Early Childhood Educator: Express Entry CRS score in 2026
For a Early Childhood Educator (NOC 42202, TEER 2), your Express Entry chances depend on your CRS score versus recent draw cutoffs. Here's where things stand — and how to find your exact number.
Good news: Early Childhood Educators can be targeted in Education category-based rounds, which often invite candidates below the general cutoff.
What this occupation involves
Early childhood educators plan, organize and implement programs for children between the ages of infancy and 12 years. Early childhood educator assistants provide care for infants and preschool- to school-age children under the guidance of early childhood educators. Early childhood educators and assistants lead children in activities to stimulate and develop their intellectual, physical and emotional growth and ensure their security and well-being. They are employed in child-care centres, day-care centres, kindergartens, agencies for exceptional children and other settings where early childhood education services are provided. Supervisors of early childhood educators and assistants are included in this unit group.
Example job titles
Main duties
Early childhood educators
- Develop and implement child-care programs that support and promote the physical, cognitive, emotional and social development of children
- Lead activities by telling or reading stories, teaching songs, taking children to local points of interest and providing opportunities to express creativity through the media of art, dramatic play, music and physical activity
- Plan and maintain an environment that protects the health, security and well-being of children
- Assess the abilities, interests and needs of children and discuss progress or problems with parents and other staff members
- Observe children for signs of potential learning or behavioural problems and prepare reports for parents, guardians or supervisor
- Guide and assist children in the development of proper eating, dressing and toilet habits
- Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with co-workers and community service providers working with children
- May plan and organize activities for school-age children in child-care programs before and after regular school hours
- May supervise and coordinate activities of other early childhood educators and early childhood educator assistants.
Early childhood educator assistants
- Support early childhood educators in carrying out programs that promote the physical, cognitive, emotional and social development of children
- Engage children in activities by telling stories, teaching songs and preparing crafts
- Prepare snacks and arrange rooms or furniture for lunch and rest periods
- Assist with proper eating, dressing and toilet habits
- Submit written observations on children to early childhood educators or supervisors
- Maintain daycare equipment and assist in housekeeping and cooking duties
- Attend staff meetings to discuss progress and problems of children
- May assist early childhood educators or supervisors in keeping records.
Employment requirements
Early childhood educators
- Completion of a two- to four-year college program in early childhood education or a bachelor’s degree in child development is required.
- Licensing is required in Ontario and certification is required in British Columbia for early childhood educators. Licensing for early childhood educators is usually required in all other provinces and territories.
Early childhood educator assistants
- Completion of secondary school is required.
- Experience in child care is required.
- Completion of an early childhood education assistant certificate program or post-secondary courses in early childhood education may be required.
- Licensing by a provincial or territorial association as an early childhood educator may be required.
Definition, duties and requirements are quoted from the Government of Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021) — the wording used to assess your work experience. View the official NOC profile
What score do you need?
The honest answer depends on your age, education, language and experience — the same profile scores very differently at 29 versus 39. Rather than guess from an average, calculate your exact CRS in two minutes.
Cutoffs are drawn from recent rounds and change every draw. Treat them as guidance, not guarantees.