Nova Scotia classifies early childhood educators at Entry-Level and Levels 1, 2, and 3 through Classification Services, starting with orientation training and rising through a certificate, a diploma, and a bachelor's degree.
Applies in: Nova Scotia
In Nova Scotia, you become an early childhood educator by getting classified. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development runs Classification Services, which issues four levels of classification: Entry-Level, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. The level you receive depends on the education and training you can show, and every application is assessed at the highest level you qualify for, whatever level you asked for on the form.
All staff working with children in a licensed child care facility must be classified. If you start work without meeting the regulated training requirements, you must complete the orientation training within six months of your date of employment.
The levels are set out in the Department's Classification Levels and Competency Requirements policy, revised December 1, 2025:
For Levels 2 and 3, graduates are expected to have completed 900 credit hours in early childhood education and 520 practicum hours in an early learning and child care environment, covering a range of age groups. Coursework from more than one credential can be combined to reach the 900 hours, and a combination of practicum and work experience can count toward the 520 hours. Credentials must come from accredited post-secondary institutions or vocational training programs, and the department will consider several complete credentials together when deciding a level.
The orientation route is the way in without a post-secondary credential. Completing the Orientation Training for Early Learning and Child Care earns Entry-Level classification, which lets you work in a licensed facility while you build toward Level 1. Staff who do not meet the regulated training requirements must complete the orientation within six months of starting employment, under Regulation 37(6).
From Entry-Level, the next step is Level 1: either the three set courses plus 250 hours of experience, or a one-year post-secondary ECE certificate. A two-year ECE diploma then takes you to Level 2, and a bachelor's degree takes you to Level 3. If you have substantial work experience but no completed credential, the RPL program can assess your past education and experience for Level 2.
Nova Scotia also grants a separate school-age training approval, which is not one of the four levels. It requires completion of the Orientation Training for Early Learning and Child Care plus a bachelor's degree in early education or elementary education (pre-primary to grade 5/6), or a post-secondary credential that qualifies you to plan and deliver programming for school-age children, including a teaching practicum. A six-month conditional approval can be granted on condition that the orientation training is completed within six months.
Apply to Classification Services using the Early Childhood Educator Classification Application, listed on the Department's Apply for ECE Classification in NS page. Send the application with proof of your credentials. Classification Services assesses the application and issues the highest level your education and training support. If you trained outside Nova Scotia or outside Canada, your credentials must come from an accredited post-secondary institution, and the department assesses whether they meet the same learning outcomes as a Nova Scotia program.
Classification is not a one-time step. Under Regulation 38 of the Early Learning and Child Care Regulations, anyone issued a classification or granted school-age training approval must complete at least 30 hours of professional development in every three-year period after the classification was issued, and provide the Minister with proof. Mandatory training does not count toward the 30 hours — orientation training, first aid, food handlers, and required workplace health and safety courses are all excluded. Six weeks before your professional development is due, complete the Record of Professional Development form and send it by email to Classification Services at classification@novascotia.ca. If you cannot finish the hours in time, submit the form with the hours you have completed plus a letter requesting an extension, with a plan and a date for finishing the rest.
The opened policy and classification pages do not publish an application fee, a processing time, or a list of approved post-secondary programs, so this guide states none of those. The professional development requirement above comes from the Department's Professional Development Information Sheet and Regulation 38. The classification page itself did not render its body text when opened, so the application steps here rest on the policy document and the Department's resources listing. Check the Classification Services page for the current application form before you apply.
Yes. All staff working with children in a licensed child care facility must be classified, and staff who do not meet the regulated training requirements must complete the orientation training within six months of starting work.
Entry-Level classification is granted to applicants who complete the Orientation Training for Early Learning and Child Care, or post-secondary ECE courses comparable to that training as assessed by Classification Services. Entry-Level staff do not count toward the facility's trained-staff ratios.
Level 1 requires a post-secondary certificate in early childhood education approved by the Director, a vocational training certificate relevant to early childhood education, or coursework and workplace training as set out in the Minister's standards — three courses in Child Development, Behaviour Guidance, and Curriculum Planning for Young Children, plus 250 hours of practicum, workplace, or fieldwork experience.
Level 2 needs a diploma from a post-secondary early childhood education program approved by the Director, or completion of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Level 3 needs a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a qualifying area of study, or a Level 2 diploma plus a bachelor's degree in any discipline. RPL cannot be used for Level 3.
Applicants for Level 2 and Level 3 are expected to have completed 900 credit hours in early childhood education and 520 practicum hours in an early learning and child care environment, covering a range of age groups. A combination of practicum and work experience can count.
Apply to Classification Services at Nova Scotia's Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, using the Early Childhood Educator Classification Application. Applications are assessed at the highest level the applicant qualifies for, regardless of the level requested on the application.