Our Team
Get to know the experience, qualifications, and interests of our staff and volunteer board of directors.
Staff
Julie Bisnath | Executive Director
As a registered Social Worker, Julie has built her career working in the community directly supporting individuals and families. She has a broad knowledge of social services and extensive experience providing solution-focused and family-centered care, resources, and referrals. Julie is passionate about lifelong learning, community involvement, empowering others, and nurturing well-being. Prior to working with CCPRN, she worked as an Early ON program facilitator supporting parents and caregivers with young children. Julie’s professional experience has provided her with a thorough understanding of early childhood learning and development. She is the mother of two grown children and enjoys reading, photography, and travelling with her family.
Krystal Kirkwood | Resource & Outreach Coordinator
Krystal is a dedicated and experienced Registered Early Childhood Educator with a passion for fostering growth and development in young learners. With 17 years of experience in the field, she has had the privilege of working with children of various age groups, ranging from preschool to school age. Krystal has a strong commitment to professional development and knowledge sharing. She has developed and delivered engaging workshops for administrators, caregivers, parents, and educators, covering topics such as building connections, behaviour guidance, learning through play, and developing inquiries. Her workshops have been highly regarded, providing valuable insights and practical strategies for supporting children’s growth and development. Outside of her professional life, Krystal is a loving and devoted mother to three wonderful children.
Katie Bertrand | Resource & Outreach Coordinator
As a Registered Early Childhood Educator, Katie has a wealth of knowledge in the child care field. She has spent the last year as a Family Resource Worker in an EarlyON centre, delivering programs and services that support the needs of parents, caregivers, and children in the community. Katie has experience facilitating playgroups and providing educational services through workshops, presentations, and other training opportunities. Prior to that, she ran a very successful home child care business for 13 years. Katie is a mom to a 12-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old son – along with a four-legged furry 3-year-old lab who keeps her laughing every day.
Education Consultant
Doreen Cowin | Volunteer
Having graduated with a Master’s in Education with a focus on adult education and counseling, Doreen’s affinity for working in nurturing environments was instilled early on. Her career with CCPRN spanned more than 23 years and was preceded by six years of home child care experience which lends her an intimate understanding of the industry and the factors which impact it. Newly retired, Doreen graciously volunteers her time to CCPRN working on resource kits, filling orders, and participating on the fundraising committee. She is the mother of three and grandmother of two, and when she isn’t enjoying the outdoors or a game of pickleball, she’s spending time travelling with her husband or connecting with friends.
Board of Directors
Our volunteer board of directors come from a variety of professional backgrounds, but are united in their efforts to supervise and guide the efforts of CCPRN and its mission to provide information, training, resources, and support to those providing child care in a home setting.
Brenda Burns | President & Chair
Brenda grew up in a military family and has been a volunteer with CCPRN since 2001. In addition to owning and operating a successful home daycare since 1991, she once worked as an office manager for an architect. She is married with two children and has one grandchild. When not volunteering Brenda enjoys painting, nature and meeting new people. During her volunteer time with CCPRN, Brenda has had many roles including Board Secretary, Vice-President, and President/Chair. Once a Network leader, Childcare Connection facilitator, Childcare Connection Liaison Officer, and facilitator with the National Family Childcare Training Program, she now puts her time and energy towards advocating at the provincial level on behalf of home child care in Ontario.
Marion Butlin | Vice President and Secretary
Marion graduated with an education in business administration, and – upon discovering a passion for early learning after having her own child – returned to school to complete a program in early childhood education. She then worked in various child care centres before opening her own home child care. She joined CCPRN in 1996, and recently became affiliated with Natural Connections Childcare.
Andrea Gingras | Treasurer
A Board of Director since ’92, Andrea brings a nursing perspective (RN, ICU) to the Board and the membership. Past President, she currently serves as Treasurer. Her contributions as a strong advocate for quality home child care include varied workshop/training facilitator, Child Care Connection, and Warmline support.
Andrea represented CCPRN on the City of Ottawa’s Task Force on Home Child Care, the Child Care Council, and the Elora Pilot Project on Accreditation in HCC. She was also a consultant for “Well Beings; A Guide to Health in Child Care” (editor Danielle Grenier Denis Leduc Canaduan Paediatric Society 2008).
Andrea is a proud recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, presented in the House of Commons in 2013, for her significant commitment and service to the home child care community.
Board Consultants
Board Consultants come from a variety of professional backgrounds and are available to lend the Board their expertise in an advisory capacity. They support CCPRN’s mission by volunteering on committees, reviewing resources, and/or providing expert knowledge and guidance on a variety of topics related to the organization’s ongoing operations and/or strategic plan.
Volunteering as a Board Consultant provides community professionals with the ideal opportunity to support CCPRN without the traditional time commitments and responsibilities of being on the Board of Directors.
All CCPRN Board Consultants have the opportunity to put their skills and expertise to good use, directly assisting CCPRN in making a difference in the lives of Ontario home child care providers and the families they serve.
Interested in volunteering as a Board Consultant? Please email childcare@ccprn.com for more information.
Isabelle Desilets, BSc., RD | Registered Dietitian
As a Registered Dietitian, Isabelle is passionate about helping kids build a healthy relationship with food and ensuring that their bodies get all of the nutrients to help them grow and thrive. Isabelle has been working at CHEO, in various in-patient and out-patient departments since 2016. She has also interned with Ottawa Public Health where she helped created menu planning resources for child care providers.
Isabelle has called Ottawa home for her whole life. In her free time, she enjoys spending time at the cottage by the water, reading, and playing board games with her family and friends.
She is excited to be working with the Child Care Providers Resources Network to support home child care providers with their nutrition related inquiries.
Sophia Peralta, CHRP | Labour and Employee Relations
Sophia is a Certified Human Resources Professional with experience and expertise in recruitment, job classification, terminations, leaves of absence, accommodation, WSIB, coaching and performance management, training, labour relations, occupational health and wellness, and wellness and engagement initiatives.
Lisa Walker, Ph.D., C. Psych. | Clinical Neuropsychologist
Dr. Walker obtained her PhD in Psychology at the University of Windsor. She has worked as a Clinical Neuropsychologist at the Ottawa Hospital for over 20 years. She provides consultation services in an acute care in-patient setting where she conducts cognitive assessments for diagnostic, treatment planning and functional purposes, as well as capacity assessments under the Health Care Consent Act. Dr. Walker is also a Clinician Investigator with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute where she has a research program evaluating cognitive health in multiple sclerosis. She co-leads the Neurodegeneration Pillar and the Multiple Sclerosis Research Group with the University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the University of Ottawa, as well as an Adjunct Research Professor with both Psychology and Cognitive Science at Carleton University. She also has a private practice where she provides neuropsychological evaluations.
Stephanie Lovering, BSc. (Hon), BScPharm, PharmD, ACPR
Stephanie obtained her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and Post-Baccalaureate Doctor of Pharmacy degrees at the University of Toronto. She completed a hospital pharmacy residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. She currently works at The Ottawa Hospital as a Clinical Pharmacist within a multidisciplinary team that works to improve health outcomes in acutely ill general internal medicine patients. In her spare time she enjoys reading and spending time with her husband and three young daughters.