Profiles of Today’s Child Care Workforce

This section provides a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of people working in Canada’s child care sector. The people profiled here share a deep commitment to early learning and child care.

This year’s profiles illustrate the wide variety of roles and opportunities the sector has to offer.

Profiles 2007-2008

Marc Battle
Early Childhood Education Instructor, Red River College, Winnipeg, MB

Dan Capstick
Supervisor and Early Childhood Educator - Schoolhouse Playcare Centre - Captain Michael VandenBos - Whitby-Ajax, ON

John Hefler
Early Childhood Educator - Early Learning Centre, Algonquin College - Ottawa, ON

Profiles 2005-2006

Tammy Ball
Early Childhood Manager, Bashaw and District Support Services, Bashaw, Alberta

Karla Baxter-Vincent
Coordinator-Instructor for the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program, New Brunswick Community College-Saint John

Rachel Besharah
Early Childhood Educator, Toddler Program, Centretown Parents Day Care; President, Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2204, representing child care workers in Ottawa, Ontario

Aimee Clark
Child Care Advocate, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Valerie Collins
Home Visitor, Family Child Care Connections, St. John’s, Newfoundland

Wynn Ann Fahey
Supervisor and Early Childhood Educator, Bloomsbury Child Care Centre, St. John’s Newfoundland

Bonny Harvey
President, Board of Directors, the Preschool Centre

Joyce Hughes
Director, Kids Korral Day Care, Fredericton, New Brunswick

Rory Magill
Cook, Andrew Fleck Child Care Centre (downtown program), Ottawa, Ontario

Josée Morin
Coordinator, School-Age Child Care Program, École Saint-David, Victoriaville, Québec; President, Syndicat du soutien scolaire des Bois-Francs (CSN) [union representing support staff]

Joanna Ocampo-Flores
Early Childhood Educator Level II, Aleph-Bet Child Life Enrichment Program Inc., Winnipeg, Manitoba

Gay Pagan
Union Organizer for Child Care Workers, Manitoba Government and General Employees Union

Debbie Thompson
Toddler Teacher, Chuva Program, University of British Columbia Child Care Services; Instructor, Continuing Education, Vancouver Community College

Karen Wright
Supported Child Care Worker, North End Day Care, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Coordinator, Canadian Union of Postal Workers’ Summer Camp

Profiles 2003-2004

Ruth Bancroft
Head Teacher, Langara Child Development Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia

Michele Button
Centre Supervisor, City of Toronto Directly Operated Child Care Programs, Toronto, Ontario

Donna Huyber
Program Supervisor, Lakeview Children’s Centre, Langruth, Manitoba

Jason Keays
Child Care Worker, Union Street Preschool Centre, Fredericton, New Brunswick

Kismet Lowrie
Manager, Ashea Aboriginal Head Start Daycare, Kwanlin Dun First Nation, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory

Sylvie Melsbach
Pedagogical Director, les Mousses du Mont inc., a centre de la petite enfance (CPE), St-Bruno, Québec.

Joanne Murrell
Project Coordinator, Corvette Early Years, a Toronto First Duty site, Toronto, ON

Jenny Sanderson
Executive Director, Four Feathers Inc. Aboriginal Head Start Program, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Lee Tysowski
Owner, Sing a Rainbow Preschool, Regina, Saskatchewan

For more on the 2003-04 profiles, download: Profiles and Case Studies: tells the story of 20 individuals working in various sectors and capacities in early childhood education, and examines the roles played by Toronto and Vancouver in supporting regulated child care.