Early Childhood Educator post-secondary program recognition

Phase 1 introduces screening criteria that will be used to evaluate waitlisted parties' eligibility to deliver ECE post-secondary programming. Those who do not meet the initial screening criteria will be removed from the waitlist. 

New parties not on the waitlist who meet the phase one screening criteria and who would like to be considered for ECE program recognition in phase two can contact the Registry at 1-888-338-6622 (Option 3) or via email at ECERegistry.Programs@gov.bc.ca to express their interest in delivering an ECE post-secondary program.

Parties who meet the initial screening criteria will proceed to phase 2, expected to be implemented in summer 2025.

Phase 1 eligibility

Waitlisted parties must be located in British Columbia and meet one of the following criteria to move forward to phase 2:

• Existing public-post secondary institutions that are authorized under provincial legislation to deliver post-secondary education and training in British Columbia
• Private training institutions regulated under the Private Training Act
• Private and out-of-province degree-granting institutions, authorized to deliver degree programs in British Columbia under the Degree Authorization Act
• Theological institutions in B.C. with statutory authority under a Private Act to offer specific programs

In addition to meeting one of the above criteria, the interested party must either have Provincial Education Quality Assurance (EQA) designation or be either a First Nations-mandated post-secondary institute or an Indigenous-controlled post-secondary institute, offering courses and programs to Indigenous adult learners.

Please note that new continuing education ECE program requests from school districts will not be considered at this time.

Phase 2 will introduce a prioritization framework that will guide the Registry in selecting post-secondary program applications from remaining interested parties. Those who move forward to phase 2 will receive more information about the framework for recognition in summer 2025. Applicants will be reviewed and assessed, and successful parties will be supported through the review and assessment process.  

The hold was placed in 2017 as the province began exploring updates to the B.C. Child Care Sector Occupational Competencies. Post-secondary institutions align their ECE curriculum with these competencies to ensure consistent quality programming.

Significant events also contributed to the continued hold including the introduction of ChildCareBC in 2018; Royal Assent of the Early Childhood Educators Act and the need to draft a regulation to bring the Act into force; and the COVID-19 pandemic, which shifted the ECE post-secondary landscape. To minimize the impact of upcoming curricular and legislative changes to students, institutions and the Registry, the hold continued.

As work on the development of the regulation that will bring the act into force continues, the Registry is proactively developing a fair, transparent, and efficient prioritization framework that will guide the Registry in selecting net new post-secondary program applications from interested parties.

As the regulator of B.C.’s child care workforce and educational programming, the Registry must ensure that all new programs meet the needs of the sector while also ensuring the quality programming, safety, and well-being of children in care. 

It is recognized that there is a growing need for more ECE's across B.C., as such the Registry has continued to support the expansion of programs, where feasible, at existing recognized post-secondary institutions. The Registry recognizes that it takes a great deal of time to establish new programs and existing post-secondary institutions already have programs and relationships in place that can be expanded. 

Expanding programs in this way has helped to meet the demand for more ECE's in the sector, despite not being able to add net new post-secondary institutions during this time.

As of May 2024, there are 34 recognized institutions offering approximately 170 programs, with nine programs being offered online. Twelve are offered in a hybrid environment, a combination of online and in-classroom learning.

The Registry anticipates that approximately half of currently waitlisted parties will not meet the screening criteria and will not move on to phase 2.

A key component of the ongoing work towards creating access to quality ECE programming includes developing a prioritization framework for program recognition.

The framework will introduce a fair, transparent and efficient process that will guide the Registry in selecting quality post-secondary program applications. 

Lifting the hold may result in more post-secondary institutions offering ECE education programs. The Registry is taking a measured approach that balances sector needs with new programs that align with projected enrolment. Meaningful curriculum and program delivery are necessary for long-term sustainable results that reduce pressure on the sector, and in particular, practicum mentors.

The B.C. government is committed to taking action on reconciliation according to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions Calls to Action. This means that the Province has a commitment to work with First Nations Title and Rights holders on the development of the ECE Act Regulation, and we are committed to doing this work alongside First Nations and Indigenous organizations.