Loyalist Township will be participating in Child Care Worker & Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day for the first time on Tuesday, Oct.17.

The day recognizes the commitment, skills, and hard work of Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) and other staff who work with children. Council agreed to participate in the day at their August 14 meeting.

The day is proclaimed by the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care (OCBCC), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). It is celebrated every year by municipalities and school boards across Ontario, as well as child care centres, unions, and other allies.

This year’s theme is "Worth More." It aligns with the OCBCC, and CUPE's push for the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system to include decent work and pay for ECEs and child care workers.

The OCBCC and CUPE are striving to ensure affordable child care and high-quality spaces for every family who needs it. They noted that to make that vision a reality, access to child care would need to be largely expanded. This would include building new programs and being able to offering fulfilling careers to help ensure the industry is able to retain and recruit ECEs and child care workers.

Coun. Paul Proderick noted the importance of fair pay for workers in the industry.

"They are very under-appreciated both maybe in the public sphere, but I think financially too that they're very under-appreciated. And I think this is a worthy cause," said Proderick.

The township will be forwarding a description of their participation to the OCBCC and CUPE to be added to a province-wide list of proclamations and celebrations.

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