November 26, 1998
(Health and Community Services)

The following statement was issued today by Joan Marie Aylward. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Child Care Services Coordinators and Early Childhood Educators Certification

I am pleased today to inform Honourable Members that government is providing $300,000 to the six regions throughout Newfoundland and Labrador to employ six new child care services coordinators. There will also be a $100,000 allocation for Early Childhood Educator Certification and Training. This funding is part of the implementation of the National Child Benefit Reinvestment Program.

Government is fully aware of the need to support and promote high quality child care services, both the existing models and those that will be available upon proclamation of the new Child Care Services Act and regulations. This direction is consistent with the provincial Strategic Social Plan. High quality child care services promote and enhance healthy child development. This is particularly important for families who may not have the resources to provide a sufficiently stimulating environment for their children.

All models of licensed child care will provide programs to meet the developmental needs of the children. Families will be able to select the model of child care that best meets their needs and the needs of their children. Currently centres are licensed to provide care to children age two-12 years. Upon proclamation of the Child Care Services Act, the models of licensed child care will be expanded to include infant care and those family home child care providers who choose to be individually licensed or approved by a licensed Family Home Child Care Agency.

Employment of child care services coordinators is a service enhancement which is necessary in continuing to strengthen the capacity of this province to promote and provide quality child care services for children.

Child care services coordinators will be qualified and experienced in early childhood education and in child care services. They will provide expertise to assist regional staff, communities and operators of child care services centres with the promotion, establishment, development, support and monitoring of child care services.

Licensees of child care services will be supported by child care services coordinators in the on-going process of program development to meet the needs of children and families.

High quality child care is most likely to exist where certain conditions are in place. One of these is staff qualified in early childhood education. Certification of early childhood educators will give official recognition to the academic levels of those working in child care situations and will establish equivalencies for those who may have a variety of types of qualification.

Our province is proud to have over 500 early childhood educators who work as a key element in the licensed child care system of this province. Early childhood educators are professionals who are involved in all aspects of the child care system. Their presence is crucial to the effective and efficient delivery of child care to the families of Newfoundland and Labrador.

To assist them in meeting these challenges, the certification system will provide information to each individual on their place on the career ladder, indicate what the next step might be and explain how that may be achieved. Through providing this support to early childhood educators, government is contributing to the continuing development of quality child care services available to children and families.

This government is committed to children and families. Child care services coordinators and early childhood educator certification will play an important role in increasing the capacity of the province to provide child care services and in promoting quality care for all children.

1998 11 26 4:30 p.m.