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Providers Find Community in Kitsap County

February 18, 2025

Child care and early learning have one of the strongest communities in any professional field. It’s an industry built on togetherness and support where families, providers, and supporting organizations alike come together to benefit the youth across Washington State. In Kitsap County, Elisha Rhodes, Catalina María Escamilla Fonseca, and Tenika Williams are part of a strong early learning community connected by their work with the Imagine Institute. MEET ELISHA, CATALINA, AND TENIKA Elisha Rhodes began her journey toward licensure five years ago

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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

Increasing Child Care Access in Whatcom County

August 28, 2024

The Imagine Institute and Whatcom County Health and Community Services are working together to support working families by increasing access to licensed child care, right in your community. Know someone in Whatcom County who would like to join Imagine U this year and start their own family home child care business? This program takes only 10 months and provides compensation for hands-on learning! About Imagine U Imagine U is a relationship-based mentorship program designed to increase the number of licensed family child

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
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

Imagine Spotlight: Mirna Cartagena

January 17, 2023

This week, we’re proud to feature Mirna Cartagena, serving as a mentor and child care provider in Washington. MEET MIRNA Family is very important to Mirna Cartagena, so when she started working with her sister at the home of a child care provider, she knew it was something she was passionate about and was eager to learn more. COMING TO THE UNITED STATES Mirna grew up in El Salvador and is the oldest of four sisters. She got an education there, and

Read More

Providers Find Community in Kitsap County

February 18, 2025

Child care and early learning have one of the strongest communities in any professional field. It’s an industry built on togetherness and support where families, providers, and supporting organizations alike come together to benefit the youth across Washington State. In Kitsap County, Elisha Rhodes, Catalina María Escamilla Fonseca, and Tenika Williams are part of a strong early learning community connected by their work with the Imagine Institute. MEET ELISHA, CATALINA, AND TENIKA Elisha Rhodes began her journey toward licensure five years ago

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

Increasing Child Care Access in Whatcom County

August 28, 2024

The Imagine Institute and Whatcom County Health and Community Services are working together to support working families by increasing access to licensed child care, right in your community. Know someone in Whatcom County who would like to join Imagine U this year and start their own family home child care business? This program takes only 10 months and provides compensation for hands-on learning! About Imagine U Imagine U is a relationship-based mentorship program designed to increase the number of licensed family child

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
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

Imagine Spotlight: Mirna Cartagena

January 17, 2023

This week, we’re proud to feature Mirna Cartagena, serving as a mentor and child care provider in Washington. MEET MIRNA Family is very important to Mirna Cartagena, so when she started working with her sister at the home of a child care provider, she knew it was something she was passionate about and was eager to learn more. COMING TO THE UNITED STATES Mirna grew up in El Salvador and is the oldest of four sisters. She got an education there, and

Read More

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