Occupations in Child Care Centres

To work with children in child care centres in British Columbia, you must have a certification or diploma that allows you to work in early childhood occupations. Below you will find the different types of positions found in these child care centres.

A 20-hour training course is required to obtain this certificate. This training is available in French and online at Collège Educacentre.

The Responsible Adult (AR) can work with children from 5 to 12 years old. This applies to both before and after school care. It is also possible for the person holding this certificate to work (outside of the required staff-to-child ratio) with children from birth to 5 years old.

It is necessary to take one or more post-secondary level courses recognized by the ECE Registry to obtain this certificate. This training is available in French at Collège Éducacentre.

The Early Childhood Educator Assistant works with children aged 30 months to 5 years old. However, they cannot take charge of the group of children. The Early Childhood Educator Assistant can also work with children from birth, but cannot be in charge of the group.

Certified by the ECE Registry after completing training at a recognized institution.

Unsupervised: works with children 30 months to 12 years old.

With the supervision of an EPE ITE, EPE ITE+SNE: can work with children from birth.

Educators with an EPE can supplement their certificate with one or two specializations. The two available specializations are:

– Infant and Toddler Educator (ITE): specialization that allows you to work with children from birth.

– Special Needs Early Childhood Educator (SNE): specialization that allows you to work with children with special needs.

To obtain these different specializations, in addition to the EPE certificate, it is necessary to take one or more post-secondary level courses recognized by the ECE Registry. This training is available in French at Collège Éducacentre.

Click on the image below to download a PDF graphic summarizing the different

occupations and the training required in British Columbia.

Credential Recognition

Who do I contact for professional equivalency (diplomas or prior learning) in BC?

In British Columbia, the office that recognizes diplomas and certificates is the BC ECE Registry.

If the diploma was obtained outside Canada, there are two steps to go through:

  • Step 1: Equivalence at the federal level:
    https://www.bcit.ca/ices/
    WES (World Education Service) is not accepted; only BCIT’s ICES is accepted in BC.
  • Step 2: Equivalence at the provincial level, 2 options:
  • Collège Educacentre
  • BC ECE Registry

If the diploma was obtained in Québec, you only have to go through Step 2.

Finally, if the diploma comes from a province or territory that is part of the labour free trade agreement (British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, and Yukon) then the procedure is simplified. In this case, you must contact the BC ECE Registry directly, where the equivalent levels are specified. Click here for more information.

Please note that equivalencies received from the World Education Service (WES) are not accepted.

Early Childhood Education at Educacentre

This college program is offered (in French) online and meets the provincial requirements for obtaining a license or diploma in Early Childhood Education in British Columbia.

Visit Collège Éducacentre website (in French)

Frequently Asked Questions

Schedules vary depending on the child care centre, the programme, and also the number of educators working in the centre.

Generally, working hours are between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.

In British Columbia, children begin kindergarten (the first level of their school education) in September of the year they turn five (5) years old. Before this age, your child can attend a preschool child care centre run by the Fédération des parents francophones de C.-B. from the age of 30 months old, until they enter kindergarten.

Once your child has entered school, he or she can attend a before and after school child care centre. This service is offered before and after school, within the school, and is intended for children aged 5 to 12 years old.

Staff salaries vary depending on the position held, work experience, and diplomas and/or certificates relevant to the position. Qualified educators, i.e., educators with a diploma in early childhood (ECE), also benefit from a supplement of $6/hour paid by the provincial government (Wage Enhancement Grant).

The Fédération des parents offers attractive benefits to its child care centre staff. Details are provided to each employee during the hiring process.

The child care centres of the Fédération des parents offer 100% French-language programming. We require that the employees of our child care centres have knowledge of French that allows them to work and express themselves in French in the context of their work with children.

Yes, orientation and support are offered to all new employees working in our child care centres, so that they can integrate into them easily and feel competent in their new job.

Child care centre employees must have the following qualifications:

  • An adequate certificate or diploma (differs depending on the position held);
  • A valid first aid certificate;
  • A criminal record check.

The staff of the Fédération des parents can offer support to employees in obtaining these qualifications.

Employees working in child care centres are also required to provide their employer with:

  • Three (3) professional references (ideally related to working with children);
  • A copy of their vaccination record;
  • An up-to-date résumé.