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Thursday, October 24, 2024 is the 24th annual Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day. This day recognizes the commitment, skills and hard work of Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) and staff who work with young children. Each year, the day is proclaimed by the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care (OCBCC), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), municipalities and school boards across Ontario, and is marked by hundreds of child care centres, unions, and allies.

This year’s Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day theme is WORTH MORE! This Appreciation Day will be important as we continue to navigate the implementation of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system and push for it to include decent work and pay for ECEs and child care workers. They deserve decent work and pay.

To fulfil the promise of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system we need to ensure high quality spaces for every family who needs it. We have seen how affordable child care is life-changing for many families, but we need to make that possible for all. To make that vision a reality we need to expand access to child care by building new programs – but most importantly we must ensure that we retain, re-attract and recruit ECEs and child care workers with decent work and fulfilling careers to lead these vital, educational programs.

Thanks to generous sponsors, including the AECEO, AEFO, CUPE Ontario, ETFO, OECTA, OPSEU, OSSTF, OFL, Society of United Professionals, Unifor and USW, we can draw attention to the value of ECEs and child care workers/providers in our communities October 24th.

– For tips to celebrate the day, please check out our tip sheet.

– In case your community did not receive a proclamation request, here is a sample- Sample Proclamation Request and Sample Proclamation.

– An English fillable PDF Appreciation Certificate can be found here.

– To order your bilingual appreciation day posters and buttons, please fill out this form.