BC’s Path to Universal Child Care
FaktaFor unge lyttereA podcast featuring interviews with child care advocates, government officials, policy makers, educators, parents and child care organisations in BC, exploring the move toward a universal child care system.
Siste episoder av BC’s Path to Universal Child Care podcast
- S04 E07 – Building on Momentum: Creating Scalable, Community-Led Child Care Spaces Part 2 with Bridgitte Alomes and Rory Richards (00:45:28)
BC’s Path to Universal Child Care Episode S04E07 – Building on Momentum: Creating Scalable, Community-Led Child Care Spaces Recorded live at the ECEBC Conference – May 8, 2025 Guests: Bridgitte Alomes (Natural Pod), Rory Richards (NUQO Modular) Hosts: Nora, Crystal, and Gyda In this inspiring live episode, recorded at the ECEBC Conference in Richmond, we return for Part Two of our conversation with Bridgitte Alomes of Natural Pod and Rory Richards of NUQO Modular. Together, we explor...
- Season 4, Episode 6: Sharon Gregson - The Current State of Childcare in BC (00:40:18)
Tune in to Episode 6 in Season 4 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast with our special guest: Sharon Gregson, the provincial spokesperson for the $10aDay Child Care Campaign, working with the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC. In this episode, we discuss the current state of childcare in BC, highlighting that only 10% of childcare programs are officially $10-a-day programs, leaving 74% of children without access to licensed childcare...
- Season 4, Episode 5: Bridgitte Alomes & Rory Richards - Latest Innovations in Early Childhood Education & Child Care (00:51:48)
Tune in to Episode 5 in Season 4 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast with our special guests: Bridgette Alomes, the CEO and founder of Natural Pod, and Rory Richards, the President & CEO of NUQO. In this episode we dive into the latest innovations shaping early childhood education and child care. Gyda guides this conversation with two incredible women entrepreneurs —Bridgitte Alomes, founder and CEO of Natural Pod, and Rory Richards, ...
- Season 4, Episode 4: Viveca Ellis - Addressing Family Poverty Through The Centre for Family Equity (00:46:30)
Tune in to Episode 4 in Season 4 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast with our special guest: Viveca Ellis, the Executive Director of The Centre For Family Equity. Viveca is a founding member of the organization; in 2014, she banded together with other lone mothers impacted by poverty and lack of access to legal aid, housing, and child care, to mobilize grassroots leaders and advocate for public policy solutions to lone-parent family pover...
- Season 4, Episode 3: Joan Gignac - Aboriginal Headstart Programs in BC - Part Two: The LOVIT Way (00:43:16)
Tune in to Episode 3 in Season 4 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast with our special guest: Joan Gignac, from the Sagamok Anishnawbek Nation, an Early Childhood Educator for 34 years who has been dedicated to advancing and promoting Aboriginal Head Start and First Nations Head Start philosophy and programs in BC and Nationwide. We are honoured to welcome back Joan Gignac from the Aboriginal Head Start Association of BC for part two ...
- Season 4, Episode 2: Joan Gignac - Aboriginal Headstart Programs in BC (00:38:47)
Tune in to Episode 2 in Season 4 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast with our special guest: Joan Gignac, from the Sagamok Anishnawbek Nation, an Early Childhood Educator for 34 years who has been dedicated to advancing and promoting Aboriginal Head Start and First Nations Head Start philosophy and programs in BC and Nationwide. Joan is committed working with others, values collaboration, and working together to find new and empower...
- Season 4, Episode 1: Michelle Mungall - Advocating for the Rights of Children & Families (00:45:15)
Welcome to Episode 1 in Season 4 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast for a new season with our special guest: Michelle Mungall, who has dedicated much of her career to advocating for the rights and well-being of children and families in her community. We are honoured and grateful to welcome Michelle Mungall to share insights, experiences, and her vision for the future of child care. Michelle Mungall served as British Columbi...
- Season 3, Episode 5: Sharon Gregson - Recent Changes to $10aDay Child Care (00:40:46)
Welcome to Episode 5 in Season 3 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. During this episode we welcome back a familiar guest, Sharon Gregson the provincial spokesperson for the $10aDay Child Care Campaign as it is time for an update. We are grateful to have Sharon Gregson, the spokesperson for The Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC - CCCABC as our special guest, so we can learn more about the improvements we have seen over the last little while and the positive impact these ha...
- Season 3, Episode 4: Carrie McCormack - Heart Changing Learning Through Communities of Practice (00:30:33)
Tune in to Episode 4 in Season 3 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast with our special guest: Carrie McCormack, a Program Coordinator with the Child Care Resource and Referral Program in Williams Lake. We are honoured and grateful to welcome Carrie McCormack to share insights on exploring how to create and sustain meaningful, relevant, and what Carrie describes as “heart changing” professional development through communities of pract...
- Season 3, Episode 3: Morna Ballantyne & Child Care Now - The Importance of High Quality Universal Child Care (00:49:56)
Welcome to Episode 3 in Season 3 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast with our special guest: Morna Ballantyne, the Executive Director of Child Care Now, Canada’s national child care advocacy organization. We are honoured and grateful to welcome Morna Ballantyne to share insights on her involvement in the childcare profession, her national organization Child Care Now, and guidance and advice for childcare activists and advocates. Le...
- Season 3, Episode 2: Sharon Gregson - Advocating for Accessible Child Care (00:34:39)
Welcome to Episode 2 in Season 3 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast with our special (and familiar) guest: Sharon Gregson, the provincial spokesperson for the $10aDay Child Care Campaign. We are honoured and grateful to welcome Sharon Gregson to share insights on the wage grid, expansion of new programs, and how to reduce fees to provide accessible, and affordable child care.Learn more by listening to the episode now!
- Season 3, Episode 1: Derek Dubois & Tatiana Abi-Farrage - A Student’s Perspective on Early Childhood Education (00:44:13)
Welcome to Episode 1 in Season 3 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast with our special guests: Derek Dubois & Tatiana Abi-Farrage, two early childhood education students from Vancouver Community College. We are honoured and grateful to welcome Derek Dubois & Tatiana Abi-Farrage to share insights and personal experiences with us as they continue their education and career path in the childcare field. Learn more by listening to the ...
- Season 2, Episode 9: Friday Bailey, Norma Stokes, and Katie Wahl - Child Care System Changes and the Impact on Rural Communities (00:35:57)
Welcome to Episode 9 in Season 2 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome our special guests: Friday Bailey, Norma Stokes and Katie Wahl.We are honoured and grateful to welcome Friday Bailey, Norma Stokes and Katie Wahl to share how all the child care system changes are impacting rural communities from three Early Childhood Educators currently working in the field.Learn more by listening to the episode now!
- Season 2, Episode 8: Minister Debra Fisher, Métis Nation BC (00:37:59)
Welcome to Episode 8 in Season 2 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome our special guest: Minister Debra Fisher, Métis Nation BC. Minister Debra Fisher is a loving daughter and wife who has hosted and cared for numerous international students, as well as children in foster care and short and long term emergency care. For over 26 years, she has worked in the educational setting, primarily as an Indigenous Education Support Worker. When Debra was given the title of...
- Season 2, Episode 7: Eric Swanson - Founding Partner of Third Space Planning and Co-Author of Childcare Policy (00:27:10)
Welcome to Episode 7 in Season 2 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome our special guest: Eric Swanson. Eric Swanson is a founding partner of Third Space Planning, where they support local governments and not-for-profit organizations with planning and policy development. Eric also co-authored the policy note, ‘Child Care and the Environment: Intersections and Opportunities in BC’, with Lynell Anderson for ECEBC and the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC. In ...
- Season 2, Episode 6: Grace Lore - Minister of State for Child Care (00:28:26)
Welcome to Episode 6 in Season 2 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome our special guest: Grace Lore. Grace Lore was elected the MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill in 2020. She is also the Minister of State for Child Care. She has been a dedicated anti-violence advocate, academic instructor and researcher, and community housing organizer. Prior to the election, she taught in the Department of Political Science at the University of Victoria and previously at the U...
- Season 2, Episode 5: Maria Rodrigues and Linda Fong - Recipients of the Prime Ministers Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education (00:32:28)
Welcome to Episode 5 in Season 2 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. We start off the new year with 2 very special guests: Maria Rodrigues and Linda Fong. Maria and Linda are both recipients of the Prime Ministers Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education. In this episode, we welcome back Gyda Chud to help us acknowledge the incredible changes and practices that Maria and Linda have developed for children, families and educators. Throughout the podcast, we discuss...
- Season 2, Episode 4: Inspiring & Insightful Stories with Gyda Chud (00:34:58)
Welcome to Episode 4 in Season 2 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we turn the tables on our Interviewer Extraordinaire Gyda Chud, and ask her about her experiences and learning from her many years in the Child Care Sector. Gyda discusses the importance of sharing stories in retaining and embedding learning, for both children and adults, and then shares with us some of the wonderfully insightful anecdotes she has gathered from her time in the BC early years sector...
- Season 2, Episode 3: Adrienne Montani, First Call Child & Youth Advocacy Society (00:24:31)
Welcome back to Season 2! We are so grateful for your support and interest in this Podcast, as we follow BC's Path to Universal Child Care, along with a series of special guests from the child care community. In Episode 3, Gyda, Nora and Crystal chat with Adrienne Montani - social justice activist, child and youth advocate, past Vancouver School Board chair and Executive Director of First Call Child and Youth Advocacy Society. First Call’s work is guided by the 4 Keys to Success for C...
- Finding Connection and Meaning through Communities of Practice (00:45:40)
In this episode, we explore how we find and sustain professional connections and meaning through communities of practice. We talk with Jacqueline Ewonus, Jen Vanderberg, Lisa Nicholson, and Nicky Byres who are working as community of practice mentors with the ECE Professional Development Bursary Program. They share their powerful stories about participating in and leading communities of practice and the transformation that happens. Follow up with Jacqueline, Jen, Lisa, and Nicky through Insta...
- Season 2, Epsiode 1: A look at WCCRC's Beginnings and Impact on Child Care Today (00:44:14)
Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre is absolutely thrilled to be celebrating our 35th year and to be able to say that funding child care is finally a priority for all levels of government. We are excited to revisit the government's promises and commitments with a look back at the past 35 years of Westcoast. Our former Executive Directors Maryann Bird, Dianne Liscumb, and Pam Preston discuss how Westcoast both affected change and was impacted by government policy over the past 35 years. ...
- Season 2 Update (00:04:07)
This is a short update on what to expect with our podcast BC’s Path to Universal Child Care in September. It’s been a couple of months since our last episode and we wanted to let all our listeners know what to look forward to.
- Episode #8: Stephanie Smith - BCGEU (00:30:00)
In Episode 8 Gyda introduces Stephanie Smith from BC General Employees Union (also known as the BCGEU) to discuss the role of Unions in supporting child care sector during this time of change. Stephanie has been President at the BCGEU since May 2014, but previous to that she had a long career working as both an Early Childhood Educator and as a child care advocate. Stephanie and Gyda chat about the history of the BCGEU in supporting child care professionals, Stephanie's personal...
- Episode #7: Karen Isaac - BC Aboriginal Child Care Society (00:27:08)
Episode 7 of Universal Child Care Podcast welcomes Karen Isaac from BC Aboriginal Child Care Society (BCACCS) to discuss the impacts of the federal Early care and Learning plan and the $10aDay child care plan on Indigenous children and families in BC. Karen joins us to discuss specific challenges facing early care and learning educators working in Indigenous contexts. We examine the provincial and federal child care plans and how they address the needs of Indigenous families and educators, a...
- Episode #6: Sharon Gregson - Child Care Activism & Advocacy (00:20:12)
In episode 6 of our podcast charting BC’s Path to Universal Child Care, we explore Child Care Activism and Advocacy with Sharon Gregson, the provincial spokesperson for the $10aDay Child Care Campaign. Sharon shares her journey to becoming a child care activist and what spurs her on in the campaign for a more equitable child care strategy for children and families. We discuss the history and successes of the 10aDay campaign, what the Federal Government's commitment and funding means fo...