Certification

Certification is the process used to review post-secondary education and equivalent training to better determine an individual's eligibility to work in Alberta's regulated child care system. The Ministry of Children and Family Services issues certification for all three levels of early childhood educators (ECEs) able to work in licensed/approved programs in Alberta.

Parents, as a child’s first teacher, and a child's caregiver play important roles in the development of a child's early growth and development and this partnership between the two is significant. ECEs that have a foundational knowledge of early learning and child care (ELCC) can help to create better outcomes for all children and their families.

AECEA advocates for new certification standards for ECEs that will increase their required ELCC educational level and that they also undertake ongoing professional learning to strengthen their competency in the following areas:

how to care ethically (children, families, other staff & self)
foundational knowledge of how young children learn and develop for an early year's pedagogy based on play
able to support children with diverse abilities
able to work alongside and communicate with families
work with evidence-based curricular resources
communicate within a democratic community
understand how to link research to practice and policy

Are you interested in increasing your certification level? Take a look at the ELCC post-secondary options in Alberta here.

Certification Office

Transcripts can be sent to:

Child Care Staff Certification Office
Alberta Children and Family Services
Sterling Place, 9940 106 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2N2

Please do not send your transcripts to the AECEA office.

Certification Office – Children and Family Services
Toll free: 1-800-661-9754
Fax: 780-427-1258
Email: cs.staffcertification@gov.ab.ca

Please note, AECEA is not involved in the certification of early childhood educators. Please contact the Alberta Child Care Staff Certification Office if you have questions related to certification.

Certification FAQ

What are the certification levels?

There are three certification levels in Alberta:

Level 1 Early Childhood Educator
Level 2 Early Childhood Educator
Level 3 Early Childhood Educator

Do I need to be certified to work in child care?

If you are looking to work in a licensed day care program, out-of-school care program, or pre-school program you need to be certified. Child care staff must be certified within 6 months of employment and must not have unsupervised access to children until certified.

Once you apply, your application will be reviewed to determine if you are eligible for one of the 3 levels of child care staff certification:

Level 1 Early Childhood Educator
Level 2 Early Childhood Educator
Level 3 Early Childhood Educator

For more information, see the Child Care Staff Certification Guide

*Children's Services website - April 25, 2022 (Child Care Staff Certification Guide (April 25, 2022))

*AECEA makes every effort to ensure this information is up to date. Please consult original documentation/website to confirm accuracy*

What are the language proficiency requirements for Level 2 & 3 Certification?

An approved language proficiency assessment is required for certification as a Level 2 or 3 Early Childhood Educator unless an individual’s education was completed in a country where English or French is the primary language of instruction throughout all levels of schooling.

The countries below have been identified as providing instruction in English throughout all levels of schooling

If the education was completed in a country not listed below, a language proficiency assessment is required.

Australia	Bahamas
Barbados	Belize
British Virgin Islands	Canada
Cayman Islands	Dominica
Gibraltar	Grenada
Guyana	Ireland
Jamaica	New Zealand
St. Kitts and Nevis	St. Lucia
Trinidad and Tobago	United Kingdom
United States of America

Language proficiency assessments accepted for certification:

CELPIP General (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program).

Level 7 must be achieved in all areas (reading, writing, listening, speaking)
Website: www.celpip.ca
Toll free phone: 1-800-958-5186

IELTS General (International English Language Testing System)

A score of 6 must be achieved in all areas (reading, writing, listening, speaking) .
Website: www.ielts.org

What are the recognized educational equivalencies for certification?

Level 1 Early Childhood Educator	Level 2 Early Childhood Educator	Level 3 Early Childhood Educator
45-hour (3 credit) college-level course in early learning and child care	Early Learning and Child Care certificate	Early Learning and Child Care diploma
Child Care Orientation Course (Alberta government sponsored course)	Disability Studies diploma	Alberta Teaching Certificate
CCS 3110-3150 offered though Career and Technology Studies at Alberta high schools	Educational Assistant diploma	Bachelor of Child Studies Degree
The Step Ahead Family Day Home Training or Family Child Care Training Program	Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology - family ecology major	Bachelor of Education: 4-year degree or 2-year after degree
	Bachelor of Kinesiology (B.Kin.) or Kinesiology diploma	Child and Youth Care diploma or degree
	Community Rehabilitation degree or Rehabilitation Assistant diploma	Bachelor of Social Work degree
	Therapeutic Recreation diploma or degree
	Social Work diploma

Individuals who have completed some related coursework but have not received an educational credential may be assessed against the content and hours from Alberta early learning and child care certificate and diploma programs.

*Children's Services website - April 25, 2022 (Child Care Staff Certification Guide (April 2022))

What are the requirements to obtain each certification level?

Level 1 Early Childhood Educator

You will be eligible to receive Level 1 Early Childhood Educator certification upon completion of one of the following:

a 45-hour (3 credit) post-secondary course related to child development
- Acceptable 3-credit post-secondary courses related to child development include:
  - Introduction to early learning and child care
  - Learning through play
  - Educational psychology
the Child Care Orientation Course
CCS 3110, 3120, 3130, 3140, and 3150 offered through Career and Technology Studies at Alberta high schools
the Step Ahead Family Day Home Training or Family Child Care Training Program through an approved Alberta Family Day Home Agency registered with the Alberta Family Child Care Association.

Level 2 Early Childhood Educator

You will be eligible to receive Level 2 Early Childhood Educator certification upon completion of either:

a 1-year early learning and child care certificate program offered by an Alberta college or university; or
an approved educational equivalency

Approved educational equivalencies recognized for Level 2 Early Childhood Educator certification:

Disability Studies: 2-year diploma
Educational Assistant: 2-year diploma
Bachelor of Science in human ecology: 4-year degree with a major in family ecology
Kinesiology: 4-year Bachelor degree (B.Kin.) or 2-year Kinesiology diploma
Community Rehabilitation: 4-year degree or Rehabilitation Assistant 2- year diploma
Therapeutic Recreation: 2-year diploma or 4-year degree
Social Work: 2-year diploma

Level 3 Early Childhood Educator

You will be eligible to receive Level 3 Early Childhood Educator certification upon completion of either:

a 2-year early learning and child care diploma program offered by an Alberta college or university; or
an approved educational equivalency

Approved educational equivalencies recognized for Level 3 Early Childhood Educator certification:

Alberta Teaching Certificate
Bachelor of Child Studies: 4-year degree
Bachelor of Education: 4-year degree or 2-year after degree
Child and Youth care: 4-year degree or 2-year diploma
Bachelor of Social Work: 4-year degree

A Coursework Equivalency is available for individuals who have completed related coursework but have not received an educational credential. Courses are assessed against the content and hours from Alberta ELCC certificate and diploma programs for Level 1 and 2 Early Childhood Educator certification.

*Children's Services website - April 25, 2022 (Child Care Staff Certification Guide (April 2022))

What if I have certification in another province?

Early childhood professionals certified in another province are eligible for certification in Alberta without another formal assessment of the person’s educational credentials.

Alberta	Level 1 ECE	Level 2 ECE	Level 3 ECE
British Columbia	Early Childhood Educator Assistant	Early Childhood Educator	Early Childhood Educator with Special Needs or Infant/Toddler
Manitoba	None	None	Early Childhood Educator II or III
Newfoundland/Labrador	None	Level 1	Level 2, 3, or 4
Nova Scotia	Entry Level or Level 1	None	Level 2, 3, or School Age Approval
Ontario	None	None	Early Childhood Educator
Prince Edward Island	None	Early Childhood Program Staff	Early Childhood Supervisor
Saskatchewan	Early Childhood Educator I	Early Childhood Educator II	Early Childhood Educator III
Yukon Territory	Child Care Worker 1 or 1a	Child Care Worker 2 or 2a	Child Care Worker 3

To apply for Alberta certification under this equivalency, submit the following:

A completed Application for Child Care Staff Certification
A copy of personal identification that includes your birth date and signature
Your original provincial certificate (B.C. and Ontario applicants may provide copies)

*Children's Services website - February 10, 2021 (Child Care Staff Certification Guide (February 2021))

What if my education is from outside of Canada?

Education that has been completed outside of Canada may be recognized for certification; however, additional documents may be required. Before you apply, read the Certification Guide for Early Childhood Educators to make sure you are eligible and understand all the steps. The guide includes information about the educational and language proficiency requirements. Once you have read the guide, apply online using a computer, tablet or mobile phone through the Early Childhood Educator Certification Application.

If you are eligible for Level 2 or 3 certification, you must arrange for your official transcripts to be sent directly from your educational institution to the Alberta Child Care Staff Certification Office. You may send a copy of the transcript to be temporarily certified as a Level 1 Early Childhood Educator, if eligible. The certification level will be changed once the official transcripts have been received directly from the institution and have been assessed as meeting the educational training requirements for Level 2 or Level 3 certification. If your education was completed outside of Canada, refer to the Certification Guide for Early Childhood Educators to determine if you require a language proficiency assessment or other additional documents. If you need help or have questions about using the Early Childhood Educator Certification online application, call the Alberta Child Care Staff Certification Office at 1-800-661-9754. *Children's Services website - April 25, 2022 (Child Care Staff Certification Guide (April 2022))