Canadian Child Care Advocate Krystal Churcher Wins International Stevie® Award for Thought Leadership

CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, October 20, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Association of Canadian Early Learning Programs (ACE) is proud to announce that Krystal Churcher, Chair of ACE and founder of the Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs, has been named a Stevie^® Award winner in the prestigious 2025 Stevie^® Awards for Women in Business.

Churcher was recognized in the highly competitive category “Female Thought Leader of the Year – Government or Non-Profit in All Other Nations.” This international honour underscores the national influence of ACE in advocating for urgent, operational reforms to Canada’s early learning and child care system.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business are the world’s premier honours for women executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and the organizations they lead. Churcher’s placement — selected from more than 1,600 entries from 26 nations — signals growing international attention to the challenges and policy solutions emerging from Canada’s child care sector.

“This recognition is validation that the fight for sustainable, inclusive child care is resonating far beyond Canadian borders,” said Churcher. “I am honoured to accept this award on behalf of the thousands of licensed educators, providers, and parents who are fighting every day for a system that works in practice, not just on paper. As we approach critical negotiations on the national child care agreement, this award strengthens our resolve to demand equitable treatment for all licensed providers and the families they serve.”

Through her leadership, ACE has become a leading voice for operational reality in national child care policy, relentlessly advocating for:

➡️Sustainable and transparent funding models that reflect the true cost of quality care.
➡️Inclusive policies that ensure equal treatment for all licensed providers, regardless of ownership model.
➡️Practical solutions to address the growing crisis of waitlists and educator retention.
➡️Parental choice through funding models that empower families to choose the care that best fits their needs — nonprofit, private, or home-based — without government-imposed limitations.

Churcher will travel to New York City to formally receive her award at the Stevie Awards banquet on Monday, November 10th, at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square.

About ACE
The Association of Canadian Early Learning Programs (ACE) is a unified coalition of licensed childcare providers across Canada — from home-based care to nonprofit centres and private operators. ACE advocates for a childcare system that is accessible, high-quality, affordable, and above all, sustainable. As frontline providers, ACE members bring firsthand experience and practical insight to the national conversation on childcare policy. United in our commitment to families, educators, and communities, we believe the $10-a-day promise can only be fulfilled through inclusive, well-funded, and collaborative policymaking that respects the diversity of care models and the professionals who make early learning possible.


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Krystal Churcher, Chair
The Association of Canadian Early Learning Programs (ACE)
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