B2C2 Members

Board Members

Sue Colley Co-founder and Chair

Sue Colley, VP Cleveland Consulting: Early Learning and Child Care, has been a recognized leader and innovator in the development of co-op housing for seniors, in the health sector, and in the field of early learning and child care over the last 40 years. She brings people together and leads them to find solutions. She was a key founder of Action Day Care and first Executive Director of the Ontario Child Care Coalition. She has played an important role in major studies of child care policy and programs for the University of Toronto, the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario. Sue is currently the Secretary-Treasurer of Rise Up, a digital archive of feminist activism in Canada from the 1970s to the 1990s. She has an M.B.A. from Edinburgh Business School.

Kim Hiscott, Co-founder and Secretary

Kim Hiscott, RECE, is the executive director of Andrew Fleck Children’s Services, a multi-service/multi-site not-for-profit agency that has been serving Ottawa’s families since 1911. She has had several opportunities throughout her career to establish not-for-profit early learning and child care agencies and sites, including new construction projects and renovations of existing spaces. Kim strongly believes that the quality of the spaces, both inside and outside matter and that Early Childhood Educators have a lot to contribute to the design ideas. She has also sat on numerous provincial wide Boards including the Association of Early Childhood Educators and the Home Child Care Association of Ontario

Lorna Reid, Treasurer

Lorna served the fields of Early Learning and Child Care, Social Housing and Adult Learning for over forty years. She is an alumna of U of Guelph and U of Toronto, OISE.

While supervising a multi service agency’s child care centre and implementing the York Early Identification Project, an enduring commitment to inclusion began. She was a TDSB child care advisor, supporting parent groups in all aspects of creating or expanding non profit centres in schools. Lorna worked in municipal child care services in Toronto and Peel Region in increasingly senior roles. As director, she led the implementation of Best Start and oversaw the Social Housing Renovation and Retrofit Program.

Lorna taught, sat on ECE Program Advisory Committees and provided placement opportunities. She served on numerous committees, boards and task forces. After retirement, Lorna returned to U of Guelph as a director.

Now a grandmother, Lorna’s vision remains: systems in which all children and families can access high quality early learning and services that they need or want.

Sheila Olan-Maclean, Co-founder and Director

Sheila Olan-Maclean is a value-based leader with over 40 years’ experience in the early learning and child care field. Drawing from her various roles as educator, resource teacher, executive director and presently CEO of Compass Early Learning and Care, she believes in authentic co-leadership practices that prepares a space where every human can be their best selves. Her life’s work is dedicated to advocacy, and as President of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, works collaboratively with child care partners to find solutions that work best for children, families, colleagues and our communities.

Gail Hunter, Vice President

Gail Hunter (she/her) is a recently retired Professor of Early Childhood Education (ECE) who is known for her social justice advocacy work, and her leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and Anti-racism. Gail taught as a Professor of Early Childhood Education for 37 years and worked in the sector for 44 years. Gail has experience working as an ECE, Childcare Supervisor, and Childcare Advisor with the Toronto District School Board. Gail specializes in Play-based Emergent Curriculum, DEI/Anti-Racism Early Learning Environments, Culturally Responsive ELE, ECE Well-Being, and Partnerships with Families. Gail has shared her expertise with governments (e.g., Nova Scotia, Jamaica, Cayman, Guyana, Peel Region, and City of Toronto), universities/colleges (Canadian and Caribbean), and private companies such as Bodyswaps® (England-based virtual reality program designed to give individuals the tools required to identify and challenge racism and oppression). Gail continues to sit on numerous not-for-profit boards, committees, and advisory groups and does consulting locally, nationally, and globally.

Advisors

Building Blocks for Child Care has created an active and engaged Advisory Working Group. In addition to the Board of Directors this Group comprises nine individuals with expertise in a variety of capacities and from different regions of the province, including rural Ontario. It includes representation from centre early learning and child care, home child care, a college professor with expertise in the needs of Early Childhood Educators, leaders in Canadian Union of Postal Workers who have dedicated over 30 years to build flexible early learning and child care models for their members across Canada; the expertise from the YWCA – a key voice of women in the country, academics, researchers, executive directors of existing multi-service programs, representatives from the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, a long-standing organization with contacts in every corner of the province. Our advisors are drawn from groups whose needs have not been well reflected in the profile of early learning and child care programs so far, as well as administrators and financial experts.

Shellie Bird, Child Care Co-ordinator, Canadian Union of Postal Workers

Shellie Bird is the CUPW, National Child Care Coordinator. She has worked in this position since 2015.

Shellie is a parent and grandparent and believes that her work in the trade union and child care movements’ advocating for early learning and child care is critical for women and for young families and their children.

Shellie brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience both within the child care and the trade union movements. She worked for twenty-years in a small not-for-profit child care centre in downtown Ottawa.

In this time, she was active in her union and went on to become the Union Education Officer of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2204. In this role she represented over 300 early childhood educators and child care workers in the City of Ottawa.

Shellie has been active at the local, provincial, and national levels advocating for affordable and accessible early learning and care for all children for 35 years. In this time, she has sat on local child care coalitions, taken on leadership positions at provincial and national advocacy organizations. She has been a board member of the Child Care Advocacy Association for over 10 years.

She takes her child care activism into the work of her union. She has been active on provincial divisions and on union women and child care committees and is now a member of the CUPE National Child Care Working Group.

Robert Froom, retired Founder of CSV Architects

During Robert’s 40 year career in the field of architecture, he took particular interest in the design of child care centres including various projects for City of Ottawa, Ottawa school boards and Andrew Fleck Children’s Services. Robert has served on numerous not-for-profit boards including, Canadian Hearing Society Eastern Ontario Advisory Board (1992-1995), CNIB Deafblind Community Services Board (2016 – 2020), CNIB Lake Joseph Centre Advisory Board (2015-present), Andrew Fleck Children’s Services (current).

Sylvie Charron, Agente de liaison à l’association francophone à l’éducation des services à l’enfance de l’Ontario

Bio to come

Dan Wise, Director, Programs, Today’s Family
Throughout Dan’s 30+ year career to date, he has advanced significant program opportunities in the charitable sector locally, provincially, and nationally for those traditionally facing marginalization and underrepresentation – including children, youth, newcomers, first in family to participate in PSE, and those entering or re-entering the workforce.

Dan’s child care experience deepened during his tenure as Senior Director, Children and Families with the Learning Enrichment Foundation, where he stewarded 33 licensed child care centres through the pandemic and the early days of the CWELCC Agreement implementation. Currently, Dan is part of the senior leadership team as Director, Programs at Today’s Family, supporting both licensed group and home child care, EarlyON centres and summer camps.

Dan believes this is a significant ‘moment in time’ to build a strong foundation for children to access inclusive, quality child care, and for educators to be acknowledged as the professional, nurturing, and experienced leaders they are. In addition to supporting the work of Building Blocks for Child Care as an advisor, Dan sits on the Board of Directors of Family Day Care Services, a 170+ year-old charity offering licensed home and group care, and Early ON centres in Toronto, Peel and York Regions.

Gail O’Donnell
Gail is a retired project manager with a diverse career spanning interior design, non-profit housing, and public service. She holds a Bachelor of Interior Design from Toronto Metropolitan University and a diploma from Mount Royal College, with additional studies in Fine Arts at UVic. Gail began her career in interior design in Victoria and Toronto before transitioning to non-profit housing development, contributing to over 1,000 units across the GTA. She later managed a housing co-op in Scarborough before joining the City of Toronto’s Children’s Services as a Capital Project Manager, where she led the development of new child care spaces. Gail also served on the Toronto Public Health UVR Shade Policy Committee and retired in July 2024 after 23.5 years of service.

Melissa Hilton
Melissa is an experienced Early Learning and Child Care Manager, having worked in child care and school board-operated early years programs. Responsible for ensuring that programs meet Ministry requirements as a leader of multi-site early years programs licensed under the Child Care and Early Years Act. A strong collaborator who partners with child care operators and school teams to provide services to families. Committed to supporting the ECE workforce and accessible and affordable child care for families.

A part-time faculty member in the Bachelor of Early Learning Program Development at Conestoga College and mentor with the College of Early Childhood Educators, supporting students and RECEs.

Valerie Trew
Valerie Trew is the Director at the University of Guelph Child Care and Learning Centre in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. As a Registered Early Childhood Educator with a Master of Arts in Leadership, she also teaches in the Bachelor of Applied Science program at the University of Guelph and Guelph-Humber, applying a lens of social and environmental justice to studies in policy, administration, and leadership. Valerie views teaching, from early learning to post-secondary, as a political act and does so to provoke radical social transformation towards a post-colonial world. Valerie has spent 20 years working in children’s services through child welfare, postsecondary education, regional government, early intervention, and early learning and child care, and currently sits on regional and provincial ELCC committees and advisories. Holding a Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition, Valerie is also passionate about transforming our food systems for human and planetary health and to end inequality and oppression. Valerie is currently completing doctoral studies in Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto, OISE and plans to investigate the readiness of ECEs to foster critical consciousness in young children and their perceptions of early learning settings as sites of resistance to oppression.

Neeka Barnes

Neeka Barnes has worked in the early learning and care field for 46 years. She has a diverse background that includes roles as a home child care provider and consultant, life skills coach, college professor and college program coordinator. For the past 17 years, she has worked as the Director at Andrew Fleck Children’s Services.

She is excited and passionate about:

Building partnerships
Providing high-quality client-centric service
Creating meaningful and joyful experiences for children and grandfriends
Working with others who are committed to the values and vision of Andrew Fleck Children’s Services

Elise Patterson, Qualified RECE, Early Learning and Child Care degree student at George Brown College

Elise Patterson started her academic journey with Western University where she attained a degree in Linguistic Anthropology before continuing her education in the Early Childhood Leadership degree program with George Brown College. She has over nine years of experience working in the early years.
After attaining her Diploma in Early Childhood Education, Elise began working as a RECE for George Brown Lab Schools. Elise’s passion for equity and inclusion has motivated her to become involved in several anti-racist initiatives. Elise is a member of the BLAC in the Early Years Anti-Racism Work Group that provides recommendations to Toronto Children’s Services related to professional learning strategy on anti-Black racism in the early years. In addition, Elise co-facilitated the advocacy project “@UWOMinorityStories” on Instagram and used her linguistic knowledge for script editing with the “Let’s Talk About Race” VR learning modules with George Brown College and BodySwaps. Currently, Elise has begun working on a Land-Based Learning Research Project with George Brown College as a response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations to bring Indigenous perspectives into Canadian education.

Petr Varmuza, retired Director at Toronto Children’s Services.

Petr is a retired public servant with the City of Toronto, from the position of Director of Operational Effectiveness, City of Toronto Children’s Services. He was responsible for policy, service planning and an annual operating budget in excess of $400 million. Petr received a PhD in 2020 from OISE, University of Toronto. Petr works as a research assistant with Michal Perlman at OISE.

Christa O’Connor

Christa O’Connor, RECE, is a visionary leader and changemaker in the early childhood education sector, with over 25 years of experience championing high-quality, inclusive, and care-centred programs for children and families. As CEO of Creative Beginnings Early Learning & Care, Christa has led transformative organizational growth, including large-scale expansions, multi-site operations, and the implementation of pedagogical approaches rooted in the principles of relational care and respect for the child. She is a Prosci-certified change management professional known for her ability to navigate complex systems, influence policy, and build strong, values-driven teams. Christa serves as President of the Ontario Coalition for Better Childcare and Co-Chair of the Early Years Coalition in the Region of Waterloo, where she plays a leading role in provincial advocacy, funding reform, and sector collaboration. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Christa is a proud single mother. She and her son co-authored a heartfelt children’s book about single-parent adoption, offering representation and connection to families with similar journeys. Her work—both personally and professionally—is driven by a deep commitment to equity, belonging, and the belief that every child deserves to be seen, heard, and celebrated.

Ariane Hotte

Ariane Hotte is the National Child Care Coordinator for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), appointed in September 2024. With over a decade of experience in family resource programs, she has supported diverse families and navigated the evolving challenges of the early years sector.

Her work through the COVID-19 pandemic deepened her understanding of care and exposed the critical gaps in Canada’s care infrastructure—gaps that impact not only families but the broader economy and worker well-being.

Ariane is dedicated to raising awareness among CUPW members about the importance of quality child care and its role in strong families, communities, and society. She is proud to continue the legacy of collaboration with the early childhood education sector and to help develop new opportunities for postal workers.

Based in Ottawa and a graduate of Algonquin College’s Early Childhood Education program, Ariane draws inspiration from the city’s green spaces. She sees a natural link between the nurturing power of nature and the spirit of the child care movement. Ariane is committed to advancing public services that ensure every family has access to the care they need.

Peter Frampton

Peter Frampton joined LEF in 1993 and has had a long history with LEF integrating enterprises, programs and initiatives that support the needs of the community and leverage the expertise of the organization.

As the Executive Director Peter is the CEO of LEF whose mandate is community economic development, employs 400 people, and has an annual budget of approximately $30 million.

LEF’s mission is to provide community responsive programs and services, which enable individuals and families to become valued contributors to their community’s social and economic development.

LEF, located in the most disadvantaged part of Toronto, serves thousands of people each year in programs ranging from community enterprises to childcare centres. LEF’s integrated model of service includes settlement services, employment counselling, career exploration, skills training, employer outreach, self-employment training, English for immigrants and youth mentorship programs. LEF employment program serves the recruitment needs of local employers and determines their training needs so that skill training at LEF remains targeted to opportunities. Currently, LEF is working to develop an integrated housing project that includes engaging streetscapes with social enterprise retail, two floors of community space and 140 units of supportive housing.

Peter has been a member of the Board of Directors of The Canadian Community Economic Development Network (Chair of Membership Committee) and Telecommunities Canada. He has participated in various task forces, including the Federal Social Economy Advisory Task Force; Peter is the recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award

Emis Akbari

Bio to come

B2C2 Members

Board Members

Advisors

Acknowledgement

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