nafcc.org -

  Term: 2012-2013

Election Bio — Since 2001, I have been advocating for and working on behalf of the profession of family child care. At the time, I was working as the Head Start Director for a small program in Birmingham Alabama that was implementing an innovative Head Start program by contracting exclusively with over 30 family child care providers in rural and urban areas of Jefferson County. Through this work, I was inspired to earn my most valued early childhood credential the family child care child development credential (CDA). Until then, I had been working primarily in center based programs. What I learned is that there are many "right" ways to provide high quality services to young children and family child care is a viable alternative for families. I am now working in Los Angeles, California as the Executive Director of Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services, Inc. Earlier this year I began collaborating with a local family child care association called Diversified Children's Network. This diverse group of family child care providers and I have secured $300,000.00 to implement a pilot Head Start family child care model in Los Angeles, CA. It is my hope that this model will be duplicated throughout the county where there are over 10,000 licensed family child care providers. I am completely devoted to making sure that the profession of family child care is recognized, visible, and firmly part of the larger early care and education field, which is a central part of the NAFCC mission. I also believe that the NAFCC Accreditation system is the center-piece of this mission to ensure high quality services for children and families across the country. As President, I will make sure that the momentum that was started by many of NAFCC’s past Presidents will continue and execute the office with the integrity, professionalism, and honor it deserves.