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.
“I ended up working at a gym. Long story short, they ended up putting me in the child care, because that’s just the vibe I gave. I was like, ‘You know, I don’t want to be doing this at a gym. I want to go back and work with my mom.’”
When Carli became an employee at the Imagine Institute, Alexis took over the family business. Now, she dreams of someday raising her own children at Little Steps.
Little Steps Discovery Zone
TEACHING CHILDREN, LEARNING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Alexis loves working with families and children at her child care business, especially seeing kids learn new things. One of her most rewarding experiences recently was connecting with a child who is nonverbal. Alexis took an American Sign Language class last year, and she has been teaching the child ASL.
“Today I saw, for the first time, her putting together words using her signs, and it made me cry a little bit.”
While running her business full-time, Alexis is also earning a degree in early childhood education from North Seattle College. There, she’s studying the child care crisis and burnout among educators.
CONNECTING WITH OTHER CHILD CARE PROVIDERS
Like her mom — who is now the program manager for Imagine U — Alexis has been involved with the Imagine Institute for several years.
The many trainings she has taken through Imagine have helped Alexis and the children she cares for. In 2019, she took classes in the PREPARE for Care program, an anti-racist and trauma-informed curriculum. More than four years later, she’s still using the things she learned.
One of her favorite experiences has been joining the Shared Services Hub. The Hub connects licensed family child care providers and child care center directors throughout the state with resources and services to help grow their business
Through the Hub, Alexis is part of a Community of Care. She meets once a month with a mentor, Roberta, to share experiences and advice.
Alexis is also a mentor to others through Imagine U, Imagine’s relationship-based mentorship program. She currently has one Intern learning the business.
“I’d like to mentor more people that want to open businesses closer to us. There’s a lot of daycares in Auburn that I know personally, but I think the surrounding areas like Federal Way and SeaTac really need them. So I can help grow the community, plus grow my business.”