8. CCCF Code of Ethics

This Code of Ethics reflects our commitment to conduct ourselves in accordance with the ethical standards expected in our sector. It’s our roadmap to making sure that early childhood educators, parents, and children across the nation can trust the work undertaken by the CCCF.

The Canadian Child Care Federation and its affiliate organizations recognize their responsibility to promote ethical practices and attitudes on the part of child care practitioners. The following principles, explanations and standards of practice are designed to help child care practitioners monitor their professional practice and guide their decision-making. These ethical principles are based on the Code of Ethics of the Early Childhood Educators of B.C. They have been adapted for use by adults who work with children and families in a variety of child care and related settings. They are intended both to guide practitioners and to protect the children and families with whom they work. Professionalism creates additional ethical obligations to colleagues and to the profession.

Child care practitioners^[1] work with one of society’s most vulnerable groups – young children. The quality of the interactions between young children and the adults who care for them has a significant, enduring impact on children’s lives. The intimacy of the relationship and the potential to do harm call for a commitment on the part of child care practitioners to the highest standards of ethical practice.

Principles of our Code of Ethics:

1. Childcare practitioners enable children to participate to their fullest potential in environments carefully planned to serve individual needs and to facilitate the child’s progress in the social, emotional, physical and cognitive areas of development.
2. Childcare practitioners work in partnerships with parents, recognizing that parents have primary responsibility for the care of their children, valuing their commitment to the children and supporting them in meeting their responsibilities to their children.
3. Childcare practitioners promote the health and wellbeing of all children.
4. Childcare practitioners demonstrate caring for all children in all aspects of their practice.
5. Childcare practitioners work in partnership with colleagues and other service providers in the community to support the wellbeing of children and their families.
6. Childcare practitioners work in ways that enhance human dignity in trusting, caring and cooperative relationships, that respect the worth and uniqueness of the individual.
7. Childcare practitioners pursue, on an ongoing basis, the knowledge, skills and self-awareness needed to be professionally competent.
8. Childcare practitioners demonstrate integrity in all of their professional relationships.

Child care practitioners accept the ethical obligation to understand and work effectively with children in the context of family, culture and community. Child care practitioners care for and educate young children. However, ethical practice extends beyond the child and practitioner relationship. Child care practitioners also support parents as primary caregivers of their children and liaise with other professionals and community resources on behalf of children and families.

Eight ethical principles of practice are presented. These principles are intended to guide child care practitioners in deciding what conduct is most appropriate when they encounter ethical problems in the course of their work. Each principle is followed by an explanation and a list of standards of practice that represent an application of the principle in a child care or related setting.

1. This code uses the term childcare practitioner to refer to adults who work in the field of child care including: early childhood educators; family child care providers; family resource program personnel; resource and referral program personnel; and instructors in early childhood care and education programs in post-secondary institutions.
2. This code uses the term “parent” to refer the parent or legal guardian or the adult who assumes the parental role in the care of the child.

Canadian Child Care Federation. (n.d.). Our code of ethics. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://cccf-fcsge.ca/about-canadian-child-care-federation/values/code-ethics/