WHY ADVOCACY MATTERS: SPEAKING UP FOR THE EARLY YEARS SECTOR IN ONTARIO
When you hear the word advocacy, what comes to mind? For many educators, the first images are protests, storming Queen’s Park, or lobbying government officials. And let’s be honest — that can feel intimidating, even overwhelming.
But advocacy doesn’t always start there. Yes, those big actions are powerful and essential. But there are also smaller, everyday ways to begin. Advocacy can look like learning, reflecting, and showing up as your best professional self.
Start with Understanding CWELCC
One of the simplest ways to advocate is by understanding the Canada–Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system.
What even is CWELCC?! We’ve got you covered.
CWELCC has lowered fees and expanded access — but it doesn’t yet include school-age child care, leaving gaps for families.
At Strive, we believe knowledge is power. Being an informed professional means asking questions, seeking answers, and critically reflecting on how policies impact children, families, and our sector. Simply learning about CWELCC and sharing that knowledge with your community is advocacy.
Show Up as Your Best Professional Self
Another form of advocacy is how you show up in your daily work:
Running the strongest program you can
Building authentic interactions with families
Demonstrating professionalism in your practice
Why does this matter? Because professionalism builds trust. It elevates our sector. And it makes the case, through lived example, that early learning and child care deserves recognition and investment.
When you consistently deliver high-quality, relationship-based care, you are showing families, colleagues, and the community what is possible when early learning is valued. You’re not just caring for children—you’re modelling the importance of our profession. Every thoughtful interaction, every intentional choice in your practice, is a quiet but powerful statement: ECEs matter, and the work we do is essential.
This everyday advocacy lays the groundwork for bigger changes. It helps shift public perception, strengthen trust with families, and support the push for fair compensation, policy change, and sustained investment in the sector.
For us at Strive, professional learning (PL) is a key part of this. PL helps increase professionalism, build capacity, and support educators in running the best possible programs for children and families. That is advocacy in action.
Ready for a Bigger Step in Advocacy?
And perhaps you’re thinking, “I am already doing that, I’m ready for more!” Great! That’s the next step.
Now you’re ready to:
Get involved with LCCN’s Advocacy Committee and/or EYA.
Write a letter to your MP or MPP and share your thoughts about what’s working — and what isn’t.
Join provincial advocacy work with groups like the OCBCC and the AECEO.
These actions move advocacy from the day-to-day into the policy arena, where decisions are being made. And the truth is, your voice is needed there too.
Responding to the AECEO/OCBCC Roadmap
The new Roadmap to Universal Child Care in Ontario (Second Edition, 2025) does a wonderful job outlining what the system looked like before CWELCC, and it provides an accurate snapshot of where we are now. The recommended policy interventions are thoughtful, responsive, and very much aligned with what we at Strive believe.
A few reflections stood out for us:
Statement on Quality
YES! This is what we’ve been saying for years: there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to quality. If you look back through Strive’s history, you’ll see our community has been echoing this truth for decades. Quality looks different depending on context, community, and need — and that diversity is what makes early learning strong.
Access and Inclusion
As you know, the Strive team has been deeply engaged in our own DEIB/ARAO journey. We’ve shared professional learning and resources as we’ve gone along.
What we haven’t done (yet!) is talk about advocacy in this space. The Roadmap highlights system-level inequities — barriers that still keep many children and families from truly equitable access.
This leaves us asking:
How does this show up in our own centres or organizations?
What are the next steps for advocacy in access and inclusion?
How do we amplify the advocacy already happening through groups like LCCN and EYA, especially around educator retention and immigration policies?
These are not small questions — but even asking them is a form of advocacy.
The Everyday Advocacy That Matters
So yes, advocacy can be protests and rallies. But it can also be:
Reading a blog post like this one.
Learning more about CWELCC. (like listening to our podcast episode here)
Reading the Roadmap.
Following AECEO, OCBCC, EYA and/or other sector leaders on social media.
Talking to a colleague about what you’ve learned.
Each of these actions builds momentum. Each one helps shape the system. Each one is advocacy.
The Roadmap reminds us that building a truly universal, inclusive, and sustainable child care system in Ontario is possible. But it won’t happen on its own. It will take everyday voices — yours, mine, ours together — to keep pushing forward.
Advocacy matters because it shapes what comes next. And the good news is: if you're reading this you've taken the first step. Now, it's up to you what your next step is.
How are you advocating for the Early Years Sector in Ontario? Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below!