May is Child Care Month in BC.
As we honour educators and professionals working with children in the early years this month, we recognize that we are still living through some turbulent times in the world of early childhood education.
Like the books that line the bookshelves of home libraries, classrooms and early learning spaces, the stories of early childhood education today are many. Shelved in the drama section are challenges with funding contract renewals and limitations on fee increases that do not even meet the rate of inflation.
In the romance section are promises of child-care spaces, wage grids and much needed attention paid to the workforce behind the workforce. Shelved in the suspense section are never-ending waitlists and educator shortages.
Stacked in the mystery section are many volumes full of questions about the future of our sector. However, shelved alongside all the upheaval and uncertainty within this field is the beauty found in the memoir section.
Ask any educator working with young children to talk about their work and you will hear countless heartwarming stories and instantaneously understand why they have continued to show up in genuine and incredible ways throughout a tumultuous few years. When posed with any enquiry into why they have chosen early childhood education as a career path, you will see smiles light up on their faces as memories flood their mind while they quickly recount their experiences and attempt to articulate how each one of those moments, both independently and combined, are why early childhood education has their heart.
You will hear about the joy of watching children grow and develop through their early years. You will, undoubtedly, be told how much happiness simply being in the presence of children brings to their life, and how it reminds them to value and appreciate the simple things in this fast paced, ever-changing world.
They will tell you how they share in every success and feel incredible pride as children meet milestones and conquer challenges in their own time. They will speak endlessly about the power of relationships and the difference their work makes to the children and families in our community. They will tell you how incredible it feels to play a role in supporting children as they build their identities and exhibit agency over their experiences.
Looking to the history section, one can see how child care has evolved over the years as our world and society has shifted. Dual-income earners are the norm, families need child care now more than ever, and the role of child care has shifted alongside these changes, becoming increasingly essential to supporting the workforce within our communities.
While the elements that build a child-care system are not always up to speed or in adequate alignment with educator, family or community needs, what truly matters is easily articulated by any educator who shows up each day, builds relationships, supports growth and learning, and sincerely hopes to make a difference.
In all the uncertainty and confusion that can surround the child-care sector, one thing never in question is how passionate and heart-centred the early childhood workforce is. Let’s make sure they know how much we appreciate them, this month and always.
Maggie Ellwyn is a qathet region infant-toddler-early-childhood educator.
