Children and Family Development
Energetic, devoted, creative and compassionate are just a few words used to describe the outstanding child-care providers being honoured with 2016 Child Care Awards of Excellence as part of Child Care Month and Child Care Appreciation Day on May 19.
After an open call for nominations, 10 child-care providers from across British Columbia have been selected to receive Child Care Awards of Excellence in one of five categories: provincial, innovation, local government, leadership and Aboriginal.
“Anyone who dedicates their careers to caring for children during their earliest years deserves to be recognized every day,” said Minister of Children and Family Development Stephanie Cadieux. “The Child Care Awards of Excellence is just a small way for us to show our appreciation for those who go above and beyond the call of duty to support B.C. children and families.”
In addition to Child Care Awards of Excellence, 17 child-care facilities with more than 40 years of service will receive a Child Care Legacy Award recognizing their contributions to B.C. children and families.
“Child-care providers do some of the most important work in our province, and they are not regularly acknowledged for the immense contribution they make to the lives of children, families and communities,” said Wayne Robertson, chair of the Provincial Child Care Council.
“Whether it’s finding a creative way to teach toddlers about bullying, preparing little ones for kindergarten with personalized ‘Welcome to Kindergarten’ booklets or attending Christmas concerts and events of former kids they’ve cared for, child-care providers make a huge difference in the lives of the families they support.”
To help make this year’s awards extra special, former youth in care were invited to submit artwork to be used for the awards. The winning submission was inspired by the artist’s time working in pre-schools and child-care settings and reflects nurturing relationships and growth.
The Child Care Awards of Excellence recognize the exceptional contributions made by early childhood educators, licensed family child-care providers, organizations and local governments throughout British Columbia. Award recipients were nominated by peers, parents and local governments and a total of 52 nominations were received this year.
Quick Facts:
- There are approximately 5,000 licensed child-care facilities in communities throughout British Columbia.
- Throughout the province, there are close to 15,000 early childhood educators and more than 5,000 early childhood educator assistants.
- To help celebrate Child Care Month in May, the Province invested $500,000 to the Early Childhood Educators of BC to continue the Early Childhood Educator (ECE) bursary fund for students enrolled in early childhood education programs. The Province has now provided $2 million since the program began in April 2014.
Learn More:
For more information about child care in British Columbia please visit: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/childcare
For more information about becoming a licensed Early Childhood Educator in B.C. please visit: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/early-learning/teach/training-and-professional-development/become-an-early-childhood-educator
