Educators and Staff

Our staff are the heart of Emmanuel and we have a very low staff turnover. All staff members must have a valid First Aid and CPR certificate and are required to submit a clear vulnerable sector check before being hired. Emmanuel aims to hire and sustain a diverse workforce and actively recruits male, female, and non-binary educators and staff. We value and encourage the varied linguistic and cultural knowledge provided by our team.

The majority of our full time educators have a degree or diploma in Early Childhood Education (ECE). Non-RECE hired at Emmanuel typically have experience with children and/or another credential (OCT, Child and Youth Worker, etc).

All RECEs are required to be members in good standing with the College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE). The CECE regulates and governs Ontario’s Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) in the public interest. College of Early Childhood Educators. RECEs must adhere to the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice which sets out the professional knowledge, skills, values and expectations applicable to all registered early childhood educators (RECEs). It also communicates to RECEs and the public the scope and nature of the profession. As regulated professionals, RECEs are expected to act with integrity and adhere to the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice at all times within their workplace and the community. At Emmanuel, non-RECE educators are expected to follow the Code of Ethics as well.

Executive Director

Dana Bernhardt, RECE, BSc, MEd (she/her)

executivedirector@eabchildcare.com

Emmanuel at Brighton Location

Emmanuel at Brighton Location

Director of Operations

Kelly Birch-Baker, RECE, AECEO.C, Forest School Practitioner (she/her)

operationsdirector@eabchildcare.com

Supervisor

Bernice Eichorn, RECE (she/her)

supervisor@eabchildcare.com

Pedagogical Leader

Eva May, RECE, AECEO.C, Forest School Practitioner (they/them)

pedagogicalleader@eabchildcare.com

Assistant Supervisor and Admissions Coordinator

Jennifer Burns, RECE (she/her)

Heather Forrest (she/her) (as of Sept. 2025)

admissions@eabchildcare.com

Cooks

Robin Orton (she/her)

Kelly Thoresen (she/her)

Educators:

Seely Albrecht RECE (she/her)

Carrie Beech RECE (she/her)

Hailey Brodie RECE, Forest and Nature School Practitioner (she/her)

Ellie Bruce RECE (she/her)

Nita Bhatnagar (she/her)

Emilie Borghese RECE, Forest and Nature School Practitioner (she/her)

Jadeah Cohen RECE , Forest and Nature School Practitioner (she/her)

Denise Coleman RECE (she/her)

Dina Dias RECE (she/her)

Heather Forrest RECE (she/her)

Brooke Hagedorn RECE (she/her)

April Weatherbee RECE (she/her)

Lindsey Hartung RECE, Forest and Nature School Practitioner (she/her)

Taylor Adams Henderson RECE, FNSP in Training (she/her)

Kara Hogg RECE (she/her)

Faye Jantzi RECE, Forest and Nature School Practitioner (she/her)

Karuna Joshi RECE (she/her)

Anna Kempster RECE (she/her)

Lori Mar (she/her)

Fiona Mason RECE (she/her)

Isabelle Netherton RECE (she/her)

Marcia O’Rafferty RECE, Forest and Nature School Practitioner (she/her)

Karen Restrepo RECE (she/her)

Abir Salah (she/her)

Jessica Steffan RECE, Forest and Nature School Practitioner (she/her)

Sujatha Swaminathan RECE, Forest and Nature School Practitioner (she/her)

Katie Taveres RECE (she/her)

Kristina Xayavaly RECE, Forest and Nature School Practitioner (she/her)

Brittney Kudoba RECE (she/her)

Supply Educators

Helen Campbell RECE (she/her)

Devon Holdenbottle (he/him)

Sarah Eichorn (she/her)

Maddie Hughes (she/her)

Ashish Parekh (he/him)

Hailey Hagen RECE (she/her) FNS in training

Taylor Vass RECE (she/her)

Nadine Osmon (she/her)

Sky Owen (she/her)

Kenny Norris RECE (he/him)

Alyssa Buschert (she/her)

Taylor Carder PSW (she/her)

Tracey Growden Ba.B.Ed (she/her)

Jess Schnurr RECE (she/her)

Amarela Maja Fulan RECE, Forest and Nature School Practitioner (she/her)

Emmanuel at Sandhills Location

Supervisor

Jennifer Burns, RECE (she/her)

sandhillssupervisor@eabchildcare.com

Pedagogical Leader

Faye Jantzi, RECE, Forest School Practitioner (she/her)

SandhillsPL@eabchildcare.com

Assistant Supervisor and Admissions Coordinator

Lindsey Hartung, RECE, Forest School Practitioner (she/her)

SandhillsAS@eabchildcare.com

Cooks

TBD

Educators:

TBD

Students

Our Centre offers meaningful opportunities for university, college and high school students looking to complete research projects, practicum, or gain experience in the field of Early Childhood Education.