Celebrating child care workers and early childhood educators

Oct. 25 marks the sixth annual day of appreciation for workers whose job is a special calling

Ottawa (25 Oct. 2006) – The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is joining with Canadians across the country in acknowledging the contribution made by child care workers and early childhood educators.

The sixth annual Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day is being celebrated on Oct. 25. The occasion takes place in conjunction with this year’s Week of the Child (Oct. 14-22).

“Working in child care is not simply a job, but a calling,” says NUPGE national president James Clancy.

“Despite chronic low wages and lack of benefits, these workers love the work and realize the importance of early learning on developing future generations. This kind of dedication deserves our fullest respect and appreciation," Clancy says.

“The Harper government’s decision not to honour the child care agreements, signed with the provinces by the former Liberal Government, clearly indicates how out of touch they are with what Canadians truly want for future generations. Early learning and child care programs are our most effective weapon against poverty, social exclusion, and lack of opportunity.

“The best way to celebrate this day of appreciation for child care workers and early childhood educators is to implement a program that ensures these dedicated workers have an environment to continue shaping children’s physical, emotional and cognitive development.”

Clancy pledges that the National Union will continue to lobby the Harper government to establish a national universal early learning and child care program.

Coalition Partners

Child Care Worker & Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day is the result of ongoing efforts by the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care (OCBCC) and its members. The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care (OCBCC) was founded in 1981 to advocate for universally accessible, quality, non-profit regulated child care in the province of Ontario.

Its membership includes representatives from education, health care, labour, child-welfare, injury prevention, rural, First Nations, Francophone, social policy, anti-poverty, professional, student and women’s organizations. They serve community based child care programs, local child care coalitions and coordinate the activities of eight Child Care Action Networks (CCANs) across the province.

The Coalition is a public awareness organization and a non-partisan political action group, which works to bring the benefits of early childhood education and care to the attention of the public and policy makers.

The OCBCC has been assisted by several labour partners in its efforts to establish a day of appreciation for child care workers and early childhood educators. These partners include the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), the United Steelworkers (USWA), Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF), Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) and the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (EFTO).

The OCBCC and its labour partners has been working to encourage municipal governments to officially designate October 25th as Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day. With municipal elections being held in November across Ontario, the OCBCC is encouraging Ontarians to contact their Municipal or City Council member and ask them to speak in support of the resolution to declare October 25 as Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day. NUPGE

More information:
• Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care
• Resolution sent to Ontario municipalities