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The Imagine Institute Helps Provider Realize Her Dream

October 29, 2024

Helping with early childhood learning is a passion for many people across Washington State, but it can sometimes be difficult to learn all the tools or even get the correct licenses to run a business. Marycruz Contreras says Imagine helped her get through these roadblocks to realize her dream of running her own child care business. MEET MARYCRUZ Marycruz has been working in child care and early childhood learning for nearly three decades. In 2010, she started her journey to become a

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

Growing Up as the Child of a Provider

April 25, 2024

Imagine Institute’s Devon Allen shares his experience growing up with his mother’s child care at home for Take Your Child to Work Day. The fourth Thursday in April every year is National Take Your Child to Work Day. This year it falls on Thursday, April 25th. With the rise of working from home, a lot of children are getting new insight into what work looks like for their parents. For some of us, though, every day was Take Your Child to Work

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

Imagine U to Increase Child Care in the SeaTac Area

August 25, 2023

Every child in the SeaTac area deserves high-quality child care. The city’s partnership with the Imagine Institute’s Imagine U program will help train new licensed family child care providers and prepare them to start their own businesses serving SeaTac families. Imagine U is one of The Imagine Institute’s signature programs, pairing experienced and talented licensed child care providers with those interested in becoming licensed. Imagine U graduates have opened 562 new child care businesses statewide since the program started in 2017. Beginning

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

The Imagine Institute Helps Provider Realize Her Dream

October 29, 2024

Helping with early childhood learning is a passion for many people across Washington State, but it can sometimes be difficult to learn all the tools or even get the correct licenses to run a business. Marycruz Contreras says Imagine helped her get through these roadblocks to realize her dream of running her own child care business. MEET MARYCRUZ Marycruz has been working in child care and early childhood learning for nearly three decades. In 2010, she started her journey to become a

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

Growing Up as the Child of a Provider

April 25, 2024

Imagine Institute’s Devon Allen shares his experience growing up with his mother’s child care at home for Take Your Child to Work Day. The fourth Thursday in April every year is National Take Your Child to Work Day. This year it falls on Thursday, April 25th. With the rise of working from home, a lot of children are getting new insight into what work looks like for their parents. For some of us, though, every day was Take Your Child to Work

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

Imagine U to Increase Child Care in the SeaTac Area

August 25, 2023

Every child in the SeaTac area deserves high-quality child care. The city’s partnership with the Imagine Institute’s Imagine U program will help train new licensed family child care providers and prepare them to start their own businesses serving SeaTac families. Imagine U is one of The Imagine Institute’s signature programs, pairing experienced and talented licensed child care providers with those interested in becoming licensed. Imagine U graduates have opened 562 new child care businesses statewide since the program started in 2017. Beginning

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

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