About the project
Wellesley Institute works to improve health and health equity in the GTA through research and policy action on the social determinants of health. More than a think tank, we are a catalyst for change.
In 2022, we published a Thriving at Work framework, which provides a lens through which to examine employee health and well-being in the workplace and support the creation of healthier work environments.
Using this framework, our current project aims to answer the following questions:
- How is the Thriving at Work framework reflected in ECE work environments?
- How can workplaces and governments build work environments that support thriving environments for ECEs?
Our research and policy teams have been working together to answer these questions. To answer the first question, we have conducted surveys and focus groups with Toronto ECEs (centre-based and home-based) and we are in the analysis/reporting stage of that work. What we learn from the policy lab will help us develop actionable solutions to improve ECE work experiences, contributing to the second question.
The project is being funded by the Metcalf Foundation, which, through its Inclusive Economies program, invests in strategies to improve low-wage work for care workers and promote decent work.
The preliminary conversations
To prepare for the lab, we would like to schedule virtual, one-on-one, 30-minute preliminary conversations with each attendee.
Meeting briefly before the lab will give us a chance to discuss the project, the framework, our research findings to date, and details of the lab so you know what to expect. It will also give us a chance to learn a little more about your work and perspective on key issues within the sector. Specifically:
- What framework categories, from your perspective, are most significant in the sector?
- How do your current projects align with the framework (if at all)?
- In what areas/around what issues are we not seeing movement within the sector, but should be?
- What issue/areas do you wish you knew more about (either for lack of capacity or lack of available information/research)?
- Do you have ideas for improving working conditions that you haven’t had the chance to explore yet?
This information will help us triangulate what we’ve learned from our policy scans and research findings to identify which challenges within the sector could benefit most from designated time to brainstorm, develop and workshop during our policy lab.
The policy lab and goals
Our goals for the policy lab are to:
- Design 2-3 promising solutions that have been workshopped, stress-tested and strengthened by stakeholders.
- Gain deeper knowledge about barriers, enablers and pathways to solution implementation.
- Create a space for sector stakeholders to come together and explore new topics, learn from one another and expand networks.
Our broader policy goals for this project are to:
- Understand the policy landscape of the ECE sector.
- Gain stakeholder input on priority issue areas, possible solutions and policy positioning within the sector.
- Develop policy recommendations to enable governments and workplaces to build work environments that support thriving environments for ECEs.
- We expect that some recommendations will amplify existing solutions, and others will be designed using what we’ve learned from the policy lab.
Please let me know your availability for the full-day, in-person workshop and the preliminary conversation by completing this form by Friday, July 17.