Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario (AECEO)

The AECEO welcomes the federal government’s announcement of a 5.4B investment to maintain the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care system over two years. “However, if we want to see CWELCC strengthened and expanded, additional federal and provincial funding that is specific to supporting the workforce is necessary,” said Amber Straker, Executive Director of the AECEO.

The federal government and the Ontario government must sign a new agreement as soon as possible that includes dedicated funding to support the workforce.

Read the full statement on our website!

Join us in the Care Counts, Wages Matter campaign as we continue to advocate for funding that is dedicated to early years professionals.

A message from the AECEO on Indigenous History Month and 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride Month. Full text available at aeceo.ca/june_2026 (link in bio)

✨NEW PODCAST EPISODE ✨

Get to know the Ontario Mentorship Collaborative (OMC) on episode 20 of Circle Time with the AECEO!

In this episode, Rachel welcomes Pam Rennie and Barb Brown from the Ontario Mentorship Collaborative (OMC). Join us to learn more about the work of the OMC and how you get involved. Listen now on YouTube and Spotify! More info available at aeceo.ca/podcast

Huge thanks to Pam and Barb for joining us and sharing about the important working being done at the OMC💛

If you have questions about the Collaborative, or would like to join their mailing list, please email Pam at [email protected].

Important announcement about the AECEO Social Media: Our Communications Coordinator is away from June 12th - 25th. Our social media accounts will not be regularly monitored. Posts shared during this period have been scheduled in advance.

If you need to connect with our team, please email [email protected]

Bittersweet moment for the AECEO team: Rachel officially starts her parental leave next week! We're beyond thrilled for Rachel and her family, but we already miss seeing Rachel every day 🥹

Rachel has contributed to many AECEO projects since joining the team in 2023, including co-authoring the 2nd edition of the Roadmap to Universal Child Care in Ontario (2025), hosting and producing our podcast, Circle Time with the AECEO, and conducting the Listening & Storytelling Community Research. Over the last year, Rachel dedicated most of her time to planning the Members’ Retreat & Advocacy Summit, and leading the creation of our brand new website (coming soon!), all while also making a baby!

We invite you to join us in wishing Rachel and her family all the best in this new chapter by leaving a comment on this post 💛

Stay tuned for an upcoming Circle Time episode featuring both Bre and Rachel!

We are so excited to introduce the most recent addition to the AECEO team: meet our new Membership Outreach & Policy Analyst, Bre Piccolotto! ✨

Bre Piccolotto (they/she) is a Registered Early Childhood Educator with over a decade of experience in the early learning and child care sector, including caring directly for children and families and working in professional learning, post-secondary education, policy research, and advocacy. In their spare time, you'll find Bre tending to their houseplants, caring for her cats, or reading and researching.

The AECEO is thrilled to have them join the team, and we invite you to share a welcome message to Bre in the comments 💛

The AECEO Members' Retreat & Advocacy Summit was ✨fantastic✨ Here's a sneak peek of what we got up to this past weekend ☀️

To our incredible members: thank you for supporting the work of the AECEO, and for making this a weekend we will never forget 💛

To the AECEO CARE Collective Leads: thank you for sharing your time and talents with us, we are constantly inspired by your leadership and your care 🍂

Huge thanks to our amazing Retreat sponsors, and the Community Services Benefits Trust, and to our partners at the for helping us make this event such a success 🥳

Join your professional association today! The AECEO advocates for the respect, recognition, and compensation Ontario ECEs deserve. AECEO membership is the BEST way to build community, fuel advocacy, and ensure ECEs lead the way in our profession. Head over to aeceo.ca/membership to join or renew today!





Here's a first look at the

The Early Years Coalition Waterloo Region (EYCWR) is a Care Collective of the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario (AECEO).

EYCWR is an Educator led learning group that aims to help connect, strengthen and unify the early years workforce in Waterloo Region!

- Meet other educators
- Enjoy refreshments & snacks
- Learn about the EYCRW & AECEO
- Add to your CPL
- Indulge in some self care!

Tuesday June 16th
Waterloo Main Library
35 Albert Street
6:30pm-8:30pm
Reserve Your Spot!

It's time: our team is beyond excited to celebrate 75 years of ECE history with our partners, CARE Collective leads, and members this weekend at the AECEO Members' Retreat and Advocacy Summit!

Please note: From Wednesday, May 27th, until Friday, May 29th, the AECEO team will be away from our desks to prepare for the Members' Retreat and Advocacy Summit. Following the Retreat, the AECEO virtual office will be closed on Monday, June 1st. Emails and social media will not be checked regularly during this time.

Save the Date: The 2026 Annual Members' Meeting will be on Monday, September 28th

The AMM provides our members with the opportunity to review and discuss AECEO activities in the 2025-26 fiscal year, meet nominees for the Board of Directors, review and discuss important motions, and be involved in governance of the organization. Registration for the AMM will be sent to members at a closer date.

Would you like to take on a leadership role in shaping the future for ECEs in Ontario? Serving on the AECEO's Provincial Board of Directors is one important way to do that. The 2026-2027 Board will be determined by membership vote following the 2026 AMM on September 28th.

Stay tuned - The AECEO will soon be inviting nominations for our Provincial Board of Directors. Become a member today to receive more info on how you can help shape the work of YOUR professional association! aeceo.ca/membership