ECEC in Canada
캐나다의 유아교육
Canada's Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system is closely connected to the important role of parents. ECEC is a crucial educational service that significantly impacts a child's early development, and collaboration with parents is essential for creating successful learning experiences. The Canadian government encourages parents to play a vital role in their children's development, and this is implemented through various policies and programs.
First, parents are regarded as the primary educators of their children and as key partners in ECEC. They play an important role in fostering their children’s learning at home, which provides continuity with ECEC programs. Canadian ECEC programs are designed to actively involve parents in their children's development, and they promote close cooperation between parents and educators. Through this collaboration, parents take on a significant role in the decision-making process regarding their children's education, ensuring that children experience consistent learning environments both at home and in school.
Second, some provinces in Canada emphasize the importance of parental involvement through policies. Notably, British Columbia (BC) and Ontario operate various programs that promote parental participation.
1. British Columbia (BC): The BC Early Learning Framework encourages parents to actively engage in their children's learning and development. This framework provides parents with opportunities to set educational goals for their children and collaborate with educators. Many early childhood education facilities also run volunteer programs, allowing parents to directly contribute to their children’s daily learning experiences.
2. Ontario: Ontario’s Full-Day Kindergarten program offers opportunities for parents and educators to discuss and collaborate on children's developmental progress. Ontario’s Early Years Centres provide parents with resources to understand and support their children’s development and foster regular communication between parents and educators, encouraging parents to take an active role in their children’s educational journey.
Thus, both BC and Ontario place significant importance on parental involvement and implement various policies and programs to facilitate deep parental engagement in their children’s education.
Third, Canada’s ECEC system supports parents in balancing work and family life. In particular, it provides high-quality childcare services* that enable parents to participate in the workforce while caring for their children. This support helps parents maintain economic stability while providing the necessary resources for their children's development and education.
In conclusion, Canada’s ECEC system values parental involvement and their role in supporting their children's overall development. Collaboration between parents and ECEC programs helps children grow in a stable environment and achieve optimal development.
*High-quality childcare services in Canada that support parents in balancing work and parenting have several key features. Specifically, Canadian childcare services help parents manage work and childcare through the following elements:
1. Extended childcare hours: In many provinces across Canada, childcare facilities have extended their operating hours to accommodate parents' work schedules. For example, many childcare centers in Ontario and British Columbia (BC) operate from early morning until late evening, with some even offering weekend or nighttime care. This allows parents to use childcare services flexibly according to their work schedules.
2. Childcare fee support programs: The Canadian government provides childcare subsidies to ensure that more families have access to high-quality childcare services. Provinces like Ontario and Quebec have particularly well-developed fee support programs. In Quebec, affordable childcare services (such as the $10-a-day childcare program) allow parents to work without significant financial burden.
3. Workplace-integrated childcare programs: Some provinces encourage programs that collaborate with workplaces to operate childcare centers near or within the workplace. This enables parents to easily drop off and pick up their children according to their commute, making it more efficient to balance work and parenting.
4. Flexible childcare services: Some childcare centers offer part-time or hourly care services. This allows parents to use childcare at times that suit their needs, helping those with irregular work schedules or those working from home to adjust their childcare arrangements more easily.
5. Comprehensive parent support: Canadian childcare services provide regular consultations and run parent education programs to help parents understand and support their children’s development while balancing work. This enables parents to monitor their child’s progress while remaining focused on their jobs.
These high-quality childcare services are essential resources for parents across Canada, allowing them to continue working while ensuring that their children’s development is well-supported.
References
1. Friendly, M., & Prentice, S. (2009). About Canada: Childcare. Fernwood Publishing.
2. OECD(2006). Starting strong II: Early childhood education and care. OECD Publishing.
3. Toronto First Duty(2004). Integrating early childhood education, care, and family support: A project in progress. Toronto First Duty.
