About the Authors

Kerry McCuaig

Fellow in Early Childhood Policy
kerry.mccuaig@utoronto.ca

Kerry McCuaig is the Fellow in Early Childhood Policy at the Atkinson Centre at OISE. She is co-author of Early Childhood Education Report 2014 with Emis Akbari, and of Early Years Study 3, Making Decisions, Taking Action with Margaret McCain and the late Fraser Mustard. Kerry has had a long involvement in early childhood policy development including as a founder of Toronto First Duty, a pioneer in the integrated delivery of early childhood programming.

She supports similar integrated ECE service models in Atlantic Canada working with the teams developing unique early learning models in Ontario and New Brunswick. She is an advisor to the government of the North West Territories and to the Funders Working Group. Kerry has authored several publications, including those commissioned by the Senate of Canada, the Toronto Board of Trade, the Government of Manitoba, the City of Toronto and several labour, women’s and community organizations.

Kerry is a mother of two daughters and a grandmother of three. Only one grandchild, the four year old, has access to early education.

Emis Akbari, Ph.D

Postdoctoral Fellow
emisakbari@gmail.com

Emis Akbari is a postdoctoral fellow at the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development and The Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development at OISE. She is co-author of Early Childhood Education Report 2014 with Kerry McCuaig. Emis has an extensive background in development at the neurobiological, hormonal, and behavioural levels as well expertise in the effects of early adversity on developmental outcomes. Emis has authored several publications in these areas.  She is the co-founder and member of the Board of Directors of The NayaSophia Foundation, supporting underprivileged, orphaned children in Haiti. Emis is a married mother of two.