Renew your Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) registration in Ontario: the $175 annual fee, the Membership Renewal Form, the CPL declaration, your due date, the $50 late fee, and what happens if your certificate is suspended.
Applies in: Ontario
Renewing your RECE registration in Ontario is an annual two-part job: submit the Membership Renewal Form and pay the $175 annual membership fee by your due date, and declare that you met your Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) requirements for the year. Your due date is the first day of the month in which the anniversary of your certificate's issue date falls. The College emails you a personal renewal link about two months beforehand. Miss the date and you owe a $50 late fee — and if you do not fix it, the College will suspend your certificate, which means you cannot practise until you are reinstated.
This guide covers renewal only. If you are not registered yet, see our guide to becoming an early childhood educator in Ontario — registration, the $85 application fee, and the 8 to 10 week processing time are covered there.
Your renewal is annual, and the date is fixed by your own registration, not by the calendar year. Under the College's Fees By-law No. 2, the annual fee is payable on the first day of the month in which the anniversary of the date your certificate of registration was issued occurs. If your certificate was issued on June 14, your renewal is due June 1 each year.
Two things to get right:
Continuous Professional Learning is mandatory for every RECE, and it is part of renewal — not a separate optional program. When you renew, you declare whether you completed the CPL requirements for the past membership year.
What that means in practice:
Do this during the year, not in renewal week. The Portfolio Cycle is designed as a year-long process, and cramming it at the deadline is exactly what the declaration is meant to prevent.
About two months before your due date, the College emails you a personal link to My College Account with log-in instructions. When it arrives:
If the email has not arrived a month before your due date, do not assume you are off the hook — your due date still stands. Contact the College and confirm your contact information is current, because an out-of-date email address is the usual reason the link never arrives.
Renewal has two requirements, and both must be complete by your due date: the form, and the full fee. A renewal with only one of the two is not processed and counts as late.
The form. Complete and submit the Membership Renewal Form, with any supporting documentation that applies to you. The form includes a declaration that you hold a certificate in good standing and understand that you cannot use the protected titles ECE or RECE unless you do.
The payment — three ways to pay:
Your receipt is available online through My College Account within two to three business days after the renewal is processed. Check your listing on the College's public register afterwards — that listing is what employers check, and it is the simplest proof your renewal went through.
A renewal counts as late if any of these apply: the form was not submitted by the due date; the form had missing information you did not complete and return by the due date; required supporting documents were missing or incomplete; the fee was not paid in full by the due date; or your payment could not be processed (insufficient funds, expired card) and you did not resolve it by the due date.
What follows:
The cheapest late renewal is the one you fix the same week. Pay the fee, file the complete form, and respond to any College notice immediately.
| Annual membership fee | $175 per year (effective October 1, 2024) |
|---|---|
| Late fee | $50, if the form or the full fee is received after your due date |
| Reinstatement fee | $90, plus the annual fee for the year, if your certificate was suspended |
Fees from the College's Fees By-law No. 2 and its Membership Renewal Guide pages.
Your annual fee is payable on the first day of the month in which the anniversary of the date your certificate of registration was issued falls, under the College's Fees By-law No. 2. The College emails you a personal link to My College Account about two months before your renewal is due. Your obligation to pay continues even if the email or notice does not reach you, so do not rely on the reminder alone — know your anniversary month.
The annual membership fee is $175, effective October 1, 2024. If your renewal form is received after your due date, or the full fee is not paid by the due date, an additional $50 late fee applies. If your certificate is suspended for non-payment or failure to provide information, removing the suspension costs a $90 reinstatement fee plus the annual fee for the year.
Yes, if you pay by credit card or through your bank. Wait for the College's email with your personal link to My College Account — about two months before your due date — then log in, update your contact information, and renew online. Do not start a new application or create a new account. If you pay by cheque, money order, or bank draft, complete and submit the paper Membership Renewal Form with your payment and any supporting documents.
Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) is mandatory for all RECEs and affects renewal. Each year you complete the CPL Portfolio Cycle: a one-year process with two required components, the Reflection and Planning Tool and the Record of Professional Learning. In your first year of membership you must also complete the Expectations for Practice Module and the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program. When you renew, you declare that you participated in CPL and met the requirements for the past membership year, and you keep your completed CPL documents for at least two membership years.
Your renewal is late if the completed Membership Renewal Form, any supporting documents, or the full $175 fee is not with the College by the due date — including a form with missing information you did not complete in time, or a payment that could not be processed. A $50 late fee applies, and the College will start a process to suspend your Certificate of Registration. A suspended member may not practise the profession until the suspension is cleared, which means applying for reinstatement.
Yes, if you want to keep your certificate and keep using the protected titles ECE and RECE. All RECEs must meet the CPL requirements regardless of employment status, role, or practice setting, including members who are retired or working outside the scope of practice. If you let your registration lapse, you cannot use the titles or practise as an early childhood educator in Ontario until you are reinstated or re-registered — check the College's Reinstatement Guide before you let it lapse.