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Promotion of child health and safety standards are not only important but critical for successful early learning and child care

Child Health, Safety and the Environment

Parents and educators want the best for children, but we don’t always know where the dangers lie or what we can do to protect them. The environments in which young children learn, play, and grow contribute in crucial ways to children’s lifelong health trajectories. Providing all children in Canada with an equal opportunity to learn and play in safe, healthy, and sustainable child care environments is a necessary and attainable step. Check out the resources here to find out how you can make an impact in the lives of the children and families.

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Stress in Children

Children experience stress just as adults do but it often goes unrecognized. Learn the signs and signals of stress in children.

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Children’s Environmental Health Resources

The Canadian Child Care Federation is proud to be a founding partner of the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and the Environment (CPCHE)Together we have developed numerous resources that translate the most recent research into accessible resources for parents and practitioners. 

Healthy and Sustainable Child Care Checklist

https://healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/healthy-and-sustainable-child-care-checklist/

This user-friendly checklist is designed to assist child care practitioners and public health inspectors in identifying practical steps to reduce children’s exposures to toxic chemicals and pollutants in various indoor and outdoor child care settings. 

Who is the checklist for and how can it be used?
Early Childhood Educators and providers may wish to use the checklist to learn about ways to enhance environmental health and sustainability, and to better understand where their child care program is doing well and where there are opportunities for improvement. They can also complete the checklist to earn Professional Development credits (see below). Child care administrators and directors may wish to use the checklist together with staff as an assessment and planning tool, and as a way to track and report on progress over time (e.g., sharing results with board members, communities and families). Public Health Inspectors may use it with child care programs during routine visits, as an additional resource to discuss environmental health concepts and suggest possible actions. Parents and guardians may wish to use it as a basis for engaging in a dialogue with their local child care program about health and sustainability. However you engage with this resource, we applaud your efforts.

Getting your Professional Development Certificate
Upon completion of the checklist, the Canadian Child Care Federation will provide a one-hour Professional Development certificate. A certificate will be auto generated upon completion and sent to the email address you have provided. 



Additional resources https://healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/resources/

Free Environmental Health Webinars

Click on the links below to access our recent webinars. Note professional development certificates are only available if you viewed the live webinar presentation.

Healthy and Sustainable Child Care Environments: CPCHE/CCCF Webinar for Child Care Professionals

https://healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/2024/02/08/healthy-and-sustainable-child-care-environments/

CCCF is proud to partner with CPCHE to provide this webinar, developed especially for Child Care Professionals. This webinar will address environmental health and sustainability in child care settings. Viewers will come away with practical knowledge of low-cost ways to create healthier indoor and outdoor spaces in child care programs, drawing on CPCHE’s Child Care Checklist and Top 5 Tips for creating healthier environments.

Environnements de garde d’enfants sains et durables : Webinaire CPCHE/CCCF pour les professionnels de la garde d’enfants

https://healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/2024/02/15/milieux-de-garde-a-lenfance-sains-et-durables/

La CCCF est fière de s’associer au CPCHE pour offrir ce webinaire, développé spécialement pour les professionnels de la garde d’enfants. Ce webinaire portera sur la santé environnementale et la durabilité dans les milieux de garde d’enfants. Les téléspectateurs repartiront avec des connaissances pratiques sur les moyens peu coûteux de créer des espaces intérieurs et extérieurs plus sains dans les programmes de garde d’enfants, en s’appuyant sur la liste de contrôle pour la garde d’enfants et les 5 meilleurs conseils du CPCHE pour créer des environnements plus sains.

Creating Healthy & Sustainable Home Child Care Environments Webinar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A6FsTgJFwA

CCCF is proud to partner with CPCHE to provide this webinar, developed especially for Home Child Care Providers! This webinar will specifically address environmental health and sustainability in home-based child care settings. Viewers will come away with practical knowledge of low-cost ways to create healthier indoor and outdoor spaces in home-based programs, drawing on CPCHE’s Child Care Checklist and Top 5 Tips for creating healthier home environments.

La santé environnementale et la durabilité dans services de garde à domicile

https://healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/2024/03/27/la-sante-environnementale-et-la-durabilite-dans-services-de-garde-a-domicile/

Découvrez des moyens pratiques et peu coûteux de réduire l’exposition quotidienne aux produits chimiques toxiques et de créer des environnements intérieurs et extérieurs plus sains pour les enfants et le personnel. Erica Phipps et Lyne Soramaki, expertes en santé environnementale des enfants, fourniront des conseils essentiels et des informations pratiques dans ce webinaire en direct d’une heure que vous pourrez utiliser dans votre pratique quotidienne.

Creating Healthy and Sustainable Home-based Child Care Environments: CPCHE/CCCF Webinar for Child Care Professionals [Punjabi]

https://healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/2024/03/30/creating-healthy-and-sustainable-home-based-child-care-environments-punjabi/

ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਸਿਹਤਮੰਦ ਅਤੇ ਟਿਕਾਊ ਘਰੇਲੂ ਦੇਖਭਾਲ ਵਾਤਾਵਰਣ ਬਣਾਉਣਾ

Creating Healthy and Sustainable Home-based Child Care Environments: CPCHE/CCCF Webinar for Child Care Professionals [Tagalog]

https://healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/2024/03/20/creating-healthy-and-sustainable-home-based-child-care-environments-tagalog/

Kapaligiran sa Pangangalaga ng BatasaTahanan

Enjoy Some Of Our Past Content On Child Health and Safety

  1. Child Safety Protecting Children against sexual abuse
    These guidelines will help parents and educators teach children how to stay safe. Download the copy here

     

  2. Fire Safety
    It’s important to know what you are going to do when that smoke alarm goes off. You may have less than two minutes to escape before smoke creates life-threatening conditions. Download the copy here

Provincial & Territorial Information

ECE Information Where YOU live

Review the important ELCC information in your region
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For Every Stage In Early Learning

Discover information from all over our site on this page
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Programs Sorted Regionally

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Supporter membership rate $45 CAD. Join now!

Annual Membership rate $0 CAD with the code from your local affiliate. Join now!

Anyone working in licensed child care has to apply for certification. You will find certification information for your province or territory on our child care certification page.

With your resume and cover letter ready (we’ll provide guides for this soon), contact child care centres and introduce yourself! You can call, email, or even message them on social media. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a reply. Try again a few days later to give them your resume in person. Remember that due to safety reasons you need to call first. Tell them you live in their area, and that you’re looking for a position.

On our provincial and territorial map we link to child care associations in your area. Follow the link to your association and join today. The associations provide valuable information to anyone starting out in their career. Even experienced ECEs can benefit. You’ll also enjoy valuable member benefits like discounts, meet other ECEs, and become a part of the child care movement in Canada.


If you join your provincial or territorial affiliate, you’re automatically also a member of the CCCF.

All licensed and regulated quality child care programs in Canada require these for the safety and security of children and families.

If you’re just starting out:

  1. Get certified!
  2. Find the requirements for your province or territory
  3. Write your resume and begin your job search. We’ll provide tips on this soon. 
  4. Get your vulnerable sector check and first aid training

Join our Facebook Group and meet other ECEs who may be able to answer your questions

Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) are incredible professionals that have rewarding, important and demanding careers. They work with young children (and their families), ages 0-12, nurturing and educating them, observing and planning for their growth and development while ensuring that they are healthy. They create interactive and dynamic learning environments where children develop social skills, develop cognitive skills and foster lifelong learning. ECEs work in child care centres, classrooms, home child cares, preschool, and parent drop-in programs. You do not need a teaching degree to be an ECE, but you do need your ECE diploma.

Annual Membership rate $90 CAD.
Join now!

Annual Membership rate $65 CAD.
Join now!

Annual Membership rate $65 CAD.
Join now!

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