Phase 2 Bursary Fund Final Report: Strengthening Relationships, Supporting Professional Growth

Phase 2 Bursary Fund Final Report

Strengthening Relationships, Supporting Professional Growth

The ECE Professional Development Bursary Fund Report Phase 2 showcases the profound impact of financial support for early childhood professionals in British Columbia. The Bursary Fund Program, an initiative supported by the Ministry of Education and Child Care, the Government of Canada, and Westcoast Family Centres Society, aims to support recruitment and retention in the early years sector by reducing financial barriers to high-quality professional development.

From 2022 to 2024, the Bursary Fund Program financially supported 10,831 early childhood professionals, including those from rural, remote, and Indigenous communities, to participate in professional development. Through collaborative planning with Bursary applicants and agencies, the Fund fostered professional relationships and enriched the identities, perspectives, and practices of early childhood educators throughout B.C.

As one Bursary recipient shared: "I feel valued. I do not have to sacrifice my well-being and livelihood to build on my practice. Often, as ECEs, we have to sacrifice parts of ourselves."

This sentiment reflects the Bursary Fund’s overarching impact: providing early childhood professionals with access to meaningful learning experiences while affirming their essential contributions to children, families, and communities. The Bursary Fund not only reduces barriers to on-going professional development but also communicates a powerful message that early childhood professionals matter.

View the report here: