Videos

You can also access Atkinson Centre videos on our YouTube Channel.

Virtual Roundtable: Have your say about Canada’s new Early Learning and Child Care Legislation
March 9, 2022

On Wednesday, March 9th, Olivia Chow, lawyer Stephen Shyrman and the Atkinson Centre held a virtual roundtable to discuss the upcoming new Early Learning and Child Care legislation.

The purpose of the roundtable was to bring many of the great early learning and child care minds together to share feedback and ideas, and ask questions to help inform feedback being submitted by the Atkinson Centre to the Federal Secretariat on ELCC.

Tyler and his mom need child care

Part 1 - April 2021
Part 2 - May 2021

Children's Voices - My Favourite Things About School

The Development of the Early Childhood Education Report Benchmarks
April 2021

Dr. Emis Akbari, professor and coordinator at George Brown College's School of Early Childhood and Senior Policy Fellow at the Atkinson Centre discusses the development of the Early Childhood Education Report Benchmarks.

Child care is not neutral: Working toward equity, diversity, and inclusion
March 2021

Neil Price, Dean of the School of Justice and Community Development at Fleming College discusses how Canada still has a long way to go in equitable access to early learning.

Early Childhood Educators are vital to program quality
February 2021

ECEs in Canada continue to be undervalued and underpaid, contributing to challenges in recruitment and retention of the workforce. Public investment and delivery of ECE is more important now than ever.

Special Needs Inclusivity In The Early Years In Canada: We Still Have A Long Way To Go In Supporting Our Most Vulnerable
February 2021

Dr. David Philpott discusses the importance of inclusion in early childhood education settings and how Canada needs to do better.

Developing a data repository while protecting data
October 2020

Our invitation-only conversation on the experience in New Brunswick in addressing the legislative requirements to develop and operationalize a robust repository on child development while balancing privacy concerns. Our speakers walk us through the process of amending legislation, establishing information sharing protocols and developing new legislation that led to the establishment of the NB Institute for Research, Data and Training. Attention was also given to the process of obtaining access to the repository and some discussion on the types of research that is being conducted there.

Designing The ECE Report
February 2018

Hon Margaret McCain on the ECE Report
February 2018

Mesurer l'impact des investissements fédéraux sur la qualité des services en EPE
February 2018

Trends in ECE
February 2018

The Impacts of Early Childhood Education
February 2018

With the release of the Early Childhood Education Report 2017, the Honourable Margaret McCain discusses the impacts of Early Childhood Education.

Truth and Reconciliation and the Duty of Early Childhood Education and Care
~ Keith McCrady, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto
Presented at The 14th Annual Summer Institute on Early Childhood Development: Addressing Inequity in Canada through Early Childhood Education, June 2, 2017

What happened to Quebec’s great experiment of child care for all?
~ André Lebon, President, Commission sur l’éducation à la petite enfance
Presented at The 14th Annual Summer Institute on Early Childhood Development: Addressing Inequity in Canada through Early Childhood Education, June 2, 2017

Challenging Assumptions about Children’s Racialist Thinking
~ Dr. Kang Leee, Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Presented at The 14th Annual Summer Institute on Early Childhood Development: Addressing Inequity in Canada through Early Childhood Education, June 2, 2017

The Cost of Inequity and the Role of Early Childhood Education in Closing the Gap
~ Craig Alexander, Conference Board of Canada
Presented at The 14th Annual Summer Institute on Early Childhood Development: Addressing Inequity in Canada through Early Childhood Education, June 2, 2017

Time for Preschool
February 2016

From the start, every opportunity, for every child.

Inside an early education program: from the perspective of children , parents and educators.

Margaret McCain on the Importance of Early Childhood Education
January 2016

The Honourable Margaret McCain, Chair of the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation discusses the importance of early childhood education.

Economic Benefits of Early Childhood Education
September 2015

Craig Alexander, former TD Bank Economist, current Vice President, Economic Analysis at C.D. Howe Insitute, describes the economic benefits of investing in the next generation of workers.

Parenting Siblings and Language Development
May 2015

Heather Prime is one of 5 winners in the annual competition that challenges postsecondary students from across the country to demonstrate how SSHRC-funded research is making a difference in the lives of Canadians. This video showcases the importance of siblings in children’s early language development, based on work from the Kids, Families and Places CIHR-funded study. Watch this informative video on parenting, siblings and language development; helping Canadians understand and improve the world around us.

The annual Storytellers competition challenges postsecondary students to demonstrate—in three minutes or 300 words—how SSHRC-funded research is making a difference in the lives of Canadians. A cash prize was given to 25 finalists. The finalists took part in the final round of competition: a 3 minute presentation in front of a live audience at the 2015 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, hosted by the University of Ottawa.

A panel of expert communicators selected the Final Five postsecondary student winners from among the Top 25 presentations. The five winning students in the 2015 Storytellers competition are:

Naveen Devasagayam
Tanya Elchuk
Bryan Gallagher
Simon Lisaingo
Heather Prime

Also see:

Article: SSHRC President Congratulates Top Five Student Communicators from 2015 Storyteller Competition

Early Childhood Education in Ontario
Zeenat Janmonhamed, presented to CFUW Guelph, A Community Forum on Child Care: We Need To Get This Right, February 2015

The Feb 19, 2015 Community Child Care Forum: We need to get this right, featured Martha Friendly, Executive Director of the Child Care Resource and Research Unit, Zeenat Janmohamed faculty member in the School of Early Childhood at George Brown College and visiting Scholar at the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development at the University of Toronto and Lorna Reid, Director of the Early Child Care and Learning Centre at University of Guelph. The panel discussed child care across our country, our province and in our communities and presentations were followed by a discussion of needed policy change at the federal, provincial and municipal level and how members of the public can influence these changes.

Schools at the Centre: A Case Study of Seamless Early Learning
December 2014

The Schools at the Centre study explores the impact of full day kindergarten and extended hours programming on educators, families and early years administrators in three Ontario regions. By exploring the processes and partnerships developed between school boards, regional governments and community organizations the researchers were able to uncover lessons to inform policy and practice. The aim of the study is to strengthen child and family centred services in communities.

Also see Principal Investigator, Zeenat Janmohamed's presentation at CFUW Guelph's Community Forum on Child Care

Early Childhood Education Report 2014
November 12, 2014

The Early Childhood Education Report 2014: It’s Time for Preschool released today by the Atkinson Centre at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto is the second status update in three years. It measures provincial and territorial performance based on different criteria including investments in early education and child care programs and children’s access. It also compares Canada’s results to other developed economies.

States Looking to Expand Preschool Confront Debate over Results, Funding
April 1, 2014

Around the country, 30 governors are proposing the expansion of preschool programs in their states. But what makes a pre-K program sufficiently educational? And how will the U.S. pay for these programs? Special correspondent John Tulenko of Learning Matters examines the debate over the value and the cost.

Defining, Using & Evaluating Quality Assurance In Early Childhood Education
October 10, 2014

A conference for systems managers, policy makers, program administrators, and researchers about Quality Assurance in Early Childhood Education.

To view the morning session
To view the afternoon session

The Early Years Gathering
October 2, 2013
Whitehorse, Yukon

The Early Years conference focuses on early childhood learning and development concepts and is the result of joint efforts between the departments of Education, Health and Social Services and the Women’s Directorate. Three topic areas, including healthy beginnings, strong families, and quality learning and care environments, will guide the conversation. Also being discussed from a broad perspective is supporting young children, parents and families during transition into school or a community environment.

Kerry McCuaig PART 1
Kerry McCuaig PART 2
Kerry McCuaig PART 3
Kerry McCuaig PART 4
Jane Bertrand PART 1
Jane Bertrand PART 2
Jane Bertrand PART 3
Jane Bertrand PART 4
Watch all videos together in our Playlist on our YouTube Channel

Findings from the UK’s Effective Provision of Pre-School Education Study: Canadian Tour with Dr. Edward Melhuish
April 2013

Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) is the first major study in the United Kingdom to focus specifically on the effectiveness of early years education. The large-scale, longitudinal study follows the progress and development of 4,000 children in various types of at home and pre-school settings. It explores the characteristics of different kinds of early years settings and their influences on children’s early development and their later progress. It is now reporting at age 16. Dr. Melhuish’s work explores the effects of student variables (gender, EAL status), family (parental SES, qualifications, home learning etc.) and neighbourhood characteristics on student’s secondary school attendance, attitudes, social, behavioural and academic outcomes.

To view Part 1 of Dr. Melhuish's presentation at OISE on April 26, 2013>

To view Part 2 of Dr. Melhuish's presentation at OISE on April 26, 2013>

Toronto First Duty: Inside a Community School and Child and Family Centre
May 2012

An Atkinson Centre research team has led the evaluation and analysis of the Toronto First Duty (TFD) early childhood demonstration project. TFD is a universal early learning and care program model for every child that simultaneously:

-meets the developmental needs of children to ensure they reach their full potential
-supports parents to work or study
-supports parents in their parenting role

The TFD model brings together kindergarten, child care and parenting supports into a single program. Through TFD parents are able to access the full range of child and family supports available in their community.

Seamless Day Schools
October 2011

The Atkinson Centre is pleased to release 'Seamless Day Schools, a film that documents a full day of learning and play for children in Waterloo. Seamless day schools mean we are finally getting it right when it comes to meeting the learning needs of children and the work/family balance of parents. Board operated programs can be made available in every neighbourhood for every family. "The long-term implications of early intervention that this program provides will be altering for our society. This is almost the most important thing we have ever done to improve student outcomes." (Mary Lou Mackie, Executive Superintendant, Waterloo Region District School Board)

Link to English video>

Also available with French subtitles: "Le Centre Atkinson a le plaisir de publier «Une journée sans coupure», un film qui documente une pleine journée d'apprentissage axée sur le jeu à Waterloo. Une journée sans coupure signifie que nous rencontrons finalement les besoins d'apprentissage des enfants et des familles pour bien balancer les exigences travail/famille des parents. Des programmes exploités par le Conseil Scolaire peuvent être mis à disposition dans chaque quartier pour toutes les familles."

Link to French video>

Targeted vs. Universality: What Does the Evidence Say?
April 2012

See the following discussants consider the evidence: Michal Perlman (Associate Professor, OISE/UT); Jenny Jenkins (Atkinson Centre Chair and Professor, OISE/UT); Michael Baker (Professor, School of Public Policy and Governance, UT); Kerry McCuaig (Fellow in Early Childhood Policy at the Atkinson Centre); Erica Okezie Phillips (PhD Candidate, OISE/UT; Program Officer, Education, McCormick Foundation, Chicago IL).

Early Years Study 3 report launch
November 2011

A recording of the November 22, 2011 report launch at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in Toronto. The event was opened by Olivia Nuamah, Executive Director of the Atkinson Charitable Foundation, followed by a speech by the Hon. Margaret McCain, read by Jane Bertrand. Kerry McCuaig gave an overview of the report's content. The event concluded with a Q&A with the audience.

Summer Institute 2011
June 1, 2011

The early learning atmosphere in Ontario includes a number of significant policy changes that have created new opportunities and new challenges. On June 1, 2011, the 8th Summer Institute on Early Childhood Development took place. It addressed how changes impact early learning professionals and focussed on relationships amongst families and professionals that involve practitioners, colleges and universities, professional associations and government.

Symposium: Measuring the Quality of Early Childhood Education and Care Programs
May 3, 2010

Measuring and monitoring quality in early childhood and care programs can help to inform research, policy development, and program practice. The following research papers discuss measures of quality and help us think about initiatives in the early learning sector to improve program quality, focus on relevant indicators of quality, and how to improve social and development outcomes for children.