New federal rules worrying for child-care staff shortages: Ontario [Video]

New federal rules would prevent international students who graduate from early childhood education programs from applying for a work permit in Canada — a change that the Ontario government, colleges and advocates warn will kneecap the growth of Ottawa’s signature $10-a-day child-care program.

Under immigration changes announced last month, the postgraduate work permits, which were widely available in the past, will now be restricted to areas that have labour-market shortages in Canada.

Ontario is facing a shortage of early childhood educators, or ECEs, that some child-care operators say is preventing them from operating at full capacity right now and could stop them from opening new spaces in the future.

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Despite that, the only mention of early childhood education in the federal government’s list of categories in which students will continue to qualify for postgrad work permits is “education/teaching of individuals in early childhood special education programs.”

“This federal policy change …