Close
Facebook-f Linkedin-in Instagram Youtube
SMS or Email Preference
Facebook-f Linkedin-in Instagram Youtube

BLOG

Filter
Categories

From Germany to Ghana: One Provider’s Journey to Child Care

February 4, 2025

It started as a way to help her family, but now one provider in Western Washington has turned early childhood education into a career. For more than three decades Carol Morris has been involved in child care, and she is working with the Imagine Institute to help others start their own provider business. She also is planning an educational trip to Ghana. MEET CAROL Carol Morris grew up in the Chicago area and joined the military after High School. While she was

Read More

Imagine Spotlight Pierce County: Diego Ramos

April 8, 2024

The Imagine Institute helps support early learning providers all across Washington State, and like to keep track of the progress these providers are making. This week, we want to introduce you to Diego Ramos, who is helping kids in Pierce County, and helping to start a new trend in helping other providers in his community.   MEET DIEGO Diego lives in Tacoma and has been a licensed family home child care provider for about three years, but his training goes back even

Read More
A young woman with brown hair stands on a beach

Imagine Spotlight: Alexis Wynne

March 15, 2024

This week, we are excited to highlight Alexis Wynne, who runs a family home child care business in Auburn, Washington.   MEET ALEXIS Alexis grew up in the child care business. Her mother, Carli Meek, started Little Steps Discovery Zone when Alexis was 7 years old and her sister was a baby. When she was a young teenager, Alexis started volunteering at Little Steps. She took a break after graduating high school, but she soon found her way back to child care.

Read More
Two women, a mother and her adult daughter, sit in a car together

Imagine Spotlight: Carli Meek

March 11, 2024

This week, we are excited to highlight Carli Meek, the program manager for Imagine U and a longtime child care provider in Auburn, Washington.   MEET CARLI When Carli had her second daughter in 2004, she had just finished dental assistant school. But her plans quickly changed. Her sister also had a newborn, and the two enjoyed staying home with their babies so much, they decided to start a family home child care business. “I was able to stay home with my

Read More
A photo of a home child care space with blue tables and chairs and colorful rugs

Imagine Spotlight: Irma Acosta (in English and en español)

January 26, 2024

This week, we are thrilled to highlight Irma Acosta, who runs a family home child care business and a child care center in Brewster, Washington.   MEET IRMA Irma Acosta’s years of dedication to child care have made her a leader in her community. She has run her family home child care business, Happy Faces Daycare, for 20 years. In September 2023, she opened Bilingual Child Care Center as well. Her work has helped keep her area from being considered a child

Read More
A child making a pumpkin craft with glue, feathers and pompoms

Imagine Spotlight: Linda Leslie

October 31, 2023

This week, we are thrilled to spotlight Linda Leslie, owner of Sweet Pea’s Early Learning Place in Yelm, Washington. MEET LINDA Linda is a family child care provider and a state-approved peer Mentor who started her business 23 years ago! Linda grew up in Washington State and has lived in many communities in Western Washington. She worked as a preschool teacher before building her home in Yelm. Linda was seeking child care for her own two children when she decided to make

Read More

Program Spotlight: Shared Services Brings Child Care Providers Together

August 23, 2023

Child care providers across Washington build friendships and find support through the Shared Services Hub! Shared Services is a partnership between The Imagine Institute and the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. It connects licensed family child care providers and child care center directors to resources and services to help grow their businesses, build bonds with fellow providers, and access free training and expert advice. All licensed family child care providers and independent child care center directors in Washington State

Read More

Imagine Spotlight: Mumina Hassan

May 24, 2023

This week, we’re proud to feature Mumina Hassan, who is a lead mentor with the Imagine Institute, a state-approved trainer, and child care provider in Seattle. MEET mUMINA The Imagine Institute is supporting providers across Washington State, offering resources to help them learn more about child care and teaching them about the services they provide. This week, we want to introduce you to a lead mentor who has been with Imagine from the beginning, Mumina Hassan. FINDING HER PASSION Mumina came to

Read More
A photo of a woman with long brown hair and glasses

Imagine Spotlight: Marion Hedin

April 27, 2023

This week, we’re proud to feature child care provider Marion Hedin from Port Angeles. MEET MARION Marion Hedin has more than four decades of child care experience, including running Country Fun Childcare and Preschool LLC from her home in Port Angeles for the past 18 years. She had always enjoyed working with children, and becoming a child care provider gave her the opportunity to spend more time with her son when he was young. Over the years, she’s gained experience and expertise,

Read More
A Korean woman in a gray sweater plays at a table with two little girls

Imagine Spotlight: Eunae Cho

April 19, 2023

This week, we’re proud to feature Eunae Cho, who owns a family home child care business in Bellevue and is working with Imagine to become a state-approved trainer. MEET EUNAE Eunae Cho has always loved serving others and making people happy. Her first college degree and career were focused on hotel management. But when she became pregnant with her first child, she decided to study the Montessori method of early childhood education, and it changed her life. LEARNING AND GROWING Before her

Read More

From Germany to Ghana: One Provider’s Journey to Child Care

February 4, 2025

It started as a way to help her family, but now one provider in Western Washington has turned early childhood education into a career. For more than three decades Carol Morris has been involved in child care, and she is working with the Imagine Institute to help others start their own provider business. She also is planning an educational trip to Ghana. MEET CAROL Carol Morris grew up in the Chicago area and joined the military after High School. While she was

Read More

Imagine Spotlight Pierce County: Diego Ramos

April 8, 2024

The Imagine Institute helps support early learning providers all across Washington State, and like to keep track of the progress these providers are making. This week, we want to introduce you to Diego Ramos, who is helping kids in Pierce County, and helping to start a new trend in helping other providers in his community.   MEET DIEGO Diego lives in Tacoma and has been a licensed family home child care provider for about three years, but his training goes back even

Read More
A young woman with brown hair stands on a beach

Imagine Spotlight: Alexis Wynne

March 15, 2024

This week, we are excited to highlight Alexis Wynne, who runs a family home child care business in Auburn, Washington.   MEET ALEXIS Alexis grew up in the child care business. Her mother, Carli Meek, started Little Steps Discovery Zone when Alexis was 7 years old and her sister was a baby. When she was a young teenager, Alexis started volunteering at Little Steps. She took a break after graduating high school, but she soon found her way back to child care.

Read More
Two women, a mother and her adult daughter, sit in a car together

Imagine Spotlight: Carli Meek

March 11, 2024

This week, we are excited to highlight Carli Meek, the program manager for Imagine U and a longtime child care provider in Auburn, Washington.   MEET CARLI When Carli had her second daughter in 2004, she had just finished dental assistant school. But her plans quickly changed. Her sister also had a newborn, and the two enjoyed staying home with their babies so much, they decided to start a family home child care business. “I was able to stay home with my

Read More
A photo of a home child care space with blue tables and chairs and colorful rugs

Imagine Spotlight: Irma Acosta (in English and en español)

January 26, 2024

This week, we are thrilled to highlight Irma Acosta, who runs a family home child care business and a child care center in Brewster, Washington.   MEET IRMA Irma Acosta’s years of dedication to child care have made her a leader in her community. She has run her family home child care business, Happy Faces Daycare, for 20 years. In September 2023, she opened Bilingual Child Care Center as well. Her work has helped keep her area from being considered a child

Read More
A child making a pumpkin craft with glue, feathers and pompoms

Imagine Spotlight: Linda Leslie

October 31, 2023

This week, we are thrilled to spotlight Linda Leslie, owner of Sweet Pea’s Early Learning Place in Yelm, Washington. MEET LINDA Linda is a family child care provider and a state-approved peer Mentor who started her business 23 years ago! Linda grew up in Washington State and has lived in many communities in Western Washington. She worked as a preschool teacher before building her home in Yelm. Linda was seeking child care for her own two children when she decided to make

Read More

Program Spotlight: Shared Services Brings Child Care Providers Together

August 23, 2023

Child care providers across Washington build friendships and find support through the Shared Services Hub! Shared Services is a partnership between The Imagine Institute and the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. It connects licensed family child care providers and child care center directors to resources and services to help grow their businesses, build bonds with fellow providers, and access free training and expert advice. All licensed family child care providers and independent child care center directors in Washington State

Read More

Imagine Spotlight: Mumina Hassan

May 24, 2023

This week, we’re proud to feature Mumina Hassan, who is a lead mentor with the Imagine Institute, a state-approved trainer, and child care provider in Seattle. MEET mUMINA The Imagine Institute is supporting providers across Washington State, offering resources to help them learn more about child care and teaching them about the services they provide. This week, we want to introduce you to a lead mentor who has been with Imagine from the beginning, Mumina Hassan. FINDING HER PASSION Mumina came to

Read More
A photo of a woman with long brown hair and glasses

Imagine Spotlight: Marion Hedin

April 27, 2023

This week, we’re proud to feature child care provider Marion Hedin from Port Angeles. MEET MARION Marion Hedin has more than four decades of child care experience, including running Country Fun Childcare and Preschool LLC from her home in Port Angeles for the past 18 years. She had always enjoyed working with children, and becoming a child care provider gave her the opportunity to spend more time with her son when he was young. Over the years, she’s gained experience and expertise,

Read More
A Korean woman in a gray sweater plays at a table with two little girls

Imagine Spotlight: Eunae Cho

April 19, 2023

This week, we’re proud to feature Eunae Cho, who owns a family home child care business in Bellevue and is working with Imagine to become a state-approved trainer. MEET EUNAE Eunae Cho has always loved serving others and making people happy. Her first college degree and career were focused on hotel management. But when she became pregnant with her first child, she decided to study the Montessori method of early childhood education, and it changed her life. LEARNING AND GROWING Before her

Read More

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Sign up for all the latest
news and offers

The Imagine Institute believes in grassroots professional development that works for those working in early learning.

About Us

Quick Links

Contact

Get Social

Facebook-f Linkedin-in Instagram Youtube

© 2024 The Imagine Institute. All rights reserved.