Increasing Equity in Centre-Based Early Childhood Education and Care summarizes key learning from Compass’ 2025-2026 work to address barriers that inhibit equity-deserving people from engaging in full and meaningful labour market participation in Early Childhood Education and Care.
We have created two documents:
In the first, you will find a high-level infographic summary of the learning. The second document is the full detailed report. All documents can be downloaded for purposes of translating and accessibility.
Information about the history of the project and Women and Gender Equality Canada can be found below as well.
Who can I contact with other curiosities I have about the project?
You can reach the project coordinators by e-mail
The Equity Project (funded by Woman And Gender Equality Canada) is a scale up from the previous Home Child Care WAGE project. Compass Early Learning and Care (CELC) will work to address barriers that inhibit equity-deserving people from engaging in full and meaningful labour market participation as Early Childhood Educators (ECEs).
How is equity-deserving defined?
To us, equity-deserving means people who, due to systemic/historic discrimination and under-representation, face barriers that prevent them from having the same access to resources and opportunities. This includes newcomer and low-income women, and 2SLGBTQI+, gender non-conforming, racialized – Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour, those with disabilities, and other barriers that we haven’t defined.
How were participants compensated for their time?
Honoraria were paid to participants for completing interviews with the evaluator and for their participation in focus groups with the project coordinators and evaluator.
Each participant received $25/hour (50 hours/per participant maximum) for each year.
What are some ways the project has engaged with Compass and our communities?
The WAGE project coordinators and third-party consultants and evaluator connected with working groups, some new and some existing partners, and DEI-focused planning committees and organizations located in Durham, Peterborough, CKL, Northumberland and Haliburton.
The goal has been to help build and orient advisory committee members to support equity-deserving centre-based Early Childcare Educators in collaboration with community partners.
In the fall of 2025, the WAGE Team hosted the DEI at the Core conference. On October 7 & 8, 70 participants from across Compass ELC and community stakeholders were engaged in reflective practices and to gain new insights in alignment with the goals of the Compass ELC WAGE project. Participants reflected a strong desire for both personal and professional transformation and to develop strategies for practical application of DEI principles in the childcare context.
Priority was given to equity-deserving educators but others were provided spaces if possible.
