Canadian Child Care Federation  

Founded in 1987, the Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF) is a national non profit organization working to improve the quality of early childhood education and child care. The mission of the CCCF is achieving excellence in early learning and child care. With its nineteen affiliated provincial/territorial child care organizations (including the Certification council of Early Childhood Educators of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Child Care Association), CCCF focuses on linking research, policy and practice to support quality early childhood education and child care services for children and families. CCCF has done extensive research based resource and material development, including the seven part series “Partners In Quality”, which includes program standards as well as best practice standards for staff and administrators. CCCF also researched and published the “National Statement on Quality Child Care” (1998). Most recently the CCCF published Occupational Standards for the sector as well as a National Code of Ethics for Best Practice. All documents are based on extensive literature reviews and consultations with early childhood care and education organizations, programs, staff, administrators, and instructors across Canada and include training and professional development resources. The CCCF is the largest child care organization in Canada (www.cccf-fcsge.ca).

 

The Certification Council of Early Childhood Educators of Nova Scotia (CCECCENS) <cccns.org/CCECENS.htm> is a non-profit, volunteer organization that is committed to the development of a high quality, professional, certified body of Early Childhood Educators. It is an affiliate of CCCF.

 

The Certification Council of Early Childhood Educators has been in operation since the mid 70’s and currently has certified over 50 members as Early Childhood Educators and 2 members as Early Childhood Centre Administrators.  Certification is a process facilitated by a certified ECE mentor that includes evaluation by peers and oneself and a validation by a qualified Certification Validator. 

 

Goals:

·         to improve the quality of care for the children of Nova Scotia, providing assurance to parents, peers and administrators that individuals who have undergone the process of certification have reached a standard of excellence.

·         to provide a pathway to greater professional development which allows for polishing, upgrading and maintaining of skills.

·         to provide a consistent and preferred standard for early childhood professionals across the province that encompasses all training backgrounds.

·         to demonstrate to society as a whole that we are a credible, professional group of educators who are accountable to both ourselves and society.

Child Care Connection-NS (CCCNS)<cccns.org> is a non profit community based development organization incorporated under the Nova Scotia Societies Act.  Since 1988, CCCNS has developed a modest infrastructure to provide support and resources to early childhood practitioners and others interested in quality child care in Nova Scotia. CCCNS serves a constituency that includes early childhood practitioners, owners and boards of child care facilities, families, early childhood studies programs, government departments, university faculty, business, the media and the community as a whole. In applying a community based development approach to all its projects and activities, the results are reflective of and responsive to the needs of our clients and provide additional resources for them to increase the quality of their early childhood practice.

 

Connections Ends are “Investments in children will be maximized through recognizing, valuing and supporting the development of an effective, quality early childhood community in Nova Scotia.

·         There will be a comprehensive, coordinated early childhood community that maximizes resources.

·         Early childhood practitioners in Nova Scotia will be self confident, skilled and professional

·         There will be a favourable public image of early childhood practice.”

 

The Nova Scotia Child Care Association (NSCCA) <cccns.org/NSCCA.htm>is a non-profit volunteer association for child care practitioners in Nova Scotia. The NSCCA recognizes that child care practitioners are the main ingredient in high quality child care and provide a valuable service to society. It is an affiliate of CCCF.

 

NSCCA is committed to improving standards and guidelines for the profession, and thereby increasing the quality of child care in Nova Scotia.

 

The NSCCA works with other child care organizations, including Certification Council of Early Childhood Educators of Nova Scotia, Child Care Connections, Societé provinciale des intervenantes du préscolaire (SPIP), and Centre provincial de ressources préscolaires (CPRP) , to develop and support the infrastructure needed to gain professional recognition of child care practitioners.

The mission of the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development (CEECD) <www.excellence-earlychildhood.ca> is to improve knowledge of the social and emotional development of young children.

CEECD’s mandate is to foster the dissemination of scientific knowledge on the social and emotional development of young children and the policies and services that influence this development. As well, CEECD formulates recommendations on the services needed to ensure optimum early childhood development.          

The Early Childhood Learning Knowledge Centre of the Canadian Council on Learning < www.ccl-cca.ca/ccl> brings together the best scientific knowledge about the conditions that foster learning in young children up to the age five years. It identifies the work that Canadian researchers could carry out to improve scientific knowledge about the conditions that foster learning in young Canadian children up to the age of five years.  It also identifies best ways of monitoring the progress of learning outcomes for young Canadian children in order to inform Canadians.  The CLC/CCA transfers this knowledge to the general Canadian public and particularly to Canadians who are likely to improve the conditions that foster learning in young children.

le Centre provincial de ressources préscolaires (CPRP) - links the Acadian/ francophone early learning and child care programs in NS. Provides services, resources, training, support and information, and has coordinated many projects that contribute to the infrastructure needed to support quality early learning and child care in Acadian child care in Nova Scotia.

 

 

Ryerson University's School of Early Childhood Education is the oldest school of its kind in Canada with a proud history and excellent reputation nationally and internationally. From its origins in 1959 as a Preschool Education Option (a two year diploma program), the school has evolved over the years to become a four year Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. In Fall 2006, a Master's in Early Childhood Studies with a concentration on issues of diversity and inclusion was launched. The School of Early Childhood Education has consistently demonstrated its relevance to the learning needs of the communities it has served and its innovativeness in meeting professional interests. .

 

 

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is Canada's largest union. With more than half a million members across Canada, CUPE represents workers in health care, education, municipalities, libraries, universities, social services, public utilities, transportation, emergency services and airlines. It is a modern, dynamic and sophisticated union with more than 70 offices across the country.

A strong and democratic union, CUPE is committed to improving the quality of life for workers in Canada. Women and men working together to form local unions built CUPE. They did so to have a stronger voice - a collective voice - in their workplace and in society as a whole. Together they have won the right to negotiate their wages and working conditions; to stop arbitrary action by employers; and to speak out without fear of reprisal. CUPE members are service-providers, white-collar workers, technicians, labourers, skilled trades people and professionals. More than half of CUPE members are women. About one-third are part-time workers.

 

 

Nova Scotia Department of Community Services: The Department of Community Services is committed to a sustainable social service system that promotes the independence, self-reliance, and security of the people we serve. This will be achieved through excellence in service delivery, leadership and collaboration with our partners.

The Department of Community Services delivers a wide range of social services to Nova Scotians in need and works with other levels of government and many community-based non profit organizations to provide this network of social services.

Nova Scotia Acadian Affairs: Acadian Affairs focuses on increasing the visibility of the Acadian community and promoting its heritage and culture as an essential component of the rich diversity of the Province of Nova Scotia.

 

 

Canadian Heritage is responsible for national policies and programs that promote Canadian content, foster cultural participation, active citizenship and participation in Canada's civic life, and strengthen connections among Canadians.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canada/Nova Scotia Agreement on French-language Services.