About Us
CELC
The purpose of the Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care is to build on existing capacities and provide leadership in managing, planning, and supporting the development of a system of high-quality early learning and care services in Edmonton, with an emphasis on meeting the needs of low-income and vulnerable families.
Mission
To engage and collaborate with diverse stakeholders to build an integrated system of early learning and care that is publicly managed and supported by public funding, has an appropriately educated and well-supported workforce, ensures a continuum of support for young children and their families, and contributes to strong and equitable communities.
Vision
Early learning and care for all children that is high in quality, universally available, accessible, affordable, inclusive, and responsive to the diversity of individual children and their families.
Guiding Principles
Uphold Human Rights: The developing, integrated early learning and care system must uphold and reflect human rights principles.
Engage Indigenous Leadership: Indigenous perspectives and self-determination are essential in shaping all aspects of system design and delivery.
Embrace Cultural Diversity: Families and individuals from diverse cultures must be engaged in decision-making, planning, and service roles.
Reach Those Not Being Reached: Identify and support families who may be in need, but are not currently accessing services.
Access to Inclusive Support: Supports for early childhood educators and children must be universally available, easily accessible, and adaptable to diversity of children in community.
Build on Evidence and Quality: Policies and practices should be research-informed and focus on consistent, high-quality outcomes for children, families and services.
Focus on Reducing Poverty: Ending childhood poverty requires eliminating family poverty through sustained, systemic change.
Terms of Reference
Find out everything you always wanted to know about the Council for Early Learning and Care in our Terms of Reference. The document includes detailed information on our:
Communications Commitment
Terms and Conditions
Meetings
Decision-Making Process
Dispute Resolution
Confidentiality and Ethical Conduct
No “Legal” Partnership
Background (Appendix A)
Purpose
Vision
Mission
Guiding Principles
Functions
Membership
Roles and Responsibilities
Principles for Working Together
Measures of Success
Council Members
The Council for Early Learning and Care comprises institutional and community partners, each bringing their unique perspective, resources, skills and expertise toward developing an integrated system of early learning and care.
Institutional partners represent municipal and provincial government, associated agencies, contracted organizations, elected boards, and publicly governed services that have legislative and/or regulatory responsibilities for functions that are relevant for managing and planning early learning and care.
Community partners represent organizations that have expertise in areas related to managing and planning early learning and care.
Click on the link to view our current Council.
Outcomes and Actions for 2023 and Beyond
To achieve the objective of having a system of effective planning and management for early learning and care, the CELC developed outcomes and actions to guide the Council’s work to promote and advance high-quality, affordable, accessible, and inclusive early learning and care that meets the needs of vulnerable children and their families.
Click on the link to view or download ECELC Work Plan 2022/2023
Our History
The first official meeting of the Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care (ECELC) was held on March 7, 2019, but the Council’s genesis story begins a few years earlier. In 2014, Edmonton’s mayor, Don Iveson, created the Mayor’s Task Force for the Elimination of Poverty in Edmonton. The Task Force evolved into a city-wide initiative, EndPovertyEdmonton, with the goal of ending poverty in the city within a generation. EndPovertyEdmonton identified six “game changers” critical for eliminating poverty: racism; livable incomes; affordable housing; accessible and affordable transit; mental health and addictions; and high-quality affordable child care. Since it’s inception, ECELC has provided game-changer action for high-quality affordable child care.
With changes to the mandate and funding of EndPovertyEdmonton in 2024, ECELC found a new home backboned by Kids Included, and continues to work toward high-quality, inclusive child care for all Edmontonians. As of October 2025, the Council is now known as the Council for Early Learning and Care (CELC), this change reflects the true regionality of the work being undertaken and it’s impact on the wider Edmonton region, Alberta and Canada approaches to ELC.