitable, accessible and meaningful learning opportunities for all children, their families and communities in a range of early years and child care settings.
4. Collaborate with children, families, colleagues, agencies and community partners to create, maintain, evaluate and promote safe and healthy early learning environments to support independence, reasonable risk-taking and healthy development and well-being.
5. Use observation strategies to identify children’s strengths and challenges and to ascertain when children and families might benefit from additional support or community resources.
6. Use professional communication in interactions with children, families, colleagues, employers, the regulatory body, government authorities and children’s service agencies to meet legal and ethical standards of the early years sector.
7. Act in accordance with relevant legislation, regulations, College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, agency policies and procedures and principles of evidence-informed practice and reflect upon their impact on one’s own role in early years and child care settings.
8. Identify, report and document when a child is in a situation of perceived risk for, or actual neglect or abuse, in accordance with legislation, the College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, policies and procedures.
9. Create and engage in partnerships with families, communities, colleagues, interdisciplinary professionals, authorities and child service agencies to advocate for quality early years and child care programs and services.
10. Engage in reflective practice and continuous professional learning in accordance with principles of lifelong learning, evidence-informed practices in the early years sector and requirements of the College of Early Childhood Educators.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The Early Childhood Education program is ideal for you if you are:

• Compassionate: Passionate about nurturing each child through a holistic lens.
• Creative: Eager to co-create play-responsive places with, for, and alongside children and families.
• Collaborative: Ready to communicate in partnership with children, families, communities, and colleagues.
• Observant: Skilled at reflecting, noticing, and responding to the interests, needs, and abilities of all children.
• Dedicated: Committed to ongoing continuous learning and professional development.

Graduates of the Early Childhood Education program work in a variety of settings, including:

• Infant, toddler, and preschool programs
• Before-and after-school programs
• Kindergarten and primary grade classrooms
• Special education and intervention programs
• Ontario Early ON Centres
• Head Start programs
• Family support programs
• Home child care programs
• Parent/child/caregiver drop-in programs
• Health care settings

Please note: In Ontario, graduates of the ECE diploma program are required to apply for registration with the College of Early Childhood Educators to work as a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE). For more information, visit www.college-ece.ca.

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