An Early Childhood Educator (ECE) in Newfoundland and Labrador is a professional who works with young children, typically from birth to around eleven years old. ECEs play a crucial role in promoting the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive growth of children. They create and implement age-appropriate learning experiences, facilitate play-based activities, and foster a positive and nurturing environment for children to thrive.

ECEs can work in a variety of settings in our province as frontline ECEs working directly with children, including commercial early learning environments, not-for-profit early learning environments, pre-K programs, family child care (home) environments, Family Resource Centers, and early intervention programs. ECEs can also work in roles that support the ELCC sector such as for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's Department of Education in consultant roles, or at ELCC agencies such as Family Child Care Connections, or even at our provincial Association for Early Childhood Educators in Newfoundland and Labrador.

There are a lot of misconceptions about what the roles and responsibilities of ECEs are in the wide variety of early learning environments. Click here to watch a series of videos that highlight an assortment of ECEs in action. These video interviews of ECEs were accumulated by the Child Care Human Resources Sector Council (CCHRSC), and can be used as a tool to provide examples of the variety of roles, responsibilities, and early learning environments to post-secondary students enrolled in early childhood education programs. *If there are any issues clicking on the videos themselves, you can right click and opt to open the video in a new tab or new window and this resolves the problem.*

The Newfoundland and Labrador Government has been taking steps towards supporting the provision of high-quality, affordable early learning and child care that is accessible throughout the province.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's ECE wage grid (April 1, 2023) reflects both education level and years of experience so that members of the ELCC workforce are rewarded for both furthering their education and remaining in the field. (See table below.)

It is a requirement in Newfoundland and Labrador to become certified to work in regulated early learning and child care environments as per Newfoundland and Labrador Child Care Services Regulations, 39/17 2017 and the Child Care Services Act.

Click here to learn more about becoming certified and the process to becoming an ECE in Newfoundland and Labrador.

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