Valerie Trew is a Registered Early Childhood Educator and has been a childcare policy expert for over 20 years, working in children’s services through child welfare, post-secondary education, regional government, early intervention, and early learning and childcare. She has practical experience developing and administering childcare policy at the regional level and teaching childcare policy at the post-secondary level.
As an expert for the Technical Assistance Partnership – Expert Deployment Mechanism (TAP-EDM) initiative, Valerie works alongside the Government of Mexico, collaborating with the National Institute for Women (INMUJERES) in partnership with other TAP experts on gender equality and social development and socio-economic analysis to develop a proposal for a sustainable early learning and childcare policy framework.
Taking on various roles, Valerie has a wide range of expertise. As the director of an early learning lab school, she implements childcare policy at the program level. As a faculty member for the Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Studies program at the University of Guelph-Humber, Valerie applies a social and environmental justice lens to policy, administration, and leadership studies. As a consultant, Valerie works with organizations on organizational identity, leadership development, and culture transformation through a lens of social justice, equity, and inclusion.
Based in Ontario, Valerie has co-authored and updated a widely used early childhood leadership and administration textbook. She currently sits on regional and provincial early learning and childcare committees and advisories. Valerie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Family & Child Studies, a Master of Arts in Leadership, and a Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition. She is completing doctoral studies in Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto.