The growing demand for childcare services has prompted Bruce County to offer financial support for students to participate in local Early Childhood Education (ECE) diploma programs.
Bruce County has announced new partnerships with Georgian College and Fanshawe College to strengthen the local early childhood education workforce.
“A child’s early experiences lay the foundation for lifelong learning, and the cornerstone of this foundation is their relationship with educators,” said Tina Metcalfe, director of Human Services at Bruce County. “Through ECE programs, students can make a meaningful and lasting impact for children in our community.”
Georgian College’s Owen Sound campus offers a full-time, in-person ECE diploma program. Bruce County will subsidize qualified students up to $2,000 per academic year, with the potential for renewal.
Fanshawe College also delivers an ECE diploma program from a satellite campus in Port Elgin. Offered in a hybrid format with evening and weekend classes, the program is ideal for students balancing work and study. Bruce County is subsidizing up to 50 per cent of tuition costs for eligible students attending the Port Elgin site.
Both colleges are enthusiastic about the partnership.
“Thanks to our partnership with Bruce County, aspiring early childhood educators in the region have access to meaningful support as they pursue their careers,” said Deb Bumstead, program coordinator at Georgian College.
Heather MacKenzie-Card, acting associate dean at Fanshawe’s School of Access Studies and Regional Delivery, added, “we are proud to be contributing to addressing a vital need in the community.”
Applications for both programs are now open, with classes beginning in September 2025.
“Working together with community partners to attract students to early childhood education is an integral goal in our child care and early years service system plan," Metcalfe pointed out. "Increasing enrollment in early childhood education programs will help address the local need for qualified early years educators, ultimately benefiting our communities by ensuring access to high-quality childcare.”
For more information, visit the Georgian College and Fanshawe College websites or contact Bruce County Human Services.