Martha Friendly

Research Associate

Childcare Resource and Research Unit

Martha Friendly is a policy researcher whose expertise is in early childhood education and child care and family policy.  She is Executive Director of the Childcare Resource and Research Unit, one of Canada’s key sources of child care data and policy analysis.  She has authored many reports, articles, chapters and several books and is a regular public commentator on ECEC policy. In 2015, Trent University awarded Martha an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. 

Selected publications 

Friendly, M. Iin press). Early childhood education and care: Early life. In D. Raphael (Ed.). Social Determinants of Health. Canadian Perspectives, 3nd edition. Toronto, ON: Canadian Scholars’ Press. 

Friendly, M., Grady, B., Macdonald, L., & Forer, B.  (2015). Early childhood education and care in Canada 2014.  Toronto, ON: Childcare Resource and Research Unit. Manuscript in preparation.

Friendly, M. (2015).  Taking Canada’s childcare pulse. Our Schools/Our Selves, Summer Issue. Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Friendly, M., & Prentice, S. (2012).  Policy, politics and provision of early childhood education and care.  In N. Howe & L. Prochner (Eds.). New Directions in Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada (2nd ed.). Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.

Friendly, M., & White, L. (2012). “No-lateralism”: Paradoxes in early childhood education and care policy in the Canadian federation. In H. Bakvis, & G. Skogsted (Eds.). Canadian Federalism: Performance, Effectiveness and Legitimacy (3nd ed.). Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press.