About Us

Mission Statement

The CAYC exists to provide a voice on critical issues related to the quality of life of all young children and families.

What is the CAYC?

The Canadian Association for Young Children (CAYC) is a pan-Canadian not-for-profit  organization with a charitable status. Established in 1974, CAYC is dedicated to exchanging knowledge related to issues of pedagogy, well-being, care, and education of children ages birth to nine. Since its inception, the CAYC has provided a national and international platform for dialogue about early childhood issues, practices, and research among diverse stakeholders, including early childhood educators, teachers, early years professionals, researchers, and policy makers.

The CAYC’s Journal of Childhood Studies (https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/jcs/index) and the CAYC’s regional and national conferences are dedicated to exploring current research-informed understandings of early childhood education and care, which can shape and inform provincial and national early childhood policies and practices.

 

The Aims of CAYC

1. To advance education by creating and distributing an academic journal regarding topics such as early childhood education and care.

2. To advance education by holding national, provincial, and regional conferences where researchers, educators, and related experts share information regarding research, resources, and advancements in early childhood education and care.

3. To do all such things as are incidental or ancillary to the attainment of the above purposes.

Implementing These Ideals

The National Conference

The National Conference is a highlight of The CAYC.
The program includes lectures by internationally renowned authorities on children, in addition to workshops, discussion groups, displays, demonstrations, school visits and tours.

Provincial and Regional Events

The organization of members at the local and provincial level is encouraged to plan events to deal with the issues and concerns pertaining to young children. These events may take the form of lectures, seminars or a local conference.