With pedagogical staff, I am now able to take one hour per week to plan learning experiences for the children in my class. I am able to use this person to help me clean and sanitize toys and equipment we use. I am able to refresh the classroom with new materials, and accommodate important materials needed to align with AQI. I am able to document and update parents on their children. I am able to manage portfolios for 10 children. I am able to fill out paperwork for Kindergarten and required by specialists for children. I am not as burnt out as I would be if I had to do this myself. I have the option to ask for help

Since the pedagogical position has started, it has been the backbone of staff planning, support and well being of my classroom. To loose this support would be devastating, not just for us as staff, but also for the children. They will also suffer. Staff will not be able to plan as effectively if their hours are reduced. We will not be able to have time to prepare materials, teachers will be burnt out due to the lack of support. To cut this position to even half is a step in the wrong direction; and one that will not be taken lightly. It will have ripple effects through out the centre. Families will feel it, children and staff. This is the wrong decision.

I work at a double sized centre and having 2 ped leaders is crucial for our day to day lives. We have double the staff, double the children and double the families to support and our ped leaders allow us to support them to our full abilities. Furthermore, with the new AQI format, we have even more questions that need answering and even more support to assure that our centre meets regulation requirements. Having 2 people in support positions also allows us to have varying answers to the questions we have. They each offer different perspectives and experiences which offer us a more well rounded answer. Cutting the position/ hours will be detrimental to our centre and the care we are able to provide to the families we serve.

In my 25 years as an Early Childhood Educator, I have seen firsthand how much this role has strengthened our work. Pedagogical Support staff give educators the time and space to plan, document, and be fully present with children, without feeling stretched beyond capacity. That support directly impacts the quality of care children receive, and it plays a major role in keeping educators in the sector.

Since its introduction in 2022, the Pedagogical Support position has been essential in making progress across PEI’s Early Learning and Child Care sector. It directly responded to what our sector (the Early Learning and Child Care workforce) told us in 2021 through “This is Your Workforce” consultations, where an extra set of hands above ratio was the #1 priority!

Some children just need a little more time, to get dressed, to settle in, or to work through big emotions like missing their parents. Those are the moments that matter most, and they can’t be rushed. Pedagogical Support staff make that possible; they can step in with the group, or support one child, so no one gets left behind. Without that role, educators are responsible for everyone at once, and those moments become harder to give. That time and care is what helps children grow, and it’s why full funding matters.