Submission #2497

Hello,

As parents, we leave our children in the care of early learning centres every single day so we can go to work and provide for our families. We trust that these centres are properly staffed, properly supported, and equipped to care for our children safely, compassionately, and inclusively.

Hearing about cuts to pedagogical support positions in Prince Edward Island is honestly alarming.

These positions are not “extras.” They are the people who help educators manage increasingly complex needs in classrooms, support children who need additional attention, strengthen programming, and ensure educators are not completely overwhelmed. Without these supports, the pressure placed on early childhood educators becomes even greater — and ultimately, our children feel the impact.

Parents are already navigating impossible pressures: rising costs, housing, groceries, and the need for two incomes just to get by. But decisions like this make many of us start asking difficult questions:

Are centres still going to be equipped enough to properly support our children?
Will educators have the time and resources they need to give children the attention they deserve?
At what point do families begin wondering if one parent should quit their job just to ensure their children are getting the support and care they need?

That should never be a question families are forced to ask.

Quality early childhood education is not babysitting — it is the foundation of children’s development, emotional well-being, learning, and future success. The educators caring for our children are already stretched thin, and removing vital supports only weakens a system families rely on every day.

We need to be investing MORE into early years education, not cutting the very supports that help children thrive and educators succeed.

Regards

A deeply concerned working Mother of two.

Courtney.