Early Childhood Educator

Join Our Growing Team:

Gananoque & District Co-Operative Nursery School | Gananoque, Ontario

Full-time | From $26.50 per hour | Minimum 38 hours per week

Do you find joy in the curiosity, energy, and little discoveries of toddlerhood? Do you value the time it takes to build trusting relationships, offer comfort, and help young children feel a sense of belonging?

We would love to hear from you.

Gananoque & District Co-Operative Nursery School has recently expanded, and we are looking for caring, thoughtful educators to join our toddler program. We welcome applications from Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs), as well as dedicated professionals with relevant child care experience who are not registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators.

Above all, we are looking for someone who loves working with toddler-aged children and brings patience, warmth, curiosity, and a commitment to learning alongside them.

About our Centre

We are a community-focused, co-operative early learning centre serving families in Gananoque and the surrounding area. Relationships with children, families, colleagues, and our wider community are at the heart of our work.

Our growing program follows children’s interests through play, exploration, and responsive care. We are developing our nature-based approach, creating opportunities for children to connect with the outdoors and learn through everyday experiences. Families are valued partners in shaping a welcoming and inclusive community.

About the Role

Working with toddlers means being present for both the joyful discoveries and the moments when they need extra comfort, patience, and support. We are seeking educators who appreciate the importance of everyday care and see routines, relationships, and play as meaningful opportunities for learning.

In this role, you will:

• Build warm, trusting relationships with children and their families.
• Support toddlers through daily routines, including meals, diapering and toileting, rest, and transitions.
• Help children navigate big feelings, develop relationships, and build confidence and independence.
• Observe children’s interests and thoughtfully extend their learning through play, conversation, and exploration.
• Create inviting indoor and outdoor experiences that encourage curiosity, movement, and problem-solving.
• Share observations with families and contribute to meaningful documentation of children’s learning.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and contribute to a respectful, supportive team.
• Maintain a safe, welcoming environment and follow centre policies and applicable licensing, health, and safety requirements.

Our practice is guided by How Does Learning Happen?, informed by ELECT, and carried out within Ontario’s child care licensing requirements.

What You Bring

We would love to connect with someone who has:

• A love of working with toddlers, including an appreciation for their energy, emotions, growing independence, and unique ways of communicating.
• Experience supporting young children, ideally in a licensed child care or other group setting.
• An understanding of early childhood development and responsive, play-based learning.
• The ability to build positive relationships with children, families, and colleagues.
• Patience, flexibility, initiative, and a willingness to reflect and learn.
• A commitment to inclusive, culturally responsive practice that respects each child and family.
• Organization and communication skills to support daily routines, documentation, and teamwork.
• The ability to participate actively in indoor and outdoor play and daily caregiving.

An early childhood education diploma and current registration with the College of Early Childhood Educators are preferred. We also encourage applications from experienced, unregistered child care professionals and those working toward a relevant qualification.

Three or more years of relevant experience is preferred. We also welcome applicants whose experience, approach, and commitment make them a strong fit for our toddler program.

Applicants must hold, or be able to obtain before starting, the required First Aid/CPR certification and vulnerable sector screening.

Additional Experience We Value

These are assets, rather than requirements:

• Experience in licensed child care.
• Familiarity with emergent curriculum and inquiry-based learning.
• Experience supporting outdoor exploration and developmentally appropriate risky play.
• Forest and Nature School Practitioner Certification or other outdoor learning education.
• Knowledge of Indigenous perspectives and respectful approaches to land-based learning.

Why Join Us?

Our expansion offers an opportunity to contribute your ideas and help shape a growing program. We value educators’ knowledge, care, and ongoing professional learning.

We offer:

• Wages starting at $26.50 per hour.
• A four-day rotating work week, with a minimum of 38 hours per week.
• Benefits after three months, including dental, extended health, vision, and life insurance.
• Paid time off.
• Subsidized on-site child care for your own child.
• On-site parking.
• Support for professional learning, including outdoor and nature-based pedagogy.
• Opportunities to collaborate, reflect, and contribute to our evolving program.
• Meaningful work with children and families in a close-knit community.

How to Apply

Please send your resume and a brief cover letter or introduction telling us about your experience, your approach to working with young children, and what draws you to our toddler program. Professional references will be requested as part of the hiring process.

If this work speaks to you, we encourage you to apply, even if your experience does not match every preferred qualification.

Alana Legault, Executive Director

Gananoque & District Co-Operative Nursery School Inc.

[email protected]

(613) 532-2858

Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.

Thank you for your interest in joining our community. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.