Ontario child-care centres increasingly rely on underqualified staff as RECE shortage deepens
Director approvals allowing non-RECE staff have surged from 159 in 2020-21 to 1,997 in 2024-25, raising concerns about supervision, quality and long-term impacts on children.
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By Torontoer Staff
Ontario’s licensed child-care centres are increasingly using director approvals, temporary exemptions that let non-Registered Early Childhood Educators fill roles that normally require certification. A new analysis by Building Blocks for Child Care, based on freedom of information data, found director approvals rose from 159 in 2020-2021 to 1,997 in 2024-2025, a 1,156 per cent increase.
Researchers and sector leaders warn the shift could strain existing staff, reshape hiring norms and affect children’s learning and well-being as the province expands care under the federal-provincial agreement.
What the numbers show
Director approvals allow individuals without an Early Childhood Education diploma or other College of Early Childhood Educators‑recognised credentials to work in registered child-care centres, including supervisory roles. Building Blocks for Child Care says the approvals were intended as short-term responses to local staffing gaps, but the data show rising use across program and supervisory positions.
Between 2022 and 2025, the number of non-RECE supervisors increased by 151 per cent in Ontario. By comparison, the number of formally registered supervisors rose by 118 per cent. When the province signed the federal childcare agreement in 2022, 59 per cent of full-time staff were RECEs. That share has fallen to 56 per cent, moving further from the province’s 60 per cent target.
I think it’s alarming. How is this a sustainable way forward? It doesn’t seem like there’s any plans to address it.
Asvini Uthayakumaran, policy researcher, Building Blocks for Child Care
An increase of over 1,000 per cent in the use of Director Approvals is definitely extreme.
Susan Colley, chair, Building Blocks for Child Care
Regional differences and hotspots
Use of director approvals varies sharply by region. The East Region had the highest proportion, with approvals used in 84 per cent of centres. Ottawa and Prescott and Russell saw increases of more than 100 per cent, which researchers link to multiple ministry exemptions. York Region reports approvals in 74 per cent of centres. Toronto and Peel report lower rates, at about 25 per cent and 21 per cent respectively.
Northern and rural communities show especially high reliance on director approvals. Experts say those areas face additional recruitment challenges and need targeted strategies to attract and retain qualified educators.
The fact that director approvals and staffing shortages are even more acute in northern and remote regions underscores the need for targeted workforce strategies to attract and retain qualified educators where they are needed most.
Emis Akbari, professor, George Brown Polytechnic
Why experts say this matters
Early childhood specialists argue that consistent, qualified staffing supports relationship building and child development. High turnover and increased use of unqualified staff can reduce program continuity, place extra burden on registered educators and make it harder to meet professional standards enforced by the College of Early Childhood Educators.
Strong, warm and nurturing relationships are key in supporting young children and there’s no way those can be formed when staff turnover is high. The longer-term impacts on children’s development and well-being are significant.
Michal Perlman, professor of early childhood education, University of Toronto
Without action, these staffing patterns risk becoming permanent rather than temporary fixes.
Kerry McCuaig, senior fellow, Atkinson Centre
Government response and sector pressures
The Ministry of Education defends director approvals as necessary flexibility to keep programs operating. The ministry says approved staff must meet certain requirements and may bring backgrounds in teaching, social work or Montessori training, or be working toward an ECE diploma.
The province has also raised starting wages for RECEs, to $25.86 an hour as of 2026, a measure intended to help recruitment and retention. The auditor general estimated Ontario needs up to 10,000 additional RECEs to meet expansion targets by 2026.
Practical steps for parents and providers
Parents and centre operators can use available information to assess staffing and advocate for stability. Building Blocks for Child Care suggests using data and local advocacy to press for workforce supports and transparent hiring practices.
- Ask your centre whether staff are RECEs or working under director approval and what supervision is in place.
- Request information on staff turnover and continuity in your child’s room.
- Push for local recruitment incentives, training supports and wage investments from municipal and provincial representatives.
Advocacy groups say public pressure can prompt policy responses, and that clearer timelines and targeted recruitment strategies are needed to prevent temporary exemptions from becoming long-term staffing norms.
What to watch next
Watch for changes to provincial hiring rules, new funding for recruitment or training initiatives, and updated reporting on the share of staff who are RECEs. Stakeholders will also monitor whether director approvals decline as wage and recruitment measures take effect.
The rapid increase in director approvals has shifted the conversation about how Ontario balances access, quality and workforce stability in its expanding child-care system. Experts say prompt, targeted action will be needed to restore staffing levels that meet professional standards and support children's development.
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