Early childhood educators will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the social and emotional needs of children with support from the provincial and federal governments.
The Alberta Home Visitation Network Association is using $1.5 million for early childhood educator workshops to enhance educators’ knowledge of the social and emotional needs of children up to 12 years old.
The in-person and virtual workshops will include an introduction to infant and early childhood mental health with a focus on understanding behaviours and self-awareness.
Educators working with children between six and 12 will receive training that addresses helping youth in crisis, and youth mental health supports, a government of Alberta media release said.
“In order to better support children and families across Alberta, we must continue to support a well-educated and highly skilled child-care workforce. This training will help early childhood educators better understand and support the children in their care to set kids up for future success,” Minister of Children’s Services Matt Jones said.
The $1.5-million funding is provided through a one-time investment of $56 million in 2021-22 to support the early childhood workforce.
The government of Alberta has designated $300 million over five years to help childcare operators hire more early childhood educators, and train the educators already working in the system, the release said.
“The Alberta Home Visitation Network Association is excited about the opportunity to equip early childhood educators with new skills and knowledge about early mental health so they can teach children how to manage their stress and emotions and form positive relationships with others,” provincial director of the Alberta Home Visitation Network Association Lavonne Roloff said.
“We are beyond thrilled to be facilitating such timely and important training and coaching to early childhood educators. Mental health concerns in children and youth are on the rise, and the training will expand educators’ current knowledge of child development. Our hope is that as we connect with educators, we will collectively increase the mental well-being of Alberta’s children and youth, so they will thrive as they grow,” project coordinators of the Alberta Home Visitation Network Association Aia Hughes and Carly Villeneuve added.
The provincial and federal governments are also investing $5.2 million to support more than 3,350 early childhood educators to increase their skills with early childhood brain science and development training.
“Early childhood educators are the heart of the early learning and childcare system. By providing the workforce with the training and support they need, we are also helping to ensure children in Alberta get the best possible start in life. I look forward to continuing to work with the Government of Alberta to support families across the province,” federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould said.
The provincial government is also addressing children and youth mental health challenges with the Child and Youth Well-Being Review.
The review examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth and will help provide the provincial government with recommendations on how to support youth.
