What is the future of school-age care—and what needs to change first?

In this episode of the Forgotten ECE Podcast, Jamie sits down with Cody Topp, owner of TOPP KIDS in Alberta, Chair of the School Age Care Directors Association (SACDA), and a passionate advocate for school-age care across Canada.

Together, they dive into the realities of before-and-after school programs, the ongoing struggle for recognition within the ECE sector, and the leadership, advocacy, and system changes needed to move school-age care forward.

From Alberta and Ontario perspectives to workforce challenges and program quality, this conversation is honest, thought-provoking, and packed with insight for educators, leaders, and advocates alike.

If you care about the future of school-age care, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

In This Episode:

• Cody Topp’s journey into school-age care leadership
• Why school-age care still struggles for recognition
• Alberta vs. Ontario perspectives on before-and-after school programs
• Leadership lessons from scaling large organizations
• The disconnect between leadership and frontline educators
• Advocacy and the future of school-age care in Canada
• What quality school-age programs should really look like
• What needs to change to better support educators and children

Cody Topp is the owner of TOPP KIDS in Alberta and Chair of the School Age Care Directors Association (SACDA). He is a passionate advocate for high-quality school-age care and has helped lead conversations around leadership, advocacy, and the future of out-of-school care programs across Canada.

🌐 School Age Care Directors Association (SACDA) ⁠https://www.calgarysacda.com⁠

💼 LinkedIn ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-topp/⁠

🏫 TOPP KIDS ⁠https://www.toppkids.com/family/cody-topp/⁠

🎙 Forgotten ECE Podcast 📸 Instagram: @forgottenecepodcast

Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with an educator or leader passionate about the future of school-age care.

#ForgottenECEPodcast #SchoolAgeCare #ECE #BeforeAndAfterSchool #ChildCareLeadership #OutOfSchoolCare #ECELeadership

About Today’s Guest: Connect with Cody Topp

Connect with the Forgotten ECE Podcast

Enjoying the Podcast?

Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with an educator or leader passionate about the future of school-age care.

#ForgottenECEPodcast #SchoolAgeCare #ECE #BeforeAndAfterSchool #ChildCareLeadership #OutOfSchoolCare #ECELeadership

🌟 Episode Overview

In this episode of The Forgotten ECE, Jamie sits down with Jenny Nechvatal — educator, author, and parent advocate — to explore one of the most challenging and impactful parts of our work: having hard conversations with families.

With over 30 years in early childhood education and 22 years of lived experience parenting children with disabilities, Jenny brings a powerful dual perspective that challenges educators to rethink how we approach communication with families.

This conversation is especially important for those working in before and after school programs, where time is limited, relationships are complex, and difficult conversations often feel rushed or avoided altogether.

• Why hard conversations feel so difficult for educators
• Why families may avoid or fear these conversations
• The emotional realities families experience — especially around diagnosis and support
• How an educator’s approach can either build trust or create distance
• Understanding Autism and sensory processing in everyday practice
• Shifting from “delivering information” to building relationships
• Practical strategies to approach conversations with confidence and care
• Why these conversations directly impact outcomes for children

• Perspective changes everything — understanding the parent experience transforms how we communicate
• Avoidance is often rooted in fear, not resistance
• Timing, language, and tone matter more than we think
• Relationships come before recommendations
• Small shifts in approach can lead to significantly better outcomes for children and families

Jenny Nechvatal holds a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood and has worked in the early childhood sector for over 30 years in both teaching and management roles.

Her work is deeply shaped by her lived experience as a parent of two children who live with disabilities. This perspective led her to write:

📘 Embracing Disability in Early Childhood – Supporting Children Living with a Disability and Their Families in Early Childhood Settings

Jenny now facilitates workshops for educators and families, helping build inclusive environments and strengthening communication between educators and families through empathy, knowledge, and practical strategies.

When educators feel confident having difficult conversations, families feel supported — and children benefit.

This episode is a reminder that how we communicate is just as important as what we communicate.

📧 Email: ⁠idsenquiries@outlook.com⁠ 📘 Book: Embracing Disability in Early Childhood 🎤 Workshops: Available for educators and families

If this episode resonated with you:

⭐ Follow the podcast ⭐ Share with a fellow educator ⭐ Tag us and let us know your biggest takeaway

Hard conversations don’t have to feel like conflict. With the right lens, they can become moments of connection, understanding, and meaningful support for the children and families we serve every day.

What happens after the school day ends?

In this episode of The Forgotten ECE, I sit down with Megan from Discover and Play to talk about something we don’t talk about enough in school-age programs — sensory needs, emotional regulation and designing programs for neurodivergence.

We dive into: ✨ Why sensory play isn’t just for early years — it’s essential for school-age children ✨ How to support emotional regulation and self-calming in before and after school programs ✨ Creating inclusive environments where every child can feel successful and seen ✨ Simple, realistic sensory strategies you can start using right away

This conversation is a powerful reminder that school readiness isn’t just academic — it’s emotional, social, and deeply connected to how children feel in their bodies.

💛 Connect with Megan: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discover_and_play/ YouTube: Discover and Play Book: https://a.co/d/0idxHycS

Connect with Megan on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@DiscoverandPlay-m1p

If you’re working in before and after-school programs, this episode will challenge you to rethink what children really need to thrive.

🎧 Listen now and let’s keep advocating for the children and educators who are too often forgotten.

#TheForgottenECE #SchoolAgeCare #BeforeAndAfterSchool #ECE #EmotionalRegulation #SensoryPlay #InclusionMatters

Episode Summary: In this episode of The Forgotten ECE, Miss Jamie is pulling back the curtain on the "3:00 PM Cliff"—the exact moment when provincial support for children with diverse abilities vanishes, leaving Before and After School (BASC) educators and summer camp leaders stranded.

We’re diving deep into the systemic exclusion that tells 1 in 10 families their child is "too diverse" for community programming. Why is a child entitled to support at 2:59 PM but expected to navigate a loud, high-sensory gym alone at 3:01 PM?

In this episode, we discuss:

• The "Magic Act": How funding models pretend diverse abilities disappear when the school bell rings.
• Jet Fuel vs. Joint Support: A spicy reality check on provincial spending—if there's a budget for private jets, there's a budget for our kids.
• The Continuity of Care Revolution: Why the "Seamless Day" model is the only way to provide professional dignity to ECEs and emotional safety to children.
• The Mandated Bridge: Why "hand-offs" shouldn't feel like a game of telephone.

Call to Action: It’s time to stop being "forgotten." Miss Jamie shares how you can take this fight to your MPP to demand portable funding and systemic change.

Special Announcement: Ready to bring the fun back to your practice? Miss Jamie introduces Camp North of Ordinary, a retreat for RECEs and Recreational Leaders designed to help you reclaim your confidence, find relief from burnout, and master the art of real, neurodiversity-affirming inclusion.

Show Notes & Resources:

• Stat of the Week: 1 in 10 parents of children with diverse abilities are denied care due to a lack of resources.
• Get Involved:
  • Find your MPP: Use the Ontario MPP Directory to get your representative's email.
  • Send the Letter: Copy and paste our pre-written advocacy letter found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UQoNnmE_YliwEJjgi_jYg1sU-3JpCPTonbzMj8CwrLw/edit?usp=sharing
  • Share: Once you’ve sent it, tag @TheForgottenECE on socials so we can track the movement!
• Join the Movement: Register for the next Camp North of Ordinary retreat: https://www.missjamieconsulting.com/campnorth
• Follow Miss Jamie:
  • www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-lee-wagler-871773165
  • https://www.instagram.com/missjamie_rece/

Keywords: #TheForgottenECE #BASC #EarlyChildhoodEducation #Neurodiversity #Inclusion #SeamlessDay #OntarioEducation #ECEBurnout #CampNorthOfOrdinary

In this episode of The Forgotten ECE Podcast, Jamie sits down with developmental psychologist and EdTech innovator Yarden Kedar to explore what it really feels like for bilingual children entering English-speaking environments.

Drawing from both his research and personal experience as a parent, Yarden shares powerful insights into the social and emotional challenges children face in their first months of language transition — from navigating friendships to expressing identity without words.

Together, they unpack:

• What educators often miss when supporting bilingual children
• The hidden emotional load of language acquisition
• How gestures, relationships, and environment shape belonging
• Practical ways educators can create safer, more inclusive spaces

This conversation is a must-listen for anyone working in before and after school programs — where communication goes far beyond language, and connection is everything.

On today's episode, we welcome Kayla Snidal, the founder of Capable Learners and an experienced early childhood educator with over 15 years in the field.

Main topics:

• Creating adaptable and inclusive sensory bins for all ages
• The benefits of sensory play for regulation, creativity, and leadership
• Tips for managing the mess and making sensory activities low-stress
• How to incorporate community resources and recycled materials
• Building an emergent curriculum based on children's interests

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Introduction to Kayla Snidal and her background in early childhood education
• 00:45 - Inspiration behind her new ebook, '57 Sensory Bin Ideas'
• 02:19 - The importance of adaptable sensory activities for different materials and budgets
• 04:01 - Finding sensory materials through thrift stores, community groups, and reuse stores
• 07:43 - Addressing the gap in family day home sensory opportunities
• 10:24 - How older children can support and lead during sensory activities
• 12:24 - The role of sensory play in fostering autonomy, leadership, and fun
• 13:29 - Favourite sensory bins for school-aged children and their messy, creative appeal
• 14:59 - Embracing messy, builder-style sensory play to develop problem-solving
• 20:36 - Strategies for managing mess and stress when introducing sensory bins
• 22:01 - Adapting sensory play for different age groups and classroom settings
• 23:14 - Encouraging children to try new sensory activities without stigma
• 24:08 - School-age expectations for sensory play and their creative uses
• 25:28 - Introducing sensory bins in out-of-school care to boost engagement
• 29:56 - Personal story: A memorable sensory bin experience with coffee beans
• 33:44 - The importance of advocating for the role of sensory play for school-aged children
• 34:14 - How to access Kayla’s ebook, resources, and exclusive discount code
• 35:16 - Final thoughts and encouragement for educators to embrace sensory play in their craft

Resources & Links

• Beyond the Bin - Virtual Workshop
• Wesbite
• 57 Sensory Bin Ideas ebook (use code: bins5 for $5 off)

Connect with Kayla:

• Instagram
• Website

Have you ever noticed how a child who was “fine” at school completely unravels in your program at 3:30?

The tears. The shutdown. The explosive reaction over something small.

It’s not random. And it’s not because your program is the problem.

In this episode, we unpack the hidden emotional cost of “holding it together” all day at school — and why before and after school programs often become the place where everything spills out.

We explore:

• What masking looks like in school-age children
• Why behavior escalates after dismissal
• The neurological toll of constant self-regulation
• The added pressures kids are carrying today — technology, peer dynamics, bullying, academic workload, unrealistic expectations
• Why your program often becomes the safe landing zone

But this conversation doesn’t stop at understanding.

We go deeper into what actually helps.

You’ll walk away with practical strategies for:

• Co-regulation with 6–12 year olds (without treating them like preschoolers)
• Adjusting your emotional stance so you don’t escalate the situation
• Creating decompression rituals after school
• Supporting nervous system resets through the environment and programming
• Recognizing when behaviour is communication, not defiance

We also talk about the impact of your regulation — how your tone, posture, pacing, and response style directly influence whether a child stabilizes or spirals.

School-age children are navigating more complexity than ever before. They are managing social media exposure, peer comparison, academic demands, and social pressure — often without the emotional scaffolding to process it all.

Before and after school programs have a powerful opportunity: not just to supervise time, but to provide nervous system safety.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the intensity of after-school behaviour, this episode will help you see it differently — and respond in ways that build resilience instead of resistance.

Because sometimes the meltdown isn’t misbehaviour.

It’s a relief.

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE: https://miss-jamie-consulting.kit.com/2d1b0877c0

Moving from early years to school age can feel like an identity crisis.

In preschool, you’re needed constantly — tying shoes, regulating emotions, leading the room. Then suddenly you’re in a school-age program, and no one wants your planned activity. They’re building forts, forming friend groups, and asking, “Is it mandatory?”

What happened?

In this episode, we unpack the “independence shock” educators experience when transitioning to ages 4–12. We break down why autonomy isn’t rejection — it’s development. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and school-age research, we explore the shift from directing to offering, from compliance to choice-based programming, and from being the center of the room to becoming the architect of the environment.

You’ll walk away with:

• A clear understanding of why school-age children resist adult-led control
• The difference between offering invitations and directing participation
• Practical strategies for planning without micromanaging
• A new way to measure success in before and after-school programs

If you’ve ever thought, “They don’t need me like preschoolers did,” this episode is your reset.

They don’t need you the same way.

And that’s exactly the point.

Your ticket to elevated school-age PD is one click away! Join me at Camp North of Ordinary for a Summer Camp Leadership Retreat, designed for educators who work with School Agers! Whether that is before and after-school programs or summer camp! More information here: missjamieconsulting.com/campnorth