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 the U.S. in 2008, and quickly realized her passion for early childhood education. In just two short years, she got her license and became a provider in Western Washington.

“I love working with children and families of different cultural backgrounds. I also lead a program to help support children in getting ready for kindergarten.”

In 2017, Mumina heard about Imagine from anther provider who had just opened a child care business with help from Imagine U, so Mumina decided to try it out. She then got into the peer-mentorship program, helping her fellow Somali community learn how to be providers and learn more about the business side of things.

“When I was a mentor, everything was challenging in the beginning, so I got a lot of training and technology help from Imagine that helped me become a better provider and a better help to other people.”

A NEW JOURNEY WITH IMAGINE

In 2019, Mumina officially became a state-approved trainer, just before the pandemic started. She says it was a little difficult to help people at first because everything was virtual, not in-person, but she quickly found ways to help people looking to become providers.

“I would say Imagine is a good place where all providers can go for help. Whether its training, whether its classes, all providers should go to Imagine because they are going to get better support.”

Mumina is now a lead mentor with Imagine U, showing people the resources offered through Imagine, and how to get started. This is also her third year leading the Somali cohort of would-be providers. With her help, last year 32 of the 36 participants in her cohort became licensed child care providers.

“Imagine is the center for all people in the community and Imagine is ready to help anyone. Anytime you contact them, they are willing to offer support.”

She says when she started her child care business, Imagine was not around to help her through the licensing process of how to fill out the proper forms or provide any of the training she needed to become a licensed provider.

“People who open their child care now are so lucky because they have Imagine. They even show them how to do everything, all in their own language. They are already teachers basically before they even start their business.”

Mumina is a proud mother and loves spending time with her family. She is now studying to get her bachelor’s degree in early childhood learning. She is expected to graduate in 2024.

“Imagine helped me in my professional development, and my business. I would not have been where I am in my career and my community without Imagine.”