Indigenous early childhood educators (ECEs) and advocates have been sharing the challenges they face concerning BC’s child care legislation with the BC Aboriginal Child Care Society (BCACCS) for almost two decades.
In March, BCACCS began work on a project to explore the possible legal avenues that First Nations might pursue to resolve these challenges, including the potential for First Nations jurisdiction over early learning and child care.
In May and June 2019, 13 focus groups around the province brought Indigenous ECEs and community members together to gather community-based perspectives. The results from communities will be shared with First Nation leadership tables for discussion and further direction, as well as with communities for continued exchange. The project invites initial conversations on the topic; BCACCS will use the outcomes of this work to continue exploring possibilities with communities and leaders, as well as advocating for BC First Nations’ priorities for early learning and child care. The final report will be shared with communities, First Nations leaders, and with the project funder, the Ministry for Children and Family Development (MCFD).
