BC Council for Families

by Marilee Peters
Director of Communications, BC Council for Families

As the move towards full day kindergarten, already well underway in BC and Ontario, spreads to other provinces across Canada, it has become increasingly clear to leaders in both the education and early learning and care fields that their two sectors need to find ways to work together

effectively. Teachers will need further training about early child development and play-based learning. The specialized knowledge and skills of ECEs must be recognized and supported within the school system. And the evolving system of early learning and care must be grounded in a sound knowledge of child development, in order to deliver the supports that children and families require for optimal development.

It’s a tall order, but in June 2010 four leading education and early years organizations came together to launch the Canadian Network for Leadership in Education and Early Learning&Care. The new network will focus on creating a respectful and inclusive relationship between the education and early learning and care sectors. The Network hopes to raise awareness around the human development approach to early learning and care, an approach which recognizes the holistic needs of children, families and communities.

Among the goals of the Network:

• fostering communication between education and early learning&care sectors
• providing leadership on the process of aligning the two sectors
• affecting early years policy and best practices
• increasing community understanding and support for a human development approach to the early years

Interested in joining the Network, and keeping up to date with events, reports, and ongoing discussions on early learning and care? You can sign up online.

The Network has already produced a discussion paper: Environmental Scan on Education and Early Learning&Care. It's an overview of what’s going on in early learning and care across Canada, and the issues involved in integrating the two sectors,  and the Network is looking for feedback from readers.