Child Care Awards of Excellence Nomination Guidelines The Child Care Awards of Excellence honour the outstanding achievements of child care professionals, individuals, organizations and local governments providing or supporting the delivery of exceptional child care services to children.
Excellence is defined as one’s ability to engage and support children’s development by using innovative and creative approaches that demonstrate a commitment to improving and enhancing the relationships with children, their families and the community.
Successful candidates will be announced in May 2014.
Eligibility Upon submission of a nomination no later than April 15, 2014 all nominees must meet the following criteria: •
All nominees must provide consent for the nomination.
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Nominees for a Provincial Award must: o
Reside in British Columbia
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Hold an active licence to practice as an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) issued by the ECE Registry under sections 25 and 26 of the Child Care Licensing Regulation, or be a family child care provider who operates a licensed family child care facility with at least three years experience
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Provide an employer(s) confirmation letter
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Provide a personal reference from a person other than a family member
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Be currently working in one of the following:
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A full- or part-time position in a licensed child care setting
Nominees for a Local Government Award must be a local government enacted under the laws of British Columbia
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Nominees for a Business Leadership Award must hold a current business license to operate in British Columbia
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Nominees for the Innovation Awards must be providing service innovation in a traditional (licensed) or non-traditional setting.
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Nominees for the Lifetime Achievement Award may or may not be currently working in the field.
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Nominees for the Lenora Pritchard Award of Excellence (Aboriginal Leadership) and the Aboriginal Award of Excellence (General) must self-identify as an Aboriginal person.
Note: Previous recipients of the Child Care Awards of Excellence are not eligible for a second award. Local governments may self-nominate.
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Child Care Awards of Excellence Nomination Guidelines How Recipients Are Chosen
Following an initial screening for basic eligibility, copies of the nomination text and letters of support will be sent to selection committee members for review. Committee members include individuals representing the provincial government, the Provincial Child Care Council, the Early Childhood Educators of BC, BC Family Child Care Association and the BC Aboriginal Child Care Association.
Nomination packages are evaluated and ranked by selection committee members based on how well the nominee meets the selection criteria. A final list of top-ranked individuals is then recommended to the Minister for consideration.
Successful recipients will be notified by e-mail or letter by April 30, 2014. Unsuccessful nominees will receive a letter notifying them of the committee’s decision.
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Child Care Awards of Excellence Nomination Guidelines Provincial and Innovation Awards Provincial Child Care Award of Excellence These awards recognize individual early childhood educators (ECEs) licensed to practice by the Early Childhood Educator Registry, or licensed family child care providers currently working in a licensed child care setting. Of the four provincial awards, at least one will represent an ECE or a licensed family child care provider located in a rural/remote area of B.C. and another will recognize an Aboriginal ECE or a licensed family child care provider.. Child Care Award of Excellence in Innovation This award recognizes an individual and/or organization providing service innovation in a non-traditional setting. This may include, but is not limited to, a StrongStart BC Centre, recreation centre program, or program offered by a business. There are two awards available in this category. Criteria: For these two types of awards, clear evidence (e.g. descriptive, concrete examples) must show that the nominees have excelled in all four areas described below: Relationships •
Build and maintain meaningful, engaging relationships with families.
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Develop strong attachments with the children in their care and support children’s strengths.
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Help children develop the confidence they need to form meaningful connections with other children, with other adults and with places and things in their communities.
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Support children’s natural curiosity to interact with others.
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Advocate for children and families, demonstrate leadership, and work with others in communities.
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Access and engage community resources, facilities and services.
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Build community connections and a sense of social responsibility.
Environments •
Recognize the importance of the child’s environment as their ‘third teacher.’
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Create environments that are flexible and support a holistic learning style, which help to value children’s innate capacities and potential.
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Provide settings, indoor and outdoor, natural and built, to enrich children’s learning, promote a sense of well-being and belonging, and inspire a respect for the environment.
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Child Care Awards of Excellence Nomination Guidelines Experiences •
Recognize children’s right to play.
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Provide opportunities for children to express, explore, invent, create, combine and extend what they have learned about the world around them.
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Promote healthy, physical and intellectual development through play-based learning approaches.
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Recognize that children are born with the innate desire to learn, and therefore recognize that adults are co-constructors and facilitator’s for children’s learning.
Commitment and Leadership •
A demonstrated commitment and leadership to child care and the early years.
Child Care Award of Excellence for Local Governments The Local Government Award of Excellence honours local governments that demonstrate excellence in their support of and current involvement in the delivery of existing child care initiatives. There are three awards in this category to recognize the unique work underway in smaller less-populated areas, midsized communities and larger urban communities throughout the province.
Nominees must be: •
Actively involved in current child care initiatives
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A local government enacted under the laws of British Columbia.
Criteria: Commitment and Leadership •
Describe and provide evidence that demonstrates the commitment and leadership of a dedicated team engaged in creating and delivering value-focused child care initiatives.
Staff Engagement •
Demonstrate staff engagement throughout all levels of the organization relative to child care initiatives.
Policy Integration •
Demonstrate and support the development and implementation of policies that strengthen the delivery of quality child care services and child care integration, where appropriate.
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Child Care Awards of Excellence Nomination Guidelines Investment •
Demonstrateand provide evidence of a political and financial commitment that enables the local government to successfully maximize the growth potential for child care initiatives.
Note: Local governments may self-nominate.
Child Care Award of Excellence for Business Leadership – NEW The Business Leadership Award of Excellence honours up to three businesses licensed in British Columbia and providing non-direct child care service delivery, through external partnerships, to provide exceptional child care support for employees’ and their children. There are three awards in this category and based on their number of employees, the awards recognize small-, medium- and largescale businesses throughout the province. Criteria: Commitment and Leadership •
Provide evidence to demonstrate the commitment and leadership of the business and its staff to engage in creating and deliverying value-focused child care services.
Staff Engagement •
Demonstrate staff engagement throughout all levels of the organization relative to child care initiatives.
Policy Integration •
Demonstrate and support the development and implementation of policies that strengthen the delivery of quality child care services and child care integration, where appropriate.
Financial Commitment •
Demonstrate a financial commitment that enables the business to successfully maximize the growth potential for child care initiatives.
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Child Care Awards of Excellence Nomination Guidelines Child Care Award of Excellence for Lifetime Achievement – NEW The Lifetime Achievement Award is an individual award that recognizes a child care professional’s outstanding contributions to enriching the lives of children and families. These contributions may be through innovation, knowledge, or new ways to improve professional practice. Importantly, the contributions should be above and beyond the everyday and have had a long-lasting impact in the sector. The Lifetime Achievement Award is a prestigious award for an individual who has: •
Worked for at least twenty years in the child care sector
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An established history of distinguished service
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Made a lasting contribution to ECE practice
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Exhibited leadership and provided inspiration to others in the sector, and
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Positively influenced child care on a provincial, national or international level
The nomination must include: •
A letter of nomination that includes the number of ways in which the person reflects the purpose of this award and summarizes the actions that form the basis for the nomination (about 500 words). A maximum of five supporting letters from colleagues that describe the different areas of influence the candidate has demonstrated and the results of their effort and commitment as a role model and mentor.
Lenora Pritchard Aboriginal Award of Excellence This award recognizes an Aboriginal Early Childhood Educator working in a licensed child care setting whose efforts or activities as a role model and a mentor have significantly contributed to promoting leadership in others. The nomination must include: •
A letter of nomination that indicates the number of ways in which the person reflects the purpose of this award and summarizes the actions that form the basis for the nomination (approximately 500 words).
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A maximum of three supporting letters from colleagues that describe the different areas of influence the candidate has demonstrated and the results of their effort and commitment as a role model and mentor.
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Child Care Awards of Excellence Nomination Guidelines Child Care Award of Excellence - Emerging Leader – NEW This award recognizes an early childhood educator working in a licensed child care setting who has been practicing for at least three years and not longer than seven years who: •
Demonstrates participation, leadership and innovation in the broader child care community.
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Fosters a supportive relationship between community, children and their parents.
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Gives back in some capacity to their profession (i.e. supporting ECE students through practicum supervision or mentoring).
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Is a child care community leader, providing unique solutions that address child care challenges.
The nomination must include: •
A letter of nomination that indicates the number of ways in which the person reflects the purpose of this award and summarizes the actions that form the basis for the nomination (approximately 500 words).
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A maximum of three supporting letters from colleagues that describe the different areas of influence the candidate has demonstrated and the results of their effort and commitment as a role model.
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Child Care Awards of Excellence Nomination Guidelines How to Apply •
Each nomination package must include a completed copy of the nomination form. This form is also available online at: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/childcare/awards/index.htm
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Forms must be signed by both the nominee and the nominator.
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For ease of reproduction, please do not staple your nomination package.
The Nomination Package Length: Your complete nomination package, including the nomination form, must not exceed 20 pages. Format: All information should be typewritten in a font no smaller than 10 point and double-spaced on 8 ½” x 11” paper. Please print on one side only. Copies: Please send only one copy by mail, fax or e-mail (e-mail copies must be signed and scanned). Nomination Deadline Nomination packages must be posted and date stamped no later thanApril 15, 2014.
Please send nomination packages to the following address: By mail:
Child Care Awards of Excellence Ministry of Children and Family Development Policy and Provincial Services PO Box 9778, Stn Prov Govt Victoria, BC V8W 9S5
By email
[email protected]
Fax:
250 356-0399
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Child Care Awards of Excellence Nomination Guidelines Checklist To facilitate the preparation of the nomination package and its review, please attach this checklist to your nomination package:
Copy of this checklist fully completed (one page) Signed nomination form (two pages) o
Local governments may self-nominate
Copy of ECE setting’s operating license as defined by provincial regulations (one page)Evidence of nominee’s training in early childhood education and care o
Copy of a degree, diploma or certificate showing completion of training (one page)
Evidence of nominee’s experience o
Employer confirmation letter indicating a minimum of three years in a licensed early childhood setting (one page)
Nomination text (two pages per criteria up to a maximum of eight pages) o
Note: if the nomination text is longer than eight double-spaced pages, nominators will be asked to reduce the text
Letters of support (three letters, maximum of two pages each, are required) o
Note: if more than three letters are included, only the first three will be sent to the committee for evaluation.
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Letters should not exceed two pages each and must be signed by the author.
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Letters of support should provide evidence of the nominee’s excellence and achievements under any or all of the four selection criteria. To reduce repetition, ask writers to focus on one or two specific things about the educator that make the nominee exceptional.
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Letters may come from anyone not directly related to the nominee who has direct knowledge of the nominee’s accomplishments.
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Letters of support must be issued no earlier than six months prior to the nomination deadline and must include contact information (mailing address and telephone number) for the author.
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