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A graphic with the text "Join the Shared Services Hub" over a photo of several babies playing

Program Spotlight: Shared Services Brings Child Care Providers Together

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

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Imagine Spotlight: Mumina Hassan

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

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A photo of a woman with long brown hair and glasses

Imagine Spotlight: Marion Hedin

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,

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Imagine Spotlight: Eunae Cho

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

Imagine Spotlight: Basma Faraj

This week, we’re proud to feature Basma Faraj, a child care provider and Arabic community advocate in Washington. When she settled in Western Washington, Basma Faraj never dreamed of becoming a child care provider, but two decades later, she is now a Technical Assistant, a mentor, a trainer, and part of the Arabic Community of Care with Imagine. JOURNEY TO BECOMING A PROVIDER Basma grew up in Jordan with 8 siblings: two brothers, and six sisters. She then moved to the United

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Imagine Staff Spotlight: Renata Bryant

This week, we are proud to feature Renata Bryant, who is currently the new Community and Advocacy Specialist with Imagine. Meet Renata She has spent most of her life advocating for child care and families, and now Renata is bringing her skills to Imagine in a new position designed to help providers get the help and support they need. Renata Bryant is now the Community and Advocacy Specialist at Imagine and will serve as the voice between lawmakers and early learning providers.

Read More
Sabah Saed

Imagine Staff Spotlight: Sabah Saed

This week, we are proud to feature Sabah Saed, who is currently a Child Care Stabilization Grant Technical Assistance Program Lead. Meet Sabah Sabah Saed has been with the Imagine Institute for years, and says she is excited to still be a part of the great work they are doing. Sabah is currently one of the leads for the Child Care Stabilization Grant Technical Assistance Program, but she has had many different roles throughout her time with Imagine, and each step has

Read More

Imagine Spotlight: Tatiana Trujillo

This week, we are proud to feature child care provider Tatiana Trujillo. Meet Tatiana On Valentine’s Day, a 2-year-old girl in Tatiana Trujillo’s child care facility brought heart-shaped donuts to share with her classmates. Watching the girl’s excited face as she walked in with the box reminded Tatiana of why she loves working with small children. “It’s sometimes bad days, sometimes good days, but those kind of excitement for little things, it makes me excited,” she says. Moments like these show Tatiana

Read More

Imagine Spotlight: Gloria Vasquez Hernandez

This week and for International Women’s Day, we are proud to feature Imagine U lead mentor and state-approved trainer Gloria Vasquez Hernandez. Meet Gloria When Gloria Vasquez Hernandez decided to open a family child care businesses in Wenatchee, Washington, she knew she could provide a safe and caring space. She knew she could fill a need in her community. But she didn’t know how to become licensed. Gloria found herself frustrated with complex requirements and paperwork. She considered quitting, but pressed on

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Imagine Staff Spotlight: Pauli Owen

GET TO KNOW PAULI OWEN Meet Pauli, one of Imagine’s Interim Substitute Pool Directors! Pauli is a rock star who has experience in almost every program at Imagine. As a child care provider herself, Pauli first became involved with Imagine as a licensed provider. She later shared her expertise as an Imagine U mentor, encouraging her interns to become licensed themselves. After almost two years of driving outreach and engagement for the Substitute Pool, Pauli and her colleague, Christopher DeRuvo, recently stepped

Read More
A graphic with the text "Join the Shared Services Hub" over a photo of several babies playing

Program Spotlight: Shared Services Brings Child Care Providers Together

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

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

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

Imagine Spotlight: Eunae Cho

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

Imagine Spotlight: Basma Faraj

This week, we’re proud to feature Basma Faraj, a child care provider and Arabic community advocate in Washington. When she settled in Western Washington, Basma Faraj never dreamed of becoming a child care provider, but two decades later, she is now a Technical Assistant, a mentor, a trainer, and part of the Arabic Community of Care with Imagine. JOURNEY TO BECOMING A PROVIDER Basma grew up in Jordan with 8 siblings: two brothers, and six sisters. She then moved to the United

Read More

Imagine Staff Spotlight: Renata Bryant

This week, we are proud to feature Renata Bryant, who is currently the new Community and Advocacy Specialist with Imagine. Meet Renata She has spent most of her life advocating for child care and families, and now Renata is bringing her skills to Imagine in a new position designed to help providers get the help and support they need. Renata Bryant is now the Community and Advocacy Specialist at Imagine and will serve as the voice between lawmakers and early learning providers.

Read More
Sabah Saed

Imagine Staff Spotlight: Sabah Saed

This week, we are proud to feature Sabah Saed, who is currently a Child Care Stabilization Grant Technical Assistance Program Lead. Meet Sabah Sabah Saed has been with the Imagine Institute for years, and says she is excited to still be a part of the great work they are doing. Sabah is currently one of the leads for the Child Care Stabilization Grant Technical Assistance Program, but she has had many different roles throughout her time with Imagine, and each step has

Read More

Imagine Spotlight: Tatiana Trujillo

This week, we are proud to feature child care provider Tatiana Trujillo. Meet Tatiana On Valentine’s Day, a 2-year-old girl in Tatiana Trujillo’s child care facility brought heart-shaped donuts to share with her classmates. Watching the girl’s excited face as she walked in with the box reminded Tatiana of why she loves working with small children. “It’s sometimes bad days, sometimes good days, but those kind of excitement for little things, it makes me excited,” she says. Moments like these show Tatiana

Read More

Imagine Spotlight: Gloria Vasquez Hernandez

This week and for International Women’s Day, we are proud to feature Imagine U lead mentor and state-approved trainer Gloria Vasquez Hernandez. Meet Gloria When Gloria Vasquez Hernandez decided to open a family child care businesses in Wenatchee, Washington, she knew she could provide a safe and caring space. She knew she could fill a need in her community. But she didn’t know how to become licensed. Gloria found herself frustrated with complex requirements and paperwork. She considered quitting, but pressed on

Read More

Imagine Staff Spotlight: Pauli Owen

GET TO KNOW PAULI OWEN Meet Pauli, one of Imagine’s Interim Substitute Pool Directors! Pauli is a rock star who has experience in almost every program at Imagine. As a child care provider herself, Pauli first became involved with Imagine as a licensed provider. She later shared her expertise as an Imagine U mentor, encouraging her interns to become licensed themselves. After almost two years of driving outreach and engagement for the Substitute Pool, Pauli and her colleague, Christopher DeRuvo, recently stepped

Read More