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 Naddaf, Director of Frog Hollow’s Reggio-Inspired Learning Centre.

Kathreen is a Community Engagement Consultant, currently managing the Federal‑Provincial ECE Professional Development Bursary Project through Westcoast Family Centres, working to ensure educators have access to ongoing high-quality professional learning, often with financial barriers removed. Before that she was instrumental in the development of the Early Years Professional Development Web Portal with BCcampus, helping to coordinate and promote training opportunities across the province. Her work has been focused on building capacity, relationships, and equity in early childhood education.

Maryam is Director of the Reggio‑Inspired Learning Centre at Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House in Vancouver, where she worked for over 10 years. Her work is rooted in the Reggio Emilia philosophy—facilitating workshops, communities of practice, designs curriculum with educators, children, and families, and leads study groups for educators across Metro Vancouver and beyond. Her passion lies in social justice, children’s rights, and creating reflective, inquiry-based learning environments, which led her to a B.A. in Community Rehabilitation Management and many years of working with infants, children, youth and adults with diverse abilities.

If you are interested on attending a shorter version of the ELF series as Maryam talks about on this episode, register for ELF Off the Shelf, a dynamic series designed to bring the BC Early Learning Framework (BCELF) to life. Instead of just reading the ELF, participants will engage in active reflection, critical dialogue, and hands-on exercises to explore key concepts like the image of the child, educator roles, and pedagogical narration.

Session Dates:

• In-person: March 7, 2026 (9:30 AM – 3:30 PM)
• Virtual: March 31, April 14, May 7 (6:30 PM – 8:00 PM)
• In-person & Frog Hollow Tour: May 29, 2026 (8:30 AM – 5:30 PM)

Location (for in-person sessions):
Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre, 2772 E. Broadway, Vancouver, BC., and at Frog Hollow's Learning Centre.

Who Should Attend:
ECEs, ECEAs, school-age care educators, elementary teachers, Strong Start facilitators, district principals, Supported Child Development staff, and all early learning professionals.

Space is limited so register today here: https://www.wstcoast.org/workshops/elf-shelf-4810-8100
Questions? Email: pro-d@westcoastfamily.org

Funded through the Canada–BC Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

Listen now at BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast Season 5, Episode 3: Kathreen Riel and Maryam Naddaf or wherever you get your podcasts.

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 Canadaand The Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC.

Tune in to learn:

• How inclusive child care policies advance gender equity.
• Why community-driven solutions matter in policymaking.
• Gabriela’s journey from Ecuador to shaping Canadian social policy.
• Look at the Where's Childcare? campaign.
• Help push for a Quality $10aDay Child Care Systemnow!
• Have a look at THROUGH THE LENS: A Photographic Exploration of Exclusion, Inclusion, and Belonging in the Child Care System by PIRS.

Gabriela is a public policy and advocacy specialist with over eight years of experience driving gender equity, child care, and social protection initiatives across Canada and globally. Originally from Ecuador, Gabriela immigrated to Canada at 18 and has since earned degrees from UBC and Maastricht University, shaping her career around justice-centered, evidence-based policymaking.

Gabriela currently leads the Inclusive Child Care for All project at Oxfam Canada, influencing federal policy through research, movement-building, and advocacy. She also serves on the board of the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC, championing universal child care as a cornerstone for gender equality and societal well-being.

Her work bridges grassroots voices with systemic change, centering women, children, and equity-seeking communities in decision-making. Outside of her professional life, Gabriela enjoys crocheting, cycling, weightlifting, and exploring human-centered design.

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 successful $10aDay Child Care Campaign working with the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC. She was twice elected as a Trustee to the Vancouver Board of Education. She represents British Columbia on the Board of the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (Child Care Now), and previously on the Child Care Human Resource Sector Council and Canadian Child Care Federation.

Sharon is a feminist with a demonstrated history of working across sectors with stakeholders, including non-traditional allies, in child care public policy. She is skilled in campaign strategy and campaigning, government and stakeholder relations, and in working with traditional and social media. She was nominated for a YWCA Women of Distinction award in 2018 for her work on the successful $10aDay Child Care Plan and for developing Indigenous cultural competency resources for the ECE sector. Business in Vancouver (BIV) named Sharon in the Power 50 in Vancouver in 2022 - and one of the top 500 most influential business leaders in British Columbia in 2022 and 2023. She received the King Charles Coronation Medal in 2025.

She is a past Director of the Early Years at a large unionized agency in East Vancouver managing human resources and child care operations, and she co-chaired the Vancouver Joint Childcare Council of public partners and non-governmental organizations. Sharon is also an ethical vegan and supporter of credit unions!

We are grateful to have Sharon Gregson on our podcast once again, and we are delighted to her share more about her work within the childcare sector. Tune in to hear about the campaign’s renewed momentum and why this moment is so critical for children, families, and the future of child care in our province.

NEW Legislation: Province to remove barriers, make way for more child care at schools

To take action visit the 10aDay.ca site

Click here to select a region to see your odds of getting a $10aDay space!

Wage funding - BC’s 2024/2025 Operating Funding Model (OFM)