Employment as Early Childhood Assistants for Refugees

Northpine Foundation has invested in SKD Home Childcare Services & Consulting Inc. to help refugees in Ontario move into stable employment as Early Childhood Assistants and home childcare operators. The program responds to a dual challenge: refugees face barriers like limited Canadian experience and language gaps, while Ontario’s childcare sector is short an estimated 10,000 registered educators.

SKD’s model combines classroom and practical training with supervised field experience, followed by job placement, mentorship, and retention support. Graduates enter roles with pathways to Registered Early Childhood Educator certification, supervisory roles, or licensed home childcare businesses.

The investment will support four cohorts, with flexible scheduling, workplace language development, and stipends to reduce participation barriers. Northpine’s investment builds on SKD’s track record of placing all recent graduates into field-specific employment and expands a proven pathway into an essential, high-demand sector.