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, founder and CEO of NUQO. These two B Corp-certified companies are partnering to tackle one of the biggest challenges in child care today—access to high-quality learning environments. With demand for child care spaces surging and over half of families in B.C. struggling to find care, their collaboration couldn’t come at a better time. NUQO brings expertise in modular, culturally grounded construction, while Natural Pod specializes in sustainable, non-toxic, and durable school furniture. Together, they’re streamlining the process—from funding applications to fully furnished classrooms—ensuring that communities, especially those underserved, get the support they need.

Bridgitte Alomes is the CEO and founder of values-based learning solutions company Natural Pod, a local BC business. Natural Pod strives to enhance the well-being of students by addressing the needs of learners and educators from early childhood into elementary and beyond in educational environments. Bridgitte is a thought leader in the design of learning spaces that encourage the development of agency, foster collaboration and promote open-ended play and has given talks around North America on sustainable furniture including a TED Talk on space and intention. Her focus is on the creation of inspiring spaces for learners and educators regardless of location, pedagogy or demographic.

Rory Richards is the President & CEO of NUQO Modular, a female-led, proudly Indigenous construction company recognized for its sustainable and culturally grounded approach to modular building. Rory's dedication to affordable, culturally appropriate Indigenous design and her unwavering community-first approach, exemplify the spirit of true leadership. Rory remains a dedicated advocate and a passionate voice for a number of important issues, including Indigenous housing and affordable childcare. Committed to community empowerment, NUQO partners with top architects and partners to deliver high-quality, environmentally responsible, and culturally significant child care and other building solutions.

We are grateful to have Bridgitte Alomes and Rory Richards on our podcast, and we are delighted to them share more about their work with the early childhood education and child care sector.

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 poverty in BC. The Centre for Family Equity is a membership-based organization of low-income parents and caregivers across BC. Through research, advocacy, and legal action, they work to address family poverty with a focus on affordability, livable incomes, labour market access, and resilience. Their initiatives, including the Parental Mental Health Initiative, directly support parents impacted by gender-based violence.

In past roles, Viveca has worked for the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition as the founder and coordinator of the BCPRC's Community Action Network, then led the Coalition through the pandemic as Interim Community Organizer until her departure to create the first staff role at what was then the Single Mothers’ Alliance in 2021.

In 2017, Viveca was nominated to the Minister's Advisory Forum on Poverty Reduction to design BC's first poverty reduction strategy and resulting legislation. In her spare time, Viveca can be found trying to keep up mountain biking with her 15-year-old son and paddling her canoe on BC's remote lakes and rivers.

We are grateful to have Viveca Ellis on our podcast, and we are delighted to have her share more about her work for the community.

Listen now at BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast Season 4, Episode 4: Viveca Ellis or wherever you get your podcasts.

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 of a deeper conversation about the LOVIT Way (Learn, Observe, Value, Inspire, Transform).

The Aboriginal Head Start Association of BC has been a cornerstone for early childhood development in Indigenous communities, fostering holistic growth through culture and language. Joan’s extensive experience as an Early Childhood Educator and her dedication to advancing early years programming have made her a vital advocate in this field.

We are grateful to have Joan Gignac on our podcast, and we are delighted to have her share more about the LOVIT Way and Aboriginal Head Start programs in BC.

Listen now at BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast Season 4, Episode 3: Joan Gignac or wherever you get your podcasts.

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 empowering ways to advance and uphold the Early Childhood and AHS Profession and quality Early Years programs in BC and beyond.

We are grateful to have Joan Gignac on our podcast, and we are delighted to have her share more about the Aboriginal Head Start programs in BC.

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 Columbia’s Minister for Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources from 2017-2020, and then as Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness in 2020. She was the first female MLA for Nelson-Creston from 2009 to 2020, and the youngest City Councillor for the City of Nelson from 2002-2005. She is now a senior advisor in the energy sector, monthly opinion writer for the Vancouver Sun and proud mom of two.

As a lifelong feminist advocating for gender equality, Michelle's insights couldn't come at a more critical time.

Learn more by listening to the episode now!

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 have had in the ECE world.

Learn more by listening to the episode now!

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 practice:

My name is Carrie McCormack and I am the Program Coordinator at Women's Contact Society for Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR), in Williams Lake, BC. I was born in Williams Lake, grew up in the 100 Mile House area and then jumped on a Greyhound bus headed for Vancouver, about an hour after graduation. I worked with TELUS (formerly BC Tel) for 20 years, BC Parks and The Terry Fox Foundation before returning to Williams Lake to support a career opportunity my husband had. Full circle moment!

I am a big hearted, passionate and silly Grandma to 2 grandchildren, a partner and friend to my funny guy, Ron, a Mom, a sister, a daughter to Metro (Ukrainian) and Shirley (Huron Nation and French Canadian) and a friend to most everyone and those creatures that don't scare me too much. I love sharing food and having a table full of family, friends, or the many strays my children brought home over the years.

I attended University in 2019 to begin my Human Services education. I gained a certificate as a Community Support Worker/Education Assistant, after year 1, and completed my practicum at Women's Contact Society. I was offered the position of Program Coordinator for CCRR and accepted it with excitement and little apprehension.

Age and experience have taught me that if I want to continue to grow and enjoy life’s continuous surprises, I should always take the path that is a little uncomfortable, unknown or even a little awkward. So right after I said yes to working with the ECE Bursary Team my first thoughts were, "What exactly does a Program Coordinator do? Who is ECE Pro D Bursary? and What's an ELF Communities of Practice? ELF must be a game they teach us to play with children!"

Here I am, over three years later wrapping up our fifth Communities of Practice on April 20th, 2024. I can’t wait to spend time in person with this group and Katie Crosby, Occupational Therapist, who has been working with us for over two years now. It feels more like I’ll be attending a high school reunion than a professional gathering as we have created such deep connections, support, trust in each other after sharing our stories, lots of laughs and some tears.

I am so grateful to the ECE Pro D Bursary team for their encouragement and support over the past three plus years. The debriefs after each COP session were game changers for me and impacted the way I approach training and sharing information. And to the participants who showed up for me, the children, their families, themselves. Thank you for showing up, sharing, leading, questioning and impacting my heart, my work, my life. What a gift you all have been.

I will close with this thought. Prepare, plan, set the table and serve an appy (topic of discussion or something to ponder) and then let go and immerse yourself in the dinner conversation. And maybe…just maybe, someone might ask about something that’s not on the table. Wowzer!

If you’re interested in starting your own community of practice with child care educators in your region reach out to us by visiting the ECE Professional Development Bursary website at eceprodbursary.org.

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.

Learn more by listening to the episode now!