The Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC joins all those across BC, Canada and beyond who are mourning the untimely passing of Clyde Hertzman.

It is difficult to find words to capture the unique contribution that Clyde made to the public dialogue about and understanding of the importance of the early years. He literally put BC’s young children ‘on the map’.

For us, two things stand out. The first was Clyde’s connection with and belief in community. His well deserved degrees, titles and honours never got in the way of his respect for the work that early childhood educators, teachers, families and others do on the ground. He was genuine and approachable, always willing to engage in respectful dialogue about how best to move our common agenda forward.

Clyde’s willingness to draw out the public policy implications of his research was also very special. Whether it be the role supportive neighbourhoods play in fostering resilience, the value of universal approaches or the lack of affordable, quality child care – Clyde made sure that his research did not gather dust on a shelf. He was a strong and powerful spokesperson for change to improve the lives of young children and their families.

We extend our sympathies to Clyde’s family and colleagues. We will miss him deeply and will keep his energy and wisdom close to our hearts as we carry on the struggle.

Tributes to Clyde can be shared on the Human Early Learning Partnership website.