Early Childhood Education Report

The Early Childhood Education Report: Moving beyond counting spaces and towards quality ECE systems

As indicated in the Early Years Study 3, the reach of early childhood education is broad, including the education, care and well-being of young children. However, early education is also central to family policy and is associated with economic development and productivity. It is linked to a range of equity issues, including women’s employment, anti-poverty strategies, the promotion of social cohesion and the settlement of new Canadians.

Reflecting the main recommendation of the Early Years Study 3 (EYS 3)—that all children from age 2 through to elementary school have access to high quality, early childhood education—the Early Childhood Education Report 2011 (formerly, the Index) focuses on indicators promoting this goal. It provides a status update on the policy frameworks that the evidence indicates supports quality and access in jurisdictions across Canada.

EYS 3 defines early childhood education (ECE) as programs for young children based on an explicit curriculum delivered by qualified staff and designed to support children’s development and learning. Settings may include child care centres, nursery schools, preschools, pre- or junior-kindergarten and kindergarten. Attendance is regular and children may participate on their own or with a parent or caregiver.

Developing the Report

The benchmarks for the ECE Report were established following an extensive review of monitoring tools developed in Canada and internationally, and in consultation with experts involved in the development of these measures. Nineteen benchmarks were selected and populated using available data compiled from past environmental scans (Beach et al., 2009; Beach, 2010), an analysis of government publications and reports, Statistics Canada data (including population estimates) and customs runs from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) and the Labour Survey. Provincial/territorial profiles were developed using the above data, supplemented by a survey of, and key informant interviews with, provincial and territorial officials. Draft profiles were provided to officials for comment. Four seminars also helped to inform the content of the ECE Report. These are listed in the Acknowledgements section of EYS 3.

Reviews of early childhood education in Canada have traditionally focused on counting child care spaces and per capita funding levels. Research has either evaluated child outcomes or the quality of programs offered. Until the OECD’s 2004 review of early childhood education and care in Canada, there had not been an extensive evaluation of the policy frameworks that influence the environments that service providers operate in and in which small children learn and are nurtured. The ECE Report picks up on this work.