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November 4, 2025

Canada Strong: Budget 2025

Excerpt: "Canada-wide early learning and child care transfer payments are expected to increase from $7.9 billion in 2025-26 to $8.5 billion in 2029-30, reflecting 3 per cent per year growth for four years starting in 2027-28 as announced in 2025. This also includes $625 million over four years, beginning in 2023-24, for the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund."
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November 3, 2025

OISE alum Dr. JJ Wright named Edmonton's Top 40 Under 40

'Combating hate and celebrating queer joy as resistance': OISE alumna Dr. JJ Wright has been named one of Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40. Dr. Wright, a scholar, advocate and graduate of the Department of Social Justice Education, is currently a professor at MacEwan University, teaching and researching in the areas of sociology and gender studies.
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October 31, 2025

Graph: ECE Earnings Across Canada Relative to Poverty Thresholds in Urban and Rural Areas (Using the Market Basket Measure)

The graph presents Early Childhood Educator (ECE) earnings across Canada, comparing them to provincial and territorial poverty thresholds using the Market Basket Measure. The data reveals significant wage disparities, with ECE salaries falling below the living wage in most regions and, in some cases, barely exceeding poverty thresholds.

- Poverty Threshold Comparison: In many provinces and territories, ECE wages hover near or just above the poverty line, highlighting the financial instability of the profession.
- Living Wage Gap: Only a handful of jurisdictions—with stronger wage policies—offer ECE salaries that meet or exceed the local living wage. In most areas, ECEs struggle to afford basic necessities despite their essential role in early learning.
- Regional Variations: Provinces with higher government investment in child care and workforce compensation tend to have narrower wage gaps, while others lag behind, exacerbating challenges in recruitment and retention.

This data reinforces the urgent need for wage grids, increased public investment, and stronger workforce policies to ensure fair compensation for ECEs and enhance workforce stability.
OISE building exterior
October 31, 2025

Earnings of ECEs across Canada compared to poverty thresholds in urban and rural regions (Full Version Chart)

Updated: October 2025

The full version of this chart presents a comprehensive comparison of Early Childhood Educator (ECE) earnings across Canada, measured against the Market Basket Measure (MBM), a benchmark used by Statistics Canada to define poverty thresholds, also known as the living wage. The data highlights substantial wage disparities, with ECE salaries often falling below the living wage in most jurisdictions and, in some cases, barely exceeding it.

- Threshold Comparison: In many provinces and territories, ECE earnings sit just above or dangerously close to the living wage line, illustrating the financial instability faced by much of the workforce.
- Living Wage Gap: Only a few jurisdictions—typically those with stronger wage policies—see ECE salaries meeting or exceeding the local living wage. In most regions, ECEs earn wages that make it difficult to afford necessities despite their essential role in early childhood education.
- Regional Variations: Provinces and territories with higher government investment in child care and workforce compensation show smaller wage gaps, while others lag, exacerbating challenges related to recruitment and retention in the sector.

This data reinforces the urgent need for increased public investment, and stronger workforce policies to ensure fair compensation for ECEs and enhance workforce stability.

NOTE: This chart uses the Market Basket Measure (MBM) as a benchmark for poverty thresholds, which is synonymous with the living wage in this context. However, there are multiple ways to define and calculate a living wage based on regional and methodological differences. Information about the MBM can be found here: https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/ref/dict/az/Definition-eng.cfm?ID=pop165