When the College of Early Childhood Educators Contacts You
This page is for RECEs working in child care centres, schools, home child care and other settings. Most serious matters start at work. An employer that terminates, suspends or restricts an RECE for professional misconduct must report it to the College within 30 days (Act, s. 49.1). Employers must also report certain criminal charges and conduct they believe the College should review (s. 49.2), and these duties extend to home child care agencies (s. 49.4). Complaints can also come from parents, other members, the Registrar or the Minister (s. 31(1)).
Illustrative example, not an actual College letter
“The College has received a report from your former employer that your employment ended following an incident in which a child was left unsupervised in the playground. A summary of the complaint is enclosed. You may submit a written response to the Complaints Committee within 60 days.”
Who Investigates and Who Decides
- Regulator
- The College of Early Childhood Educators, established under the Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007 (“the Act”). Unlike the health professions, the College has its own complete complaints and discipline process in this Act.
- Rules that apply
- The Act, the professional misconduct regulation, and the College’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice (By-law 39), which RECEs are legally required to follow.
- Who investigates
- College staff for the Complaints Committee. The Registrar can also appoint an investigator on reasonable and probable grounds and report the results to the appropriate committee (ss. 39, 42).
- Who decides at the investigation stage
- The Complaints Committee (s. 31). The Council or Executive Committee decides interim orders (s. 32.2).
- Who holds hearings
- The Discipline Committee (misconduct and incompetence) and the Fitness to Practise Committee (incapacity) (ss. 33–34).
- Who hears appeals
- The Divisional Court (s. 38). The Act does not provide an external review board for Complaints Committee decisions.
Key timelines in the Act
- The Registrar must tell you about the complaint as soon as reasonably possible and give you a copy or summary (s. 31(1.1)).
- The Complaints Committee cannot act until you have had 60 days to respond in writing. It can shorten that period if it believes your conduct exposes or is likely to expose children to harm or injury, or extend it under the regulations (s. 31(3)–(4)).
- The committee must use its best efforts to dispose of a complaint within 120 days, and if it does not, the Registrar must give both sides written notice and an expected date (s. 31.2).
Common Issues in Early Childhood Educator Investigations
Supervision and safety
Children left unsupervised or released to the wrong person, ratio breaches, sleep supervision and playground incidents. Standard III, Safety, Health and Well-Being in the Learning Environment, applies.
Physical and emotional harm
Rough handling, restraint, yelling, shaming or withholding food, and how behaviour was managed. Standard I, Caring and Responsive Relationships, is usually central.
Duty to report
Failing to report suspected child abuse or neglect, or breaching confidentiality. See Standard VI, Confidentiality, Release of Information and Duty to Report.
Boundaries and social media
Babysitting for program families, personal messaging with parents, or posting photos of children. Standard V covers Professional Boundaries, Dual Relationships and Conflicts of Interest.
Criminal charges
Charges involving sexual conduct and minors, or charges that suggest a child may be at risk, must be reported by employers (s. 49.2). Findings of sexual abuse of a child, a prohibited act involving child pornography, or a prescribed sexual act require revocation (s. 33.2).
What Can Happen Next
-
Complaints Committee decision
After reviewing the investigation and your response, the committee may refer the matter to the Discipline Committee or the Fitness to Practise Committee; decide not to refer it; require you to appear to be cautioned or admonished; or take other appropriate action, such as a caution, reminder, advice or admonishment, or a specified continuing education or remediation program (Act, s. 31(5)). You and the complainant receive the written decision, with reasons when the matter is not referred (s. 31(6)–(7)).
With the consent of the College and the RECE, the Registrar can refer a lower-risk complaint to a complaint resolution process. This is not available for allegations of sexual abuse of a child, sexual misconduct, child pornography or a prescribed sexual act (s. 31.1).
-
Interim suspension or restrictions
The Council or Executive Committee can suspend your certificate or impose terms, conditions or limitations if it believes your conduct exposes or is likely to expose a child to harm or injury (Act, s. 32.2(1)). You must normally receive notice and at least 14 days to make written submissions first (s. 32.2(2)).
-
Discipline Committee hearing
If the panel finds professional misconduct or incompetence, it must make one or more orders: revocation, suspension for up to 24 months, terms, conditions or limitations, or a delayed order that will not take effect if conditions are met (Act, s. 33(4)). For misconduct, it may also order a reprimand, admonishment or counselling, a fine of up to $2,000, and costs (s. 33(5)). A disciplinary-stage complaint resolution process is possible with consent, except for the most serious sexual allegations (s. 33.1).
-
Appeal
A party may appeal a Discipline or Fitness to Practise Committee decision to the Divisional Court on questions of law, fact or both (Act, s. 38(1), (4)). An appeal does not stay the decision or order (s. 38(5)).
Your employer will hear about it. The College must give certain employers information about specified decisions and orders (Act, s. 49.3), so a College outcome can affect your employment even after you change jobs.
Checklist: Responding to a College of ECE Complaint
Documents to gather
- The College’s notice and the complaint or summary, with the date you received it
- Your employer’s letters, including any termination, suspension or restriction, and its report to the College, if you have it
- Incident reports, daily logs, attendance and ratio records for the day in question
- Program policies on supervision, behaviour guidance, sleep and release of children
- Messages with parents or co-workers related to the allegations
- Names of co-workers who were present
Details to check in the notice
- Your 60-day response deadline, and whether it has been shortened
- Whether the matter has been referred for an interim order
- Whether complaint resolution is being offered
- Whether a Children’s Aid Society or police investigation is running at the same time
Rules and resources to consult
- Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007, ss. 31–38 and 49.1–49.4
- The professional misconduct regulation under the Act
- The College’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
- Discipline Committee rules of procedure, if referred to a hearing
- Your union, if you have one, to ask what support it provides for College matters
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep working while the College investigates?
Your certificate stays valid unless an interim order is made (s. 32.2). Your employer may make its own decision about your duties while it investigates.
Can the complainant or I appeal a Complaints Committee decision?
The Act provides an appeal to the Divisional Court only from hearing committees (s. 38). It does not create an external review of Complaints Committee decisions.
What is the most the Discipline Committee can fine me?
Up to $2,000, plus costs, for professional misconduct (s. 33(5)). Orders affecting your certificate, such as suspension or revocation, are usually the more serious consequences.
Sources
Statutory references are to the provisions listed below, as consolidated on e-Laws when this page was prepared.
- Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007, S.O. 2007, c. 7, Sched. 8, ss. 31–33.2, 38–39, 42, 49.1–49.4 — Checked on e-Laws November 10, 2026.
- College of Early Childhood Educators, “Code and Standards” — Checked November 10, 2026.
- College of Early Childhood Educators, “Public” — Checked November 10, 2026.