Early Childhood Education (ECE)
Workforce Consulting & Advisory Services
Supporting sustainable, culturally responsive early learning systems
I bring a unique blend of hands-on early childhood experience, workforce development expertise, research, and systems-level consulting to organizations working to strengthen the Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce, particularly in community-based and public-interest contexts.
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My work is grounded in relationship-building, respect for community knowledge, and practical strategies that support both ECE professionals and those that rely on them.
Background in ECE & Workforce Development
My career has been shaped by a deep commitment to early learning, child development, and the people who make quality ECE possible.
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I hold advanced training in educational psychology, human relations, and adult learning, with professional experience spanning:
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Early learning and child development systems
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Workforce development and professional learning
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Organizational and program consulting
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Interdisciplinary collaboration with educators, therapists, and community organizations
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Supporting practitioners navigating complex systems, capacity challenges, and change
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I have worked closely with ECE professionals, families, and organizations to support quality, sustainability, and workforce wellbeing, while balancing real-world constraints such as funding, staffing shortages, and policy requirements.
Research & Publications
My academic and applied research has focused on professional identity, beliefs, and practice in early learning environments, with a particular interest in how systems support, or hinder, the ECE workforce.
Selected publications include:
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Play in Early Learning Programs: Beliefs, Practices and Professional Development (2012)
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From Child-Minders to Professionals: Insights From an Action Research Project on Prince Edward Island – Journal of the Canadian Association for Young Children (2015)
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This research continues to inform my consulting approach, ensuring that recommendations are:
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Evidence-informed
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Practitioner-centered
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Sensitive to context, culture, and lived experience
ECE Workforce Consulting & Advisory Services
I support organizations seeking to strengthen, stabilize, and future-proof their ECE workforce through strategic, relational, and practical consulting.
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Areas of focus include:
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Workforce Strategy & Planning
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ECE workforce needs assessments
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Workforce mapping and role clarity
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Recruitment and retention strategies
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Career pathways and progression frameworks
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Workforce sustainability planning
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Professional Learning & Capacity Building
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Design of professional development frameworks
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Facilitation of learning sessions or workshops
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Mentorship and coaching models for ECE professionals
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Supporting reflective practice and professional identity development
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Systems Navigation & Coordination
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Bridging policy, funding, and frontline practice
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Supporting collaboration across communities and partners
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Translating system requirements into practical, on-the-ground strategies
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Acting as a connector between leadership, practitioners, and stakeholders
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Advisory & Relationship-Based Work
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Trusted advisor support for leadership teams
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Community-informed engagement approaches
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Relationship-building with ECE professionals and partner organizations
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Supporting change initiatives with care and clarity
Founder & Lead Consultant
Jessica McKenna is the founder of Acorn Avenue Consulting and an experienced Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce consultant, researcher, and advisor.
Jessica brings a combination of research expertise, systems-level thinking, and grounded, relationship-based practice to her work. Her background spans early learning, child development, workforce development, adult education, and organizational consulting, with a particular focus on supporting the people and systems that sustain quality ECE.
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She holds a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Human Relations and is the author of peer-reviewed research examining professional identity, beliefs, and practice in early learning environments. Her work has been published in the Journal of the Canadian Association for Young Children and continues to inform her consulting approach today.
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Jessica is known for her ability to bridge policy, research, and frontline realities, helping organizations design workforce strategies that are practical, respectful, and responsive to community context. She works collaboratively with leadership teams, practitioners, and partners to support sustainable workforce development grounded in trust, clarity, and long-term impact.
What working together looks like
I typically work with organizations in a contract or consulting capacity, allowing for flexibility, sustainability, and high-impact engagement.
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Engagement models may include:
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Ongoing advisory support (retainer-based)
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Defined-scope consulting projects
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Workforce strategy development and implementation support
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Facilitation of professional learning or planning sessions
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Combination models tailored to organizational needs
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My approach is:
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Collaborative, not prescriptive
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Respectful of community and practitioner knowledge
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Practical and outcomes-focused
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Grounded in relationship-building and trust​​
Acorn Avenue Consulting respectfully acknowledges that this work takes place on the unceded and unsurrendered lands of the Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) and Mi’kmaq Peoples, whose stewardship of this land continues today.
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I recognize that early learning, caregiving, and community knowledge have always existed here, long before formal systems, policies, or institutions. This acknowledgement is offered with a commitment to ongoing learning, humility, and respect, and to engaging in work that honours community knowledge, supports self-determination, and contributes to more equitable and culturally responsive early learning systems.
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