BC’s Path to Universal Child Care

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 8 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast!   We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you for an amazing fifth season of BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast with our listeners across the globe, special guests and hosts that have made this season and podcast all possible.  During this snippet, we share an update on our upcoming summer podcast sc...

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 7 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast!  During this episode, we're joined by Nicky Byres. Nicky Byres has led the Society of Richmond Children's Centres for almost 3 decades. Building a multi-site, non-profit from 2 centres to 6 centres with 13 programs and 70 educators serving 230 families with values-based leadership. Nicky is also an instr...

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 6 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast!  During this episode, we're joined by Safiya Ayuen. Safiya is a policy researcher and analyst with a background in international relations, human rights, and community-informed policy work. She holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of British Columbia and a certificate in Human Rights an...

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 5 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast!  During this episode, we're joined by Sherlana Shroeder. Chetwynd is the colonial name for the place our guest Sherlana lives. There are many Indigenous peoples that have and continue to call this place home including Cree, Dane-Zaa, Saulteau and many Métis peoples. Chetwynd is on the Treaty 8 Territory, and...

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 4 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast!  During this episode, we're joined by Rita Chudnovsky , as we explore $10aDay Child Care: Where We Are and Where We Are Going! For more than 30 years, has been right in the heart of BC’s child care advocacy movement and a femtor to many. She’s worked alongside the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC and s...

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 3 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast!  During this episode we explore the BC Early Years Professional Development Bursary Program —what it is, why it matters, and how it’s shaping educators' learning across the province of British Columbia, in Canada. Our guests are two impactful leaders— Kathreen Riel , who manages the bursary fund, and Maryam N...

Welcome to Season 5, Episode 2!  During this episode we're excited to kick things off with a special guest who has dedicated much of her career to advocating for the rights and well-being of children and families, especially those from equity-seeking communities. We were honoured to spend time with Gabriela Cervantes , a public policy, and advocacy specialist with OXFAM Canada and The Coaliti...

Welcome to Season 5! We’re kicking things off with a powerful conversation featuring longtime advocate Sharon Gregson. Sharon, spokesperson for the $10aDay Campaign, returns to share exciting updates from the Coalition of Child Care Advocates and ECEBC as they relaunch their push for universal, affordable, high-quality child care in BC. Sharon Gregson is the provincial spokesperson for the success...

 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 wi...

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 p...

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...

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 car...

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 h...

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...

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...

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 lea...

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, an...

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 nationa...

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 provid...

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...

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....

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 educat...

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 Oppo...

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 tau...

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 a...