A Surrey-based non-profit is seeing an increase in burnout among early learning and childcare providers.
Options Community Services child care resource and referral program manager Michelle Davies said, "We're seeing a huge rate of compassionate burnout with both parents and child care providers. We're seeing the highest instance that we've ever seen before in challenging behaviours," Davies said.
Options' child care resource and referral program is a third-party contract with the Ministry of Education and Childcare. It helps families in Surrey, Delta and White Rock with several things like finding childcare through referrals, supporting families applying for affordable childcare benefits and supporting professional development for childcare providers.
Davies said they are only starting to see the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the children born during that time.
"We're seeing more behaviours in our family resource programs and parents who are struggling with behaviour," Davies said. "Our child care provider community is tapped. We have such a revolving door right now of even staff because it's hard out there right now."
"We're also seeing a record number of children being asked to leave care because these facilities just don't have the means to provide the care that's needed. Where we're seeing some centers who might have four or five different children who are requiring additional support," she added.
As a part of the professional development arm of the child care resource and referral program, Options hosts an annual early learning and care conference with various workshops and keynote presentations addressing some of the childcare providers' concerns.
"We try to look at what we see the gaps are in our community and the issues that are coming up with the childcare providers in our community and plan professional development accordingly," Davies said.
The 28th annual Children the Heart of the Matter Conference is on Friday (Jan. 31) and Saturday (Feb. 1) at the Bell Performing Arts Centre.
The conference features workshops and keynote presentations by award-winning author Monique Gray Smith and childhood psychologist Vanessa Lapointe PhD.
In-person attendees will be able to attend various workshops on different topics.
Online registration for the in-person portion of the event closed Monday (Jan. 27), but tickets for Friday night can be purchased at the door.
There is still an option to attend the conference virtually, with registration open until Thursday night (Jan 30) at 8 p.m., which costs $20 for the Friday sessions and $40 for the Saturday ones.
The online option only includes two workshops on Saturday: Vanessa Lapointe PhD on the importance of play and Hebah Hussaina on why outdoor risky play is critical in the early years- now more than ever.
