Please note: the AECEA office will be closed from December 25, 2024-January 5, 2025. Expect a delay in processing questions and memberships. Happy holidays!
Release time funding is available to all early childhood educators who are eligible for professional development funding through Children and Family Services. This funding allows early childhood educators to be paid while studying, completing post-secondary coursework and/or attending workshops that have been approved for professional development funding. Upon completion of the training, early childhood educators are eligible for release time funding regardless of when training occurs, such as outside of regular working hours. Release time funding is a taxable benefit.
Eligibility
This grant is for ECEs who are paid employees of licensed child care programs or family day home program educators working under licensed family day home agencies who:
- are eligible for the professional development grant, and
- paid for or enrolled in a post-secondary course, workshop or conference that is approved for professional development funding.
To receive the paid release time grant, you need to fill out the relevant section in the Professional Development Funding Request form. In order to complete the form, you must download and edit it in an external application (it will not open in the web browser version of Adobe).
Funding rates
| Professional development type | Payment to Early Childhood Educator | Payment to program to offset wage related expenses |
|---|---|---|
| Post secondary courses | $800 per 3-credit course (up to $1,600 per fiscal year) | $60 per course |
| Workshops and conferences | $17.50 per hour (up to 45 hours per year) | $1.33 per hour (up to 45 hours) |