Press Room

ABC - Ontario Student Advocacy Movement
by Heather Harris

In November 1999, three students in the ECE program at George Brown College – myself and two others – recognized that our peers lacked knowledge about the challenges that face educators, children and families in Ontario. We resolved to raise awareness among our fellow students and to awaken in them a need to join the fight for a child care system that gives all families universal access to affordable, accessible and high quality care.

First, we gained support through regular information sessions, arranging class trips to deputations at City Hall, and organizing a rally at Queen’s Park to mark the broken promise to eradicate child poverty. Offers to speak at other Ontario colleges were soon extended and accepted. In one year, our student organization grew from the original three to over thirty registered members, with chapters in Toronto and Orillia.

Now called ABC — Advocates for Better Childcare — our organization aims to reach ECE students across Ontario through quarterly newsletters, information packages and speaking engagements, informing and motivating others to become active in the child care movement. Future goals include an interactive web site capable of hosting live discussions about current issues, in-person and online forums featuring guest speakers within the child care community, and a focus for child care advocacy campaigns and events within the ECE student community. ABC also is an excellent vehicle for students to broaden their network for sharing strategies, practice and ideas.

Those of us involved in the creation of ABC and it’s growth have reaped many rewards and have faced a number of challenges. Experience in public speaking, working as part of a team, speech and newsletter writing, budget management and event planning are but a few professional skills we gained from participation in ABC. Most importantly, working toward creating positive change, not only for ourselves and others in the ECE field, but also for children and their families, offered us a great sense of satisfaction.

ABC relies on volunteers, which offers some challenges. As ABC expands in Ontario, we hope it will gain enough momentum and support from college faculty and administration to continue as members graduate and move into the workforce. In addition, we are seeking funding for ABC initiatives from a variety of sources. Success will allow a higher volume of information to be shared across the province.

It is crucial for all those who study the care of children to become involved in some level of advocacy. And it’s easy to get started! Set up a bulletin board at your local college to post current issues in child care. Join an advocacy organization in order to receive up to date information on the challenges facing educators and families in the province. Simplest of all, just by sharing the needs, challenges and goals of the child care field with others who are less aware, you are advocating on behalf of all early childhood students, educators, children and families!

Heather Harris is a recent graduate of the ECE program at George Brown College and the recipient of the Elisabeth VanStam Award for Advocacy in Early Childhood Education. She is pursuing her Masters in Education in Early Childhood Development and Applied Psychology at the Ontario Institute for the Study of Education, University of Toronto. For more information about ABC, email abc4ece@hotmail.com.