NCCIH
December 2025
In 2022, the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health (NCCIH) undertook an environmental scan of early learning and child care (ELCC) training programs across Canada to determine the extent to which First Nations knowledges and perspectives were incorporated into ELCC practitioner training curriculum. The scan was one of three separate but inter-related research projects undertaken by the NCCIH to support a larger research partnership between the NCCIH and the First Nations Information Governance Centre aimed at identifying key factors associated with the optimal health and well-being of First Nations children and families, and strengthening ELCC to better serve the needs of First Nations families and communities. Findings from the three NCCIH projects can be found in greater detail in Murdock et al.’s (2025) publication, Quality care and young First Nations children: An exploration of optimal learning and development in early childhood settings on reserve.
This plain language summary highlights key findings from the environmental scan. Specifically, it presents the number of ELCC training programs in each province and territory across Canada (with the exception of Nunavut), categorized into six program types based on the degree of First Nations control of the program and the extent to which First Nations knowledges and perspectives were incorporated into the curricula. Since most of the programs did not distinguish between First Nations and Indigenous knowledges and perspectives, information about both population contexts was included in the scan. The summary also presents findings related to the number of mandatory Indigenous-specific courses and courses with explicitly-stated Indigenous content, the mode of course delivery, the most common Indigenous topics covered in the curricula, and requirements to complete practicums or field placements in First Nations communities.
Read the web story | View or download the plain language summary (PDF)
Health policy Indigenous knowledges Parenting Child health
Indigenous knowledges Parenting Child health Culture and health