Is a child-care provider in your life making a difference? Let them know by nominating them for a 2016 Child Care Award of Excellence.

These awards honour the outstanding work that early childhood educators, child-care providers and local governments and businesses do each and every day to care for children and support B.C. families.

Nominations are being accepted in five categories:

• Provincial: Recognizes early childhood educators who have an active licence, either individually or as a team. Also recognized in this category are licensed family child-care providers who are currently working in a licensed child-care setting.
• Innovation: Recognizes an individual, facility or organization demonstrating innovation in child-care programming in a traditional or non-traditional setting by linking services to opportunities for child development and growth. This may include a StrongStart BC Centre, recreation centre program, or programs offered by a business.
• Local government: Honours local governments that demonstrate excellence in supporting or delivering existing child-care initiatives.
• Leadership: These awards honour child-care providers under three categories, including lifetime achievement, business leaders, and emerging leaders who have a minimum of three years’ experience.
• Aboriginal: The Lenora Pritchard Mentorship Award recognizes an Aboriginal nominee working in a licensed child-care setting who demonstrates leadership by acting as a role model and mentor to others.

Nominations will be accepted between March 1 and 31, 2016, and winners will be announced during Child Care Month in May.To access the nomination and guidelines form, please visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/ChildCareAwards_NominationForm.pdf

Completed nomination packages can be emailed to EarlyYears@gov.bc.ca, faxed to the attention of the Child Care Awards of Excellence at 250 356-0399 or mailed to:

Child Care Awards of Excellence
Ministry of Children and Family Development
Policy and Provincial Services
PO Box 9778, Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, B.C., V8W 9S5

Learn More:

Provincial Office for the Early Years: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/early_years/index.htm

B.C. Early Years Strategy: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/early_childhood/pdf/FamiliesAgenda_EarlyYearsStrategy_web.pdf

Early childhood development programs funded through the Ministry of Children and Family Development: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/early_childhood/index.htm

Early Learning programs funded through the Ministry of Education, including full-day kindergarten and StrongStart BC: www.bced.gov.bc.ca/early_learning/