Ask An ECE

How many of you work with a man in the child care field or have a male child care provider at your child's centre? How do you feel about men in the child care field?

I took my Early Childhood Education Diploma both through Seneca College and Loyalist College. Out of all the courses I took to get my diploma, I had only one male in any of my classes. This student was fantastic. He had a real love for children, a willingness to learn, his projects were fantastic and creative. He would have been great addition to any daycare centre.

I find science one of the hardest subjects to program for when it comes to childcare. More so now with toddlers, preschoolers and school-age all sharing a room at one time or another. My daughter's daycare provider sent me a link to Science Kit and Boreal Laboratories website and told me about some of their items that might be suitable for daycare.

I have worked in child care for over 6 years. I have a college diploma in Early Childhood Education and a university degree in History/Child Psychology. I have the education and experience, yet I never saw it coming. All these years, I never fully appreciated the stress parents were under when they came for a tour of my centre. I never realized just how hard it was to pick the perfect daycare for a child. That was, until I became a parent myself. In April 2007, I came to the realization that my maternity leave was quickly coming to an end and I would have to return to work.