Online Guide to ECEC Credentialing - Search Results

Prince Edward Island

• Requirements to work in regulated group child care

  Child care staff are certified according to the requirements of the license by facility type.  An early childhood centre requires a Type I License; a family child care home or school age child care centre requires a Type II license.

  • In Type I centres, the centre supervisor and one full-time staff member require at least a one-year Early Childhood Development diploma or equivalent. Depending on education and experience, an individual may be certified as an Early Childhood Program Staff or as an Early Childhood Supervisor. The centre supervisor is required to hold an EC Supervisor certificate.
  • In Type II centres, the supervisor and one staff person require successful completion of one unit of continuing education (defined as a one-semester relevant university/college course) and provide two supporting letters of reference. 

• Certification process

  An applicant is required to send a completed application form and official transcript to the Child Care Facilities Board. See Staff Certification Application Form.  There is no fee for certification. Depending on the complexity of the application the process for review/approval can take between one day and three months.

  There are no residency requirements for certification.

• Applying for a higher certification level

  Individuals may apply for a higher level certification once the required education and/or experience has been completed.  Official transcripts and, if required, proof of hours of work are submitted with a completed application form to the  Child Care Facilities Board.

• Renewal requirements

  Certification must be renewed every three years.  All staff are required to submit evidence of completion of 30 hours of in-service training (defined as one extension unit) in order to have certification renewed. 

  Individuals whose certification has been expired for more than five years are required to complete a refresher course (length of course to be determined by the Child Care Facilities Board) in order to have the certificate renewed.

• Withdrawal of certification

  The Child Care Facilities Act gives the authority to the Child Care Facilities Board to investigate complaints, and exercise discipline or professional remediation of certificate holders by revocation, restriction or suspension of a certificate, by reprimand, retraining or rehabilitation requirement, fine or other means.

• Recognized post-secondary ECE programs in province

  There are two post-secondary institutions in P.E.I. with recognized ECE programs: a two-year diploma program at Holland College and a two-year diploma program at Le Collège Acadie  Î.-P.-É.  

• Related qualifications acquired in province

  Any of the following sets of basic training, extension and experience qualifications from an  institution or agency approved by the Board or, in unusual cases, some other comparable  combination of training and experience acceptable to the Board qualifies an individual for a certification as a supervisor in a Type I facility:

  Basic Training	Extension Units	Years of Experience
  University degree (or equivalent) in Early Childhood Development or Child Study	-	-
  Diploma (or equivalent) in Early Childhood program of at least two academic years	-	2
  Diploma (or equivalent) in Early Childhood program of at least one academic year	-	3
  University degree (or equivalent award) in a field related to child care or education	2	1
  Post-secondary diploma (or equivalent) in a field related to child care or education	4	3
  Credit for 10 university semester courses in a field related to child care or education	4	3

  For the purpose of certification, 800 hours work experience in a licensed child care facility is recognized by the Child Care Facilities Board as equivalent to one year of experience.

  • When extension units are required for equivalency, at least two of those units must include post-secondary courses in Child Growth and Development and Early Childhood Teaching Methods.
  • An extension unit is defined as 30 hours of post-secondary education from a recognized college/university
  • The same set of basic training and extension unit, but without the years of experience, qualifies an individual to be certified as a program staff in a Type I facility.
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• Out-of-province ECE qualifications

  ECE credentials from public colleges outside P.E.I. are recognized.  Individuals who have credentials from an institution that is not recognized in P.E.I. have the option of having their credentials reviewed by the college to determine if any of the courses or content would be recognized.  Once the individual has successfully completed the required course material they submit the official transcript to the Child Care Facilities Board.

   

• Out-of-country ECE qualifications

  The Child Care Facilities Board is responsible for assessing international credentials.  International credentials from a public post-secondary institution are recognized; otherwise the Board assesses on a case-by-case basis.  Individuals may be referred to the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) in the United States.

• Appeals process

  At the present time there is no appeals process.

• Requirements to work in regulated family child care

  Regulated family child care providers are certified as either a family child care home supervisor or a family child care home program staff.  Providers must be at least 18 years old, have completed a 30-hour training program in a relevant subject area, have two letters of reference and a current first-aid certificate.  Certified family child care home supervisors and/or program staff are required to renew their certification every three years and must provide evidence of completion of 30 hours of professional development (defined as one unit of continuing education) for renewal.

• Additional information

  In addition to the requirement that all certified staff must complete 30 hours of professional development in a three-year period for renewal of certification, there is a requirement for centre licensing that all other staff (non-certified) complete the same requirement (30 hours of professional development) in order that a centre is able to renew its license.

• Contact information

  Child Care Facilities Board
  Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
  3 Brighton road P.O. Box 2000
  Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 7N8
  Telephone: (902) 368-6513
  Fax: (902) 569-7532