Educator mental health is a workforce retention issue
The Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development (OISE, University of Toronto) used its June 23, 2026 weekly e-News to frame educator mental health and wellbeing as a workforce retention issue, not a side concern. The core argument: when the emotional demands of early learning and child care work go unsupported, burnout and turnover follow, and turnover is one of the biggest threats to program quality and continuity of care for children.
For operators, the takeaway is practical. Retention strategies that ignore staff wellbeing tend to underperform, while investment in mental health supports, reasonable workloads, and a culture of care protects both educators and the children who depend on stable relationships with them.
Source: Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development – Weekly e-News, June 23, 2026.
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