Early Childhood Educator Certification

Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Certification is required if you work with infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-aged children for 65 hours or more per month in a regulated child care centre. All applicants must apply directly to the Ministry of Education for ECE Certification.

You are eligible to apply for ECE Certification if you live in Saskatchewan and have completed coursework that has led to nine credit units of ECE, an ECE certificate or diploma, or have finished an equal combination of education from a recognized post-secondary institution. 

Through the provisions of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), if you are an ECE certified by another Canadian jurisdiction, you may apply for recognition of your ECE certificate at a comparable level in Saskatchewan.

If you live outside of Canada, you can apply for a pre-approval of ECE qualifications if you have received an Invitation to Apply or a Letter of Receipt of Application from the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program or if you have a conditional job offer  from a regulated Saskatchewan child care centre.

Early Childhood Educator Certification Levels

There are three categories of ECE Certification:

• ECE Level I is awarded after completing nine credit units (three courses) that are related to early childhood education, including one course from each of three areas: Child Development, Programming and Relationships or after you have finished nine credit units of ECE from a recognized post-secondary institution.
• ECE Level II is awarded after you have completed a one-year ECE certificate program from a recognized post-secondary institution or after you have finished an equivalent amount of post-secondary coursework.
• ECE Level III is awarded after you have finished a two-year ECE diploma program from a recognized post-secondary institution or after you have finished an equivalent amount of post-secondary coursework.

A minimum of an ECE Level I is required in order to work 65 hours or more per month in a child care centre. An ECE Level III is required for directors of child care centres.

Learn more about ECE Certification by reading the Saskatchewan ECE Certification Guide. This guide includes important information about eligibility, as well as detailed application steps.

To apply for ECE Certification:

• Read the Saskatchewan ECE Certification Guide;

• Complete an application for ECE Certification:
  • Applicants Living in Saskatchewan, or
  • Applicants Living or Certified Out of Province, or
  • Pre-Approval of ECE Qualifications – Applicants Living Internationally
• Submit an application form with a copy of valid proof of identity; and
• Request a copy of official transcripts and/or World Education Services (WES) Course by Course International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP) Report.

Official transcripts must be sent directly from the post-secondary institution(s) to the Ministry of Education. The post-secondary institution(s) that will be submitting transcripts must be listed on the application form. Transcripts are requested by the applicant and are submitted digitally by the post-secondary institution.

All transcripts from institutions identified on the application form must be received before application packages are assessed.

World Education Services Course by Course International Credential Advantage Packages must be sent directly from World Education Services. The reference number provided by WES must be included on the application form.

If you hold a valid ECE Certification in another Canadian province/territory, submit a copy of the original provincial/territory ECE certificate/licensure/registration.

Early Childhood Education Completed Outside of North America

If your transcript(s) is from a post-secondary institution outside of Canada or the United States, you must have a Course-by-Course (ICAP Report) evaluation conducted by World Education Services.

This evaluation verifies the Canadian equivalency of the credits/degrees that have been earned.

In the WES account, the applicant:

• selects the ‘Ministry of Education – Saskatchewan’ as the recipient;
• specifies ‘Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Certification’ to receive a digital copy of the WES ICAP report evaluation; and
• chooses ‘electronic delivery only’ at ececertification@gov.sk.ca.

If you have questions or would like to discuss ECE Certification, we are pleased to assist you by phone or by email.

Phone: 306-787-7467
Email: ececertification@gov.sk.ca

• Apply for Early Childhood Educator Certification – Applicants Living in Saskatchewan
• Apply for Early Childhood Educator Certification – Applicants Living Out of Province – Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
• Apply for Pre-Approval of Early Childhood Educator Qualifications
• Release of Early Childhood Educator Certificate
• Change of Personal Information and Document Request

A child care centre board may apply for an Early Childhood Educator Exemption if they are not able to hire someone who meets the educational requirements to work in the child care centre.

This exemption can be issued to individuals who:

• work 65 hours or more per month in a child care centre while they work towards an ECE Level I certification; or
• are working towards their next level of Early Childhood Educator certification.

An ECE Education Plan must be included with the exemption application. Include start and end dates of the courses that the applicant will be taking within the next 12 months.

Individuals must be continuously enrolled and completed courses until the required certification level is achieved.

Child care centre directors and boards can learn more by reading the Early Childhood Educator Exemption Guide for further information about exemptions and detailed application steps.

Responsibilities of Child Care Centre Boards

Child care centre boards must ensure that all individuals who work 65 hours or more per month at the child care centre have applied to the Ministry of Education for ECE Certification.

Child care centre boards must also make sure that:

• 20% of all early childhood educators hold an ECE Level III;
• 30% of all early childhood educators hold an ECE Level II; and
• the remainder of child care educators employed 65 hours or more per month hold an ECE Level I.

Individuals who work less than 65 hours per month are not required to have ECE certification. However, all child care centre employees should be encouraged to complete coursework to achieve ECE certification.

Responsibilities of Family Child Care Home Providers

Within the first three years of becoming regulated, Family Child Care Home Providers who operate a Family Child Care Home are required to complete an introductory three-credit unit course in:

• Child Development;
• Programming; or
• Relationships.

Within the first three years of becoming regulated, Group Family Child Care Home Providers must complete nine credit units (three courses) that are related to early childhood education, including one from each of the three areas:

• Child Development;
• Programming; and
• Relationships; or
• Nine credit units of ECE from a recognized post-secondary institution.