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ECEBC News

Wage Enhancement Response

Published: September 14th, 2021

On Monday August 23, 2021 ECEBC received an email from the Childcare BC Stakeholder Engagement team titled Increase to ECE Wage Enhancement. View ECEBC's response letter.

young children playing outdoors with trucks with an early childhood educator

September 2, 2021

Honourable Minister Dean and Minister Chen,

On Monday August 23, 2021 ECEBC received an email from the Childcare BC Stakeholder Engagement team titled Increase to ECE Wage Enhancement. We thank you for continuously keeping us abreast of the latest information that affects the ECE professionals and BC child care system creation.

We write to you today to express concern regarding the delay for the next wage enhancement allotment announced to commence September 2021. This has caused confusion and disappointment for early childhood educators and only highlights the fragility of our current child care funding model.

As you know ECEBC has been imploring the government to build a system of Early Care and Learning where Early Childhood Educators are well supported and respected for their work. We welcome the wage enhancement as a first step and acknowledge the government for recent commitments supporting important initiatives. A stable child care system needs to be embedded in consistent funding and structure. Similar to other parallel BC systems that support children, families and communities.

Now is the time to stabilize the workforce by creating a provincial ECE wage grid, and continuing bursaries for post secondary education that will attract and retain professionals to the field. ECEBC is asking you to build upon the investments made, with continued commitment to stabilize the workforce.

We are honoured to work alongside you and continue this important creation together to create a public system of early care and learning in BC.

Emily,

ECEBC