How Childcare Centres Retain Educators in a Competitive Market

You already know this truth: recruitment gets the headlines, but retention determines your reality.

Every resignation creates ripple effects. Morale drops, ratios tighten, and families feel the instability. And while compensation matters, Sentient’s work with childcare centres across Ontario shows that most departures are not driven by a single issue, but by a gradual erosion of connection.

Retention is not a perk program, but instead, how we operate as leaders!

Start With “Stay Interviews”, Not Exit Interviews

By the time an exit interview happens, the loss and ripple effect is already felt.

Stay interviews are short, intentional conversations that answer one simple question: “What would make it easier for you to continue working here?”

Effective stay interviews happen once or twice per year, are conducted by the supervisor, focus on listening rather than defending, and result in at least one visible follow-up action.

You might ask:

• What part of your work feels most meaningful right now?
• What makes your day more challenging than it needs to be?
• What change would make you feel more supported over the next six months?

Educators stay where they feel heard, even when solutions are imperfect.

Recognition Must Be Specific, Timely, and Human

Generic praise does not retain people.

Recognition that works is:
• Specific: “You handled that transition calmly and kept the room running smoothly.”
• Timely: Same day or same week
• Human: Spoken, written, or shared peer-to-peer

Centres with strong retention build recognition into their weekly rhythm through supervisor shout-outs in team meetings, short handwritten notes, and peer nominations for small monthly recognition.

Recognition costs little, but replacement costs a great deal.

Pay Matters, But Transparency Matters More

Compensation remains a critical foundation. Recent salary data across Ontario centres shows wage compression between new and experienced educators, limited differentiation for responsibility or tenure, and growing frustration when expectations rise faster than pay clarity.

Retention improves when centres clearly explain how wages are set, share when and how increases are reviewed, and pair compensation conversations with growth conversations.

When people understand the system, they are more patient with it.

Retention Is Built in the Ordinary Moments

Educators decide whether to stay based on how conflicts are handled, whether schedules feel fair, if personal constraints are respected, and whether leadership follows through.

These moments happen every day.

Retention is not an annual initiative. It is daily leadership.

Growth Does Not Always Mean Promotion

Not every strong educator wants to become a supervisor — and that should be respected.

Retention-focused centres create opportunities for horizontal growth through mentorship roles, curriculum leadership, onboarding support for new staff, specialized focus areas such as inclusion or outdoor play, and meaningful professional development.

Growth without forced promotion keeps experienced educators in classrooms longer.

In Conclusion

Centres that retain educators do not rely on just one tactic. They design an experience where people feel respected, recognized, heard, and connected.
When educators stay, children benefit. When children thrive, families trust. When trust grows, centres stabilize.

Retention is not always about doing more. It is about doing what matters, consistently.

Warm regards,

Gregory Dixon
Director of Business Development
Sentient HR Services Inc.