Ontario’s early learning and child care system is facing a structural workforce crisis, one that is increasingly being managed through the expanding use of Director Approvals (DAs). These approvals, which allow individuals who are not Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) to step into roles that typically require formal qualifications, were originally intended to be short-term exceptions. Today, they have become a routine staffing tool across the province.
Recent data obtained by B2C2 through a Freedom of Information request shows a clear and alarming shift: DAs are no longer being used to fill occasional gaps. Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the total number of child care centres with DAs grew by 1,156%, with projections showing continued growth through 2025-26. The rise in DAs has outpaced the development of the RECE workforce, indicating that Ontario’s early learning and child care system is becoming increasingly reliant on non-qualified staff to maintain basic licensing compliance. This growing reliance points to a sector unable to recruit and retain enough RECEs to meet even existing demand, let alone the expansion targets set under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreement.
Leadership Roles Increasingly Filled by Non-Qualified Staff
One of the most concerning trends is the rise in DAs used to staff supervisory roles. Centre supervisors play a critical role in ensuring quality, compliance, and staff support—yet a growing share of these positions are now filled by individuals who are not RECEs. By 2024-25, 21% of supervisors held a DA rather than an RECE qualification. The same trend is impacting program staff positions across the province. Among program staff, the share of non-RECEs rose from 2.5% in 2022 to 8% in 2024.
Uneven Regional Pressure but a Province-Wide Problem
While every region in Ontario is now relying on DAs, the extent varies widely. Some urban and bilingual regions depend on them heavily, while rural and northern communities—already struggling to recruit and retain qualified educators—show disproportionately high use as well. Despite these variations, the underlying issue is universal: without a stable, qualified workforce, programs are left dependent on temporary measures just to keep rooms open.
An Accountability Gap With Real Consequences
Individuals working under DAs are not regulated by the College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE). That means they are not held to the same professional standards, ethical requirements, or continuous learning obligations as RECEs. The result is a two-tier workforce model where some staff are accountable to a regulatory body—and others are not—despite performing similar roles. This gap poses serious risks to program quality, child safety, and the integrity of the profession.
A Path Forward: Investing in the Workforce Ontario Needs
The findings are clear: the child care system is being sustained through emergency measures instead of long-term solutions. To rebuild a stable and fully qualified workforce, Ontario must act on several fronts:
- Strengthen Wages and Retention
Establish a province-wide pay equity-compliant wage grid that ensures fair and competitive pay for all RECEs across child care settings. - Reduce Reliance on DAs
Implement time limits and renewal restrictions to ensure DAs remain a temporary tool for emergency staffing, not a long-term solution.
Develop funded pathways to help individuals currently working under DAs obtain their ECE credentials. - Close the Accountability Gap
The CECE has identified that individuals working under DAs are not regulated or held accountable to professional standards. This creates a two-tier system where RECEs are governed by ethical and competency requirements, while unqualified individuals are not.
Professional regulation is not a burden; it is a safeguard. Without it, misconduct or unsafe practice can occur unchecked, and unregulated staff can move between centres without oversight or consequences. - Reaffirm the Goal of a Qualified Workforce
Ontario’s early learning and child care system was designed to provide high-quality education and care led by qualified professionals. The growing reliance on unqualified staff through DAs threatens this vision.
By investing in fair compensation, retention supports, professional accountability, and transparent workforce data, Ontario can move beyond crisis management and toward a sustainable, experienced child care system: one that values its educators and ensures every child receives the quality of care they deserve.
Ontario’s early learning and child care system stands at a critical juncture. The growing reliance on Director Approvals is a symptom of deeper structural issues—chief among them the province’s inability to attract and retain the qualified workforce that high-quality child care requires.
By investing in fair compensation, professional accountability, and meaningful training pathways, Ontario can move beyond crisis staffing and build a sustainable child care system that delivers the quality families expect and children deserve.