About the career of educator

An early childhood educator works with children aged 0 to 5 years in different types of recognized childcare settings:

• childcare centres (CPEs)
• susbsidized or non-subsidized daycare centres
• home childcare providers (HCPs) recognized by a home childcare coordinating office

The main function of the educator is to provide children, especially those with special needs or living in precarious contexts, with educational services to ensure:

• their health
• their safety
• their development
• their educational success
• their well-being
• equal opportunity

The educator provides educational activities daily. For example, educators:

• interact with the children, listen to their needs and are attentive to their development
• provide quality experiences according to their developmental pace
• arrange the space and select materials appropriate to the children’s needs, interests and level of development
• discuss with parents the active learning and play of their children to promote the children’s harmonious development

To be an early childhood educator, empathy and kind-heartedness is essential. One also has to know how to:

• conduct oneself with a high level of professionalism
• ensure children’s health and safety
• plan and organize educational activities and group life in a way that takes children’s needs, interests and level of development into account
• maintain meaningful affective relationships with children
• assist children in their learning experiences
• integrate children with special needs
• act in a spirit of partnership and collaboration

For more details, see the Référentiel de compétences des éducatrices et des éducateurs de la petite enfance (PDF 1.68 Mb) (PDF 1.68 Mb) (in French only).

Educators in educational childcare settings enjoy attractive working conditions:

• a wage that can exceed $30,03/hour
• the possibility of a 4-day work week
• conditions that allow for work/family balance

Educational childcare centres (CPEs) and many subsidized daycare centres also offer the following advantages:

• attractive pension plans
• group insurance programs

For more information on pension plans for educators, visit the Régime de retraite du personnel des centres de la petite enfance et des garderies du Québec website .