Who we are

The Childcare Resource and Research Unit has been developed and staffed by individuals with diverse backgrounds including early childhood education, psychology, library sciences, political science, women’s studies, sociology, labour unions and even the arts.

The CRRU staff is currently composed of an Executive Director, two staff and a web developer. CRRU also provides student field placements for several post-secondary institutions. Together, this group of individuals provides public education and policy analysis; consults on child care policy and research; produces papers and other resources; and provides extensive online resources and research through the website.

CRRU staff can be contacted using the contact form.

STAFF

Martha Friendly, Executive Director
Martha founded CRRU in 1983. She has been the coordinator of CRRU for more than 25 years. See About Martha Friendly for more information about Martha.

Shani Halfon, Research Officer
Shani provides research support to CRRU projects, researches and prepares website content, responds to information requests and supervises CRRU's placement students. Shani has a Master's degree in Early Childhood Studies from Ryerson University and a BA in Early Childhood Education.

Carolyn Ferns, Research Officer
Carolyn has worked at CRRU for nearly 10 years, starting as a placement student. Carolyn is now based in England but continues to provides research consultation for CRRU projects and web resources and is CRRU's voice on Twitter. Carolyn has a Master's degree in Early Childhood Studies from Ryerson University and a BA in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Public Administration.

Billie Carroll, Web Developer
Billie is responsible for design and development of the CRRU websites. She acts as a consultant to CRRU in effectively using the web, supports CRRU staff in creating web content, and designs related print materials. She has been helping non-profit organizations with their web presence since 1997. Billie lives and works in Roberts Creek, BC.