Sexual Abuse Prevention Program FAQs

The College has established a thorough and engaging sexual abuse prevention program for RECEs. Below highlights key elements of the education program.

• Online, Interactive Education: The College now offers online member education in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P), a national charity dedicated to the safety of children. The goal of the educational program is to expand RECE knowledge with practical information to help enhance child safety.
• Continuous Professional Learning (CPL): Effective July 1, 2022, changes were made to the Notice of CPL Program Requirements. The Sexual Abuse Prevention Program is now an Educational Requirement of the Continuous Professional Learning Program. For more information, please review the timeline chart here.
• Ongoing Communications: Throughout 2022, the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program will be featured in the Connexions and Employer newsletters and on the College’s website.

The Sexual Abuse Prevention Program consists of three required elements: 

• Commit to Kids – Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Training 
• Teatree Tells – Put into Practice
• College Resources to Review 

The educational program builds on the skills and knowledge RECEs already have in sexual abuse prevention and equips them to apply it in their work. The program is available through My College Account, at any time and at no cost, in English and French and must be completed by all members.

The Sexual Abuse Prevention Program is part of the College’s Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) Program.

Existing members prior to July 1, 2022
Continue to complete your CPL Program 2019 requirements until your next renewal date. Click here for details.

All new or reinstating members on or after July 1, 2022
You can begin the CPL Program 2022 now. Complete the Expectations for Practice Module and the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program before your first renewal. Click here for program details.

The Sexual Abuse Prevention Program member education is available to members any time, at no cost, in English and French, via My College Account.

There are two ways to confirm your deadline for completing the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program:

• Check the Timeline Chart
• Visit My College Account and review your CPL tab

If you have questions, please contact cpl@college-ece.ca

While there are some similarities between the Ontario College of Teachers’ Sexual Abuse Prevention Program (i.e., Commit to Kids), the College’s program also includes an online module called Teatree Tells, along with resources developed by the College specific to the practice of early childhood education in Ontario. 

RECEs who are also OCTs will need to complete the Commit to Kids Knowledge Validation Test and the other elements required by the College of Early Childhood Educators.

One component of the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program includes a module called Teatree Tells which provides activities, lessons and resources to engage with children. The College is providing access to Teatree Tells so that RECEs are equipped to have these types of conversations when necessary. The decision to implement any of the activities or lessons into programming will be determined by child care and early years organizations, guided by How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years. 

Teatree Tells is on online module that takes around 20 minutes to complete. Although the series comes with resources and lessons to engage with children, the requirement will be to complete the online module. The information shared in the module will be applicable to all RECEs, regardless of role or employment status, as it emphasizes the importance of personal safety education for children.

Only RECEs will have access to the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program designed by the College of Early Childhood Educators for member education. Employers, municipalities and other organizations can reach out to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection for information on accessing their sexual abuse prevention resources.  

A recorded introductory webinar and other information is available to the public on the College’s Sexual Abuse Prevention Program webpage here.  

The College’s Sexual Abuse Prevention Program is public knowledge. While the online member education will only be accessible by RECEs via My College Account on our website, information about the program will be available publicly. The decision to share information with parents and families will be determined by child care and early years organizations and will not be moderated by the College.