WAGE Project information
What is the WAGE Equity project?
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 systemic/historic discrimination and under-representation, face barriers that prevent them from having the same access to resources and opportunities (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).
What will the project look like?
We will gain insight from 20 staff participants from across Compass ELC centres to address internal barriers to:
- develop hiring and onboarding practices through policies and organizational diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI)
- engage working groups and partners, including municipalities and child care communities, and DEI committees across our regions to gather information about intersectionality
- develop resources to identify barriers to education and employment
- review, assess existing CELC policies, procedures and practices and create new ones that centre equity
- develop sustainability plan to remove barriers and increase stability for ECEs
How are participants compensated for their time?
Honoraria will be paid to participants for completing interviews with the evaluator and for their participation in focus groups with the project coordinators and evaluator.
Each participant will receive $25/hour (50 hours/per participant maximum) for each year.
What are some ways the project will engage with Compass and our communities?
The project coordinators will be engaging working groups, some new and some existing partners and DEI-focused planning committees and organizations located in Durham, Peterborough, CKL, Northumberland and Haliburton.
The project coordinators will help build and orient advisory committee members to support the new scaled community of equity-deserving center-based Early Childcare Educators collaborating with community partners.
Who can I contact with other curiosities I have about the project?
You can reach the project coordinators by e-mail