How to Become an Early Childhood Educator in Yukon
Become a certified early childhood educator in Yukon: the Level 1, 1a, 2, 2a, and 3 certification levels, the Understanding the Early Years route to Level 1, and the three application pathways.
How to Become an Early Childhood Educator in Alberta
Become a certified early childhood educator in Alberta: the Level 1, 2, and 3 certification levels, the free orientation course route, and the online application.
Applies in: Alberta
The short answer
If you want to work in a licensed daycare, preschool program, as a family day home educator under a licensed agency, or in out-of-school care in Alberta, you must be certified as an early childhood educator (ECE) by Alberta Education and Childcare. Alberta certifies at three levels — Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 — and the level depends on how much early learning and childcare education you have completed. You apply online through the ECE Certification Application, and processing takes about 4 to 6 weeks.
This is Alberta's own scheme. Other provinces use different level names and different routes — Saskatchewan has ECE I, II, and III, Manitoba has Child Care Assistant, ECE II, and ECE III — so do not carry another province's levels into an Alberta application.
The three levels
| Level | Education needed |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | One 45-hour (3-credit) post-secondary early learning and childcare course related to child development; or the Early Childhood Education Orientation Course; or CCS 3110, 3120, 3130, 3140, and 3150 through Career and Technology Studies at Alberta high schools; or approved coursework on diversity or Indigenous learnings |
| Level 2 | A one-year early learning and childcare certificate program from an approved Alberta public college, private career college, or university, or an approved educational equivalency |
| Level 3 | A two-year early learning and childcare diploma program from an approved Alberta public college, private career college, or university, or an approved educational equivalency |
The Certification Guide for Early Childhood Educators lists the approved institutions in its Appendix D and the educational equivalencies in its Appendix C. If your education was completed outside Canada, the guide sets out whether you need a language proficiency assessment or other documents.
The fastest route to Level 1: the orientation course
If you have no post-secondary studies in early learning and childcare, the Early Childhood Education Orientation Course is the direct route to Level 1. It is a non-credit course, available online, funded by the Alberta government and offered at no cost to participants, in English and French. To register you must be at least 16 years of age and a Canadian citizen, a Permanent Resident Card holder, or a Work or Study Visa holder legally residing in Alberta. Registration is capped monthly for the general public, and registrants are prioritized if they are already working, have proof of employment in a licensed childcare program or approved day home, or are currently attending a high school in Alberta. Work permit conditions that state you are not eligible to work in childcare, or a closed work permit in an unrelated field, make you ineligible for the course.
Childcare staff must be certified within 6 months of employment, and must not have unsupervised access to children until they have met the core requirements, including being certified — so start the orientation course as soon as you are hired, not at the six-month mark.
Step-by-step: applying for certification
- Read the Certification Guide to confirm you are eligible and understand the steps and documents needed, including the language proficiency requirements if your education was completed outside Canada.
- Create an Alberta.ca Account — all you need is an email address. The account lets you start an application, stop, and come back to it later.
- Apply online through the ECE Certification Application.
- Send your documents. For Level 1, send copies of your educational transcripts or statement of marks verifying the course you completed. For Levels 2 and 3, arrange for your official transcripts to be sent directly from your educational institution to the Childcare Staff Certification Office when requested.
- Meet the conduct requirements. Fill out and sign the Self-Disclosure Reporting Form and submit it to the Certification Office by mail or email. You must report any current or ongoing investigation, charge, court hearing, trial, or conviction for offences listed in Appendix B of the Certification Guide.
- Wait for the assessment. Processing takes about 4 to 6 weeks. After assessment you receive an email telling you to log in to your ECE portal account to read new communications and, if you qualify, to download your certificate. Once certified, your name and certification information are publicly searchable on the Early Childhood Educator Lookup Tool.
If you gain a new approved credential, or complete additional requirements noted in your assessment, you can request a reassessment through the Request for Reassessment form, uploaded to the online portal. If you believe your credential is eligible for a higher level but have no new credentials, you can ask for a review of your assessment — after that review is completed, no further reviews are considered.
For help, contact the Childcare Staff Certification Office at 1-800-661-9754 in Alberta or 780-422-1119 outside Alberta, Monday to Friday, 8:15 am to 4:30 pm. There are no in-person services.
What certification pays: wage top-ups
Certification is also worth money on every paycheque. Under Alberta's Early Childhood Educator Workforce Supports Program, certified ECEs working in a licensed program get a government wage top-up on top of the base wage their employer pays, funded monthly for up to 181 hours:
| Certification level | Wage top-up |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | $2.64 per hour |
| Level 2 | $5.05 per hour |
| Level 3 | $8.62 per hour |
The top-up is taxable, paid through your employer's payroll, and shown as a separate line on your paystub. Average wages with the top-up included, as of December 2025, are $20.21 an hour for Level 1, $23.75 for Level 2, and $29.70 for Level 3. You must be paid at least minimum wage before the top-up is added, and you must be a certified paid employee of a licensed program (or a contracted family day home educator with a licensed agency) whose employer participates in the grant program — you do not apply for the top-up yourself, so ask your employer whether it has signed the agreements and is claiming on your behalf.
Certified ECEs can also get up to $2,000 a year for approved professional development (up to $500 for workshops and conferences, up to $1,500 for post-secondary coursework and textbooks) and up to $2,387.50 a year in release-time funding, which pays you for time spent studying and completing approved training, even outside scheduled work hours. That is one more reason to move from Level 1 to Level 2 or 3: each level raises the top-up, and the higher levels need the certificate or diploma this guide describes above.
What the opened pages do not state
The Alberta.ca certification page does not publish a fee for the certification application, so no fee appears in this guide — check the application portal itself before you apply. It does not list the approved certificate and diploma programs by name on the page itself; the list is in Appendix D of the Certification Guide, so this guide names no specific college program. It does not state how long the orientation course takes to complete, only that it is non-credit and online, so no duration is given here. This guide gives no advice on whether you qualify — that is the Certification Office's decision when it assesses your application.
Related guides:
- How to Become an Early Childhood Educator in Saskatchewan — Saskatchewan's ECE I, II, and III levels and orientation-course route.
- How to Become an Early Childhood Educator in Manitoba — Manitoba's Child Care Assistant, ECE II, and ECE III classification.
- How to Become an Early Childhood Educator in Ontario — Ontario's Registered Early Childhood Educator route through the College of Early Childhood Educators.
- How to Become an Early Childhood Educator in British Columbia — BC's ECE Registry certificates, including the 500 hours of supervised work experience.
Becoming a certified early childhood educator in Alberta, in five steps
- Pick your certification levelLevel 1 needs one 45-hour course or the free orientation course. Level 2 needs a one-year certificate. Level 3 needs a two-year diploma.
- Complete the education for your levelThe orientation course is online, funded by the Alberta government, and free. Certificate and diploma programs run at approved Alberta colleges and universities.
- Meet the conduct requirementsFill out and sign the Self-Disclosure Reporting Form and report any current or ongoing investigation, charge, or conviction listed in the certification guide.
- Apply online through the ECE Certification ApplicationSign in with an Alberta.ca Account, send transcripts or proof of the orientation course, and wait for the assessment.
- Receive your certificate in 4 to 6 weeksProcessing takes about 4 to 6 weeks. Your name and certification then appear on the public Early Childhood Educator Lookup Tool.
Questions people ask
Do I need certification to work in child care in Alberta?
Yes, if you work in a licensed daycare, a preschool program, as a family day home educator under a licensed agency, or in out-of-school care. Childcare staff must be certified within six months of employment, and must not have unsupervised access to children until they have met the core requirements, including being certified.
What are the three certification levels in Alberta?
Level 1 needs one 45-hour post-secondary early learning and childcare course related to child development, the Early Childhood Education Orientation Course, certain high school courses, or approved coursework on diversity or Indigenous learnings. Level 2 needs a one-year early learning and childcare certificate program from an approved Alberta college, private career college, or university. Level 3 needs a two-year early learning and childcare diploma from an approved Alberta college, private career college, or university.
Is the orientation course really free?
Yes. The Early Childhood Education Orientation Course is funded by the Alberta government and is offered at no cost to participants. It is a non-credit online course for Alberta residents who do not have post-secondary studies in early learning and childcare, and it meets the eligibility requirements for Level 1 certification. It is available in English and French. Registration is capped monthly for the general public, and people already working in a licensed childcare program are prioritized.
Who can take the orientation course?
You must be at least 16 years of age and be a Canadian citizen, a Permanent Resident Card holder, or a Work or Study Visa holder legally residing in Alberta. A closed work permit for an unrelated field, or work permit conditions that state you are not eligible to work in childcare, make you ineligible for the course.
How do I apply for certification?
Apply online through the Early Childhood Educator Certification Application, signing in with an Alberta.ca Account. For Level 1, send copies of your transcripts or statement of marks showing the course or orientation course you completed. For Levels 2 and 3, arrange for your institution to send official transcripts directly to the Childcare Staff Certification Office when asked.
How long does certification take?
Certification processing times are about four to six weeks. After your application is assessed, you receive an email telling you to log in to your ECE portal account, where you can read new communications and download your certificate if you meet the requirements.
Sources
- Government of Alberta, Apply for certification — the three levels and their education requirements, the orientation course, the six-month certification deadline, the online application, the 4-to-6-week processing time, the conduct requirements, and the Certification Office contact details. The same page links the Certification Guide, which holds the approved-institution list and the equivalency chart.
- Government of Alberta, Funding for working ECEs — the wage top-up rates by certification level, the 181-hour monthly cap, the average wages with top-up as of December 2025, and the professional development (up to $2,000 a year) and release-time (up to $2,387.50 a year) funding.