Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre
Inspiring & Promoting Excellence in Child Care & Early Learning
Workshops & Training
Professional Development for Certified Early Childhood Educators
Westcoast courses and workshops support the implementation of the BC Early Learning Framework, Schedule G of the BC Child Care Licensing Regulation and the Early Childhood Educators of BC Code of Ethics.
Registration for courses and workshops will be available here. For Child Care First Aid courses, register through The Vital Link.
Westcoast is a member of The Hub for BC Early Years Professionals. 
Check out training with our Partners at ECEBC
Featured Workshop
Join us for the first session in the 'Alarm' series which will be facilitated by Michele Maurer, a parent of two young adults, married for 25 years, and working with children, youth and families for 30+ years in the counselling field. Michele works in private practice as a parent consultant and couples’ therapist, and as a member of faculty with the Neufeld Institute. Michele is a regular presenter and facilitator of workshops about attachment, child development, emotion, and play.
In the first session, An Introduction to Understanding 'Alarm' in Children, Michele will introduces the series' core framework: the alarm system as the common root behind many seemingly unrelated behaviours and symptoms. It explains how alarm is often triggered by separation (through the lens of attachment) and why feeling-and-linking alarm is essential for healthy resolution (caution, sadness/adaptation, and courage). Insights are relevant to people of all ages.
Important Links:
Before registering view the links below to find important information on workshop policies, FAQs and workshop basics.
Upcoming Workshops
Sign in or create a WCCRC account to register for our courses, workshops, access your certificates and receipts.
An Introduction to Understanding 'Alarm' in Children (4810-8100)
Michele Maurer
Online Wednesday, September 16, 2026, from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Online
*Although participants are not required to register for all four sessions, the series is designed for and most beneficial when taken as a whole.
This Alarm series offers a reassuring way to understand common behaviours in young children—worry, restlessness, impulsivity, and even risk-taking—as signs that a child’s alarm system has been activated, often by everyday experiences of separation. Participants will learn why some children look “fine” on the outside while carrying a lot of alarm on the inside, and how helping them feel safe enough to access their feelings is what truly settles the system.
Responsible Adult In Child Care Settings Course (4815-8100)
Vesna Krcmar
Online Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026 from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm (Tech session)
and 10 online sessions on Thursdays, Sep 17, 24; Oct 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; Nov 5, 12 &19, 2026 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Online
This course was developed by Westcoast to meet the requirements for 20 hours Responsible Adult training as stipulated by the Child Care Regulation. Through online workshops, it covers concepts about child development from birth to 12 years of age, child guidance, health, safety and nutrition and programming. This is a basic course meant for people starting their career in child care.
View Workshop DetailsIf Media Can Do It, So Can We: Imaginative Education in a Screen-Saturated World (4810-8100)
Dr. Kym Stewart
Online Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Location: Online
Media has proven remarkably effective at capturing children's attention — but that same capacity for engagement can be channeled into a curriculum that is richer, more meaningful and longer lasting. This workshop explores the roles of the body (somatic understanding) and language (mythic understanding) in how children learn and make meaning, and why this deeply human approach to teaching matters more than ever in a media-saturated world.
Sign Language: Introduction to My Smart Hands® Level 1 (4810-8100)
Rosie Paulyk
Online Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Location: Online
In the Introduction My Smart Hands® Level 1 sign language workshop, you will learn over 20 signs to use with the children in your care. Further, in our language-rich and playful environment (yes, brew the coffee, because we’ll have a good time together!), you’ll build your American Sign Language (ASL) pedagogy and communication through guided and self-directed instruction, interactive games, and songs. We will also explore techniques for successfully integrating signs into everyday life.
Administration and Management for Child Care: Self-Guided Course (4825-8011)
N/A
Access to the course material will be given to registrants on the business day after the 1st and 15th of each month.
Location: Online
This self-guided Administration & Management for Child Care course provides an overview of various aspects of leadership, management, and administration in child care. It’s ideal for experienced leaders who are looking to improve or expand on their program’s operations, as well as educators looking to become child care leaders in BC.
View Workshop DetailsAdministration & Management for Child Care Course
The online Administration & Management for Child Care (AMCC) course provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects of leadership development.
Our 40-hour Instructor-Guided online course is delivered and guided by expert instructors with years of experience in child care and has been specially designed to support and strengthen innovative practices in leadership.
We also offer a 12-hour Self-Guided version with unlimited spaces available. You can study any time and at your own pace. Learn more about both courses and how to register on our AMCC page.
To support the course, we have also created the AMCC Knowledge Base, a comprehensive online information database for ECE leaders with detailed guidance on all areas of child care leadership.
Questions about the courses? Email us at AMCC@westcoastfamily.org.
Customized Professional Development Services
Workshops & Training Created Specifically For Your Organisation
In addition to our regular workshops and courses, Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre offers professional development training and workshops customized to your particular requirements on a wide range of topics for:
- Parents
- Early Learning and Child Care Professionals
- Others working with young children and their families
Fill out the Customized Pro-D Inquiry Form and we will get back to you about whether we can meet your specific requirements at this time and give you a quote. After, you can decide if you like to move forward with planning your training event.
Fees for online customized professional development are inclusive of facilitator fee, hosting, registration, certificates, technical support, secure Zoom access for online training, and additional learning resources, if applicable.
Are you a facilitator offering training in Early Learning and Child Care?
We welcome proposals to deliver professional development training on a wide range of topics related to early childhood education and care, for people working with children from 0-12 years of age, including:
- Early Learning and Child Care Professionals
- School Age Child Care Workers
- Others working with young children and their families
To submit your proposal, fill out the facilitator workshop proposal form below, or contact Natasa Guzina at natasa.guzina@westcoastfamily.org if you have any questions.
In a Typical Year WCCRC
provides 1450 ECD Educators
professional development through exemplery & creative workshops
offers 24 workshops
on Choosing Child Care for new parents in the community
carries nearly 12000 items
in the Westcoast Library to lend to those caring for young children