As 2025 draws to a close, we reflect on a year marked by hard truths and hopeful progress. While progress at the federal level has been limited, with funding delays and a prolonged government shutdown, states have taken the lead. Across the country, bold action and policy victories at the state level remind us that change is possible when educators, families, and advocates organize together. These local wins offer valuable lessons and a clear path forward for building a stronger and more equitable child care system.

This year, family child care (FCC) educators had a seat at the table—meeting with congressional staffers, joining Hill visits, and mobilizing for A Day Without Child Care. Their voices shaped national conversations and strengthened the call for bold, sustained investment in the early care and education system.

Big Wins in State Policy

New Mexico
On November 1, New Mexico became the first state in the nation to guarantee universal child care for all residents, regardless of income. Families stand to save up to $12,000 annually in child care costs and committed to a mixed delivery system that includes family child care educators, family, friend, and neighbor caregivers, and other community-based programs.

NAFCC State Representative Olga Grays played a powerful role in the movement for change. A family child care educator in Albuquerque, Olga helped fight for more than a decade to make this possible. You can read more about her advocacy and impact in our recent blog: In Their Own Words: Olga Grays, New Mexico.

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Connecticut

Approved the creation of an Early Childhood Endowment to expand the state-funded Early Start program. The endowment is projected to grow to over $1 billion within 3–5 years, supporting educator wage increases, a health care subsidy, 20,000 new infant/toddler and Pre-K spaces, eliminating copays for families under $100,000, and capping costs at 7 percent for families with higher incomes.

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Texas

Finalized a state budget that includes $100 million in unexpended TANF funds to support child-care scholarships administered by the Texas Workforce Commission—helping reduce waitlists for families across the state.

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Massachusetts

In 2025, the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care increased reimbursement rates for child care providers who accept state Child Care Financial Assistance. This increase strengthens financial stability for family child care educators and expands access for families statewide.

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Accross the Nation

States are creating dedicated trust funds for early care and education, recurring stable, long-term funding beyond yearly budgets. The Alliance for Early Success reports progress on early-childhood policies in all 50 states, including wage raises, expanded eligibility, and new funding sources for family child care and early learning.

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Family Child Care Wins

California – Home-Based FCC Providers’ Contract

Home-based providers in California, through the union Child Care Providers United (CCPU), ratified a 2025–2028 contract that secures stabilization pay, cost-of-living adjustments, health care coverage, and retirement benefits for family child care educators.

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Michigan

The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) awarded $2.6M to support the creation of Family Child Care Network Hubs across the state. These hubs will provide technical assistance, business support, and professional development tailored specifically to family child care educators.

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Continued Momentum for Early Care & Education

Child care continues to be a winning issue. Voters in multiple communities approved new funding mechanisms for early care in 2025, showing that investment in child care resonates at the local level.
(Children’s Funding Project)

A national review of state legislative sessions found that 47 states had an opportunity to pass budgets last year, and many included meaningful supports for child care and early learning despite the absence of new federal relief.
(Child Care Aware of America)

New York City elected a mayor who ran on a platform of universal childcare. Connecticut, New Mexico, Texas, and Virginia have made bold investments that demonstrate what’s possible when early educators, families, and advocates collaborate to build power at the state level.

These victories send a clear message to Congress: families are demanding action, and the time for federal investment is now.

Eboni Delaney, Director of Policy and Movement Building, NAFCC

After 43 days of a federal government shutdown, the country slowly reopened, yet the ripple effects of those weeks will not disappear overnight. The shutdown’s reach went far beyond politics and affected families, child care programs, and the community supports that make daily life possible.

When subsidy payments and food assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) were delayed, family child care educators stepped in once again. In homes across the country, they continued to care for children, support families, and keep communities steady, even as uncertainty mounted.

We’ve seen this before, during the COVID-19 Pandemic. When the world shut down in 2020, child care did not. Family child care and other early educators showed up day after day because care cannot pause. These small business owners and educators, overwhelmingly women and disproportionately women of color, held their communities together through crises that revealed just how essential child care is to every part of the economy.

According to PHI National, women and people of color make up the vast majority of the direct care workforce, yet face some of the lowest wages and least stable job conditions. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research has found that while women’s employment has rebounded since the pandemic, caregiving burdens persist, keeping inequities alive in the very system that sustains working families.

During the shutdown, family child care educators once again filled the gaps left by stalled programs and delayed benefits. Through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), they continued serving nutritious meals every day, ensuring children received consistent nourishment even as household benefits were delayed. For many families, these meals were a lifeline. In FY2023, CACFP reached over 4.4 million participants daily, serving billions of meals nationwide.

Family child care educators are upholding the stability of entire communities. Their work supports working parents, anchors local economies, and nurtures children during critical stages of development. These educators operate with consistency, care, and commitment in a system that too often undervalues their contribution.

This consistency matters. In moments when public assistance falters, family child care educators remain one of the last lines of stability for children, by providing both food and care in safe, nurturing home-like environments. Yet, while they shoulder these responsibilities, many still struggle with their own financial insecurities and low wages.

While some argue that child care should remain a private responsibility within the home, that notion overlooks the economic conditions created by public policy. In a system where wages stagnate, costs rise, and support is scarce, families are not opting out of caring for their own children by choice. They’re navigating a landscape shaped by political decisions that have made outside care a necessity for survival.

When household safety nets break, child care absorbs the shock. But it shouldn’t have to. We cannot continue to rely on an underpaid and overextended workforce to compensate for policy failures. The same educators who support our families deserve policies that sustain their funding for CACFP, fair reimbursement rates, timely payments, and wages that reflect their essential role.

Child care doesn’t stop for shutdowns, snow days, or political stalemates. It moves quietly and steadily, teaching, feeding, and nurturing while the rest of the world debates. Educators operate without pause because their work is tied to human need.

Now that the government has reopened, policymakers must match that same urgency. The path forward requires sustained federal investment, strengthening programs like SNAP, CACFP, and the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), guaranteeing on-time payments even during future shutdowns, and funding grant programs that stabilize family child care businesses.

The call to action remains simple: treat child care as the foundation it is. Contact your representatives, share the stories of family child care educators in your community, and demand that budgets reflect the priorities of these educators. When child care is supported, families and the entire economy thrive.

Budgets may stall and debates may drag on, but the truth remains the same: the economy runs on child care. And although the nation continued to move forward for 43 days without a functioning government, it was not without serious consequences. Likewise, parents going even a portion of that time without child care would face immediate consequences and far-reaching impacts on their jobs, their stability, and their families.

Eboni Delaney is the Director of Policy and Movement Building at the National Association for Family Child Care, and a Public Voices Fellow of the OpEd Project in Partnership with the National Black Child Development Institute.

Written by Eboni Delaney, Interim Director of Policy and Movement Building, NAFCC

“I want to know what I can do to get more Indiana family child care educators involved.”

For the past seven years, Deondra Stewart has provided steady and reliable care to children and families in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She operates a family child care program that families trust. Her work offers the kind of consistency that helps parents maintain employment, manage life transitions, and keep their households stable. The environment she has built is a support system shaped by relationships, reliability, and a deep commitment to the families she serves.

This year, that stability is being tested by statewide changes to the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) vouchers, which are federally funded and state-managed. Indiana has significantly reduced reimbursement rates, creating financial strain for both families and educators. Assistance has been cut by as much as 98 percent in some cases, with subsidy amounts that no longer reflect the actual cost of care. One educator in Deondra’s area now receives six dollars per week for a school-age child. These reductions have forced family child care programs to reconsider whether they can continue serving families who rely on vouchers, placing them in a difficult position of searching for new care options in a limited market.

Deondra is seeing the impact firsthand. Educators in her area are now sharing that they would rather not accept CCDF vouchers because the new rates do not cover the cost of food, materials, or staffing needed to run a program. She understands the financial reality, but she also understands the impact these decisions have on families. Deondra has chosen to continue accepting vouchers, even when the funding falls short, because she knows the importance of stable, familiar care environments. As she explains, “Some parents faced providers who decided to stop taking state-funded vouchers, but I cannot do that because I know it would leave thousands of children without care.”

Rather than feeling defeated, Deondra has taken action. Over the past several months, she has supported other providers who organized three rallies in Fort Wayne to raise awareness about the impact of voucher reductions. These events provided an opportunity for educators, families, and community members to share their experiences openly and advocate for more equitable solutions at the state level. Deondra invited Indiana State Representative Kyle Miller from District 82 to speak with providers about the impact of these voucher cuts on families and providers. Alongside that work, Deondra has begun reaching out to family child care educators across Indiana to strengthen connections and build a broader network of support.

She believes that family child care must be included in conversations about funding, policy, and long-term planning. Reflecting on the work ahead, she shared, “I want to know what I can do to get more Indiana family child care educators involved.”

In August of 2023, Deondra spoke at the Indiana Statehouse for the Childcare Summer Study Commission on the impact of affordable childcare. Deondra continues to support families as a Community Navigator for Mothers on the Rise. This role is through a Grassroots Maternal and Child Health Initiative through the IU School of Medicine. Her work supports women returning to their communities after incarceration as they face navigating challenging life transitions. Her program is a nurturing place for children and a source of support for parents to rebuild their lives. She understands how deeply child care is tied to community well-being and how policy decisions made without educator input can create far-reaching consequences.

Although these voucher reductions are being implemented at the state level, Deondra recognizes that they reflect broader issues within the federal child care system. As of November 2025, there are over 31,000 children under the age of 6 in Indiana who are in need of childcare. The way CCDF funding is allocated and administered directly affects the sustainability of programs like hers. When decisions are made without engaging those providing the care, communities feel the impact immediately. These policy shifts show up in weekly budgets, enrollment decisions, and the difficult conversations families have when their child care options suddenly change.

When Deondra felt that she had reached her limit on what she could accomplish alone, she turned to the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) for support. She remains connected to NAFCC because she values national advocacy that centers the lived experience of home-based educators. She believes that state and federal discussions must include the realities faced by family child care programs and the communities they serve. This includes acknowledging the financial pressures created by low reimbursement rates and recognizing the value and expertise that family child care contributes to the early childhood landscape.

In response to the voucher cuts, Deondra expanded her program to include before- and after-school care. Taking on additional responsibilities has helped some families maintain consistent routines, even as their subsidy amounts have decreased. It is more work, but it reflects her commitment to minimizing disruption for the children and parents who depend on her program every day.

Through every challenge, Deondra has remained focused on the families she serves and on the broader effort to strengthen support for family child care educators across Indiana. She continues to lead by example, by showing up, speaking out, organizing with others, and ensuring that family child care educators are included in the conversations that shape funding, equity, and access.

“I don’t want to just talk about the problem,” she said. “I want to be part of whatever it takes to change it.”

Written by Eboni Delaney, Interim Director of Policy and Movement Building, NAFCC

“We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For”

When Trina D. Averette says, “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” the words don’t come from a place of theory — they rise from lived experience.

For nearly three decades, Trina has opened her home to other people’s children, transforming her living space into something sacred: a place where laughter, learning, and love coexist. Her mornings begin not with a commute but with a quiet breath before the first knock on the door, a reminder that her work is more than a job. It’s a calling.

In Columbus, Ohio, where she runs The Foundation for Creative Life, Trina is known as a nurturer, a teacher, and an advocate. “Every morning when we open our doors, we offer a priceless gift,” she said. “We welcome families and children into our homes, creating safe spaces filled with love, learning, and care. Family child care educators are the heartbeat of our communities. We give families stability, children strong foundations, and our neighborhoods connection.”
That heartbeat, though steady, is under strain.

Ohio’s early care landscape is shifting. Recent state budget changes have redrawn what “care” looks like on paper — introducing new funding structures, redefining part-time attendance, and increasing the number of children that home-based providers can serve. What might seem like small adjustments in policy translate into large burdens in practice.

Children attending between 25 and 33 hours a week are now classified as part-time, which means educators like Trina receive less reimbursement for the same effort and attention. Meanwhile, group sizes have increased from six to seven in Type B homes and from twelve to fourteen in Type A homes — but without additional support or compensation.

“We’re being asked to do more work for the same or even less pay,” Trina said, her tone steady but firm. “We’re also managing expectations and regulations that don’t reflect the realities of family child care. At this stage in my journey, and in the spirit of Fannie Lou Hamer, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired, but even more determined to keep fighting.”

Across the country, educators echo her frustration. NAFCC’s 2024–2025 Annual Survey paints a picture of a system on edge: reimbursement delays, rising costs, and bureaucratic barriers that make sustainability nearly impossible. For many, one missed payment or policy shift can mean the end of a business. And when those doors close, families lose trust, consistency, and connection, not just a service.

For Trina, this struggle isn’t theoretical. It’s personal.

Nearly thirty years ago, in Chicago, Illinois, she began this work inspired by her son, who was born with special needs. “I wanted him, and every child, to have a place where they could learn, grow, and feel seen,” she said. That desire became the foundation of her life’s work. “In Chicago, we had higher ratios and a more supportive relationship with licensing — one that felt focused on helping providers succeed. Those early experiences shaped how I saw what was possible. I know what happens when systems respect and empower educators.”

That sense of what’s possible has guided her ever since.

Today, Trina continues her mission in Columbus, not only as an educator but also as a NAFCC State Representative, advocating for those whose voices are often unheard. She works to ensure that the challenges of family child care are seen as community issues, not just individual ones.

“When rates are cut, payments delayed, or policies change overnight, it affects not only our businesses but also the stability of the families we serve,” she said. “I know that pain personally. Years ago, I lost my home because of delayed payments and denied parent cases. That experience still drives me to speak up.”

Her story mirrors the findings of NAFCC’s 2024 Housing Report, which shows how financial instability and housing insecurity often intersect family child care educators. Zoning laws, payment delays, and a lack of housing protections have forced many to relocate or close completely. The ripple effect impacts children, parents, and entire communities.

“Family child care is essential infrastructure,” Trina said. “We are small businesses, educators, and caregivers. We do the work that holds communities together. Change is possible, but it takes all of us using our voices.” Her words land softly, but they carry the weight of conviction.

Trina’s story, like many others, is one of resilience, rooted in the belief that progress starts at the ground level, with those who care enough to keep showing up. It’s the story of someone who has seen systems fail but keeps building anyway, one child, one family, one morning at a time.

And in that persistence lies the quiet strength of her message — that the wait for change ends when people like her decide it’s time to act.

As she reminds us, “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

Written by Eboni Delaney, Interim Director of Policy and Movement Building

“I realized I was more than a daycare. I was an educator, a social worker, and an advocate.”

When you meet Olga Grays, you quickly understand her story is about more than opening a child care program. It is about resilience, community, and leadership. Olga is not only a dedicated family child care educator in Las Cruces, New Mexico, she also serves as a NAFCC State Representative and has been a powerful voice on the ground advocating for universal child care and fair treatment of educators.

Olga began her family child care journey in 2005. With a bachelor’s degree in social work and two young children of her own, her career path shifted unexpectedly. “I was offered a permanent job after graduation, but life had other plans,” Olga recalled. A former supervisor asked her to care for his children after struggling to find available space in child care. That moment sparked a new path. “I loved the fact that I was making extra money, and word of mouth started to spread. Soon, I became registered and opened my home to more children.”

As her family grew, Olga faced significant life changes. After her marriage of 16 years ended, she became a single mother of five and leaned on her community’s strength and mentors’ guidance.

With the encouragement of Mrs. Linda Lucero from the food program, she became licensed for six children and later expanded to 12. “Getting licensed made a big difference in my income, and it showed me that I could make this sustainable for my family,” she shared.

Over time, Olga discovered her true calling: working with foster children and families in transition. “My home became their second home,” she said. “I gave them love, structure, and a safe place where they could grow and heal.” Many of the children in her care had been removed from other settings or were waiting for foster placements. Olga attended weekly meetings, supported biological families reuniting with their children, and provided emergency foster care when needed. “I realized I was more than a daycare. I was an educator, a social worker, and an advocate.”

Through hardship, Olga’s commitment never wavered. She remarried in 2011 but tragically lost her husband in 2015. “I was not doing emotionally well after his passing,” she shared. After taking time to grieve, she reopened her program in 2016, this time licensed for 12 children. It was a difficult and expensive process, but with support, she persevered.

Her program reflects who she is: bilingual, inclusive, and creative. “I teach children to write their names in both English and Spanish, and I make sure they understand and respect different cultures,” Olga explained. She incorporates martial arts and gardening into her curriculum to help children regulate their emotions, build teamwork, and experience pride in what they grow and create. This aligns with NAFCC Annual Survey data showing that nearly 25% of family child care educators report Spanish as their primary language, underscoring the importance of bilingual programs like Olga’s in meeting families’ needs.

Olga’s impact extends beyond her program. She is deeply involved in community organizing with OLE (Organizers in the Land of Enchantment), where she advocates for systemic change. “I’m proud to have been part of making gains like the wage and career lattice and universal child care in New Mexico,” she said.

That achievement is especially historic. New Mexico became the first state in the nation to pass universal child care legislation, ensuring families have equitable access and that educators’ work is valued as essential. Olga’s advocacy and leadership helped make this victory possible, and her voice continues to resonate in state and national conversations.

Her leadership reflects another national reality: *82% of family child care educators report working more than 50 hours per week, yet their commitment remains steady because of their love for children and families. Olga’s story exemplifies that resilience.

Today, Olga continues to be recognized as a leader in her state and nationally. She trains other educators on topics like loose parts play and inclusivity and has been published in several early education articles. Most importantly, she continues to fight for the children who often have no voice. “It’s so rewarding when a child is adopted after being in my care, or when families call to thank me for the difference I made. Sometimes the reward is as simple as a phone call from a former child saying, ‘I chose to call you because you always make me feel better.’ Those moments remind me why I do this work.”

Olga Grays is an educator, organizer, and community leader whose journey reflects the heart of family child care. She has built a bilingual program based on love, resilience, and advocacy, while sharing her own story of perseverance through grief and challenge. Her leadership reminds us that when educators are supported and included in decision-making processes, they can help shape systems that meet the needs of families and communities. In New Mexico, the historic passage of universal child care demonstrates what is possible when educators like Olga refuse to give up on the future of children and families.

Written by Eboni Delaney, Interim Director of Policy and Movement Building

“It’s a sad day for early education in Arkansas.”

Across the country, family child care educators are sounding the alarm. The stability of care is being chipped away, community by community, and the very foundation of child care is at risk. In state after state, we hear the same story: families suddenly losing care, programs shutting down, and educators asked to carry heavier burdens with fewer resources.

In Arkansas, that reality came into sharp focus. A week ago, every child care provider in the state was asked to attend a webinar and received information that outlined significant changes to a system that had been in place for decades.

For more than 30 years, Arkansas providers have worked within the Better Beginnings/QRIS system, a framework that encouraged and rewarded higher quality. National accreditation (including NAFCC’s National Accreditation) once held the highest recognition, a level six with reciprocity. That recognition has now been erased. Now, regardless of quality or commitment to children, every provider will now be paid the same rate. For some, this means nearly a 50 percent reduction in subsidy payments.

Debbie Mays has seen these shifts from every angle. She has been nationally accredited for years and has led three statewide accreditation projects in Arkansas. She is also a former NAFCC state representative and has been in business for nearly 40 years. Few know better what it takes to build and sustain quality in family child care, and how quickly it can be unraveled.

“Not only have I not been paid by the state of Arkansas in six weeks—since I have been open—but I also just received ten days’ notice that my pay, if it ever comes, will be cut by $2,560 a month. So much for high quality in Arkansas,” Debbie shared.

The ripple effects are immediate and severe. Professional development grants have been halted. Providers are being forced to raise ratios to keep their doors open. Staff who have elevated quality are being laid off. Many educators question whether to pursue investing in quality improvements or national accreditation when their state no longer values it.

“Arkansas just went from number two in the nation in early care and education to who knows where. We turned the clock back 30 years,” Debbie said.

Even as the state signals that quality no longer matters, Debbie remains committed. “[Quality] matters because children matter. It matters because this is our profession. It matters because national accreditation remains the highest standard of care in family child care, even if Arkansas chooses to ignore it.”

Family child care educators, like Debbie, are the foundation of early learning in this country. They are the ones who make care possible in neighborhoods where no other options exist. They welcome infants and toddlers who are often left out of the system. They ensure children grow up safe, nurtured, and ready to thrive. Their work is not only essential, it is irreplaceable.

That is why NAFCC is sounding the alarm. When states strip away recognition of quality and eliminate fair compensation, they undermine the very foundation of child care. If family child care educators cannot survive, communities lose access, families lose stability, and children lose the safe and high-quality care they deserve.

Debbie and her colleagues are not staying silent. On October 1, they plan to close their doors in solidarity and make their voices heard at the Arkansas State Capitol. They have launched a digital campaign, are speaking to legislators and stakeholders, and are showing up in every space where decisions are being made.

NAFCC stands with them. The voices of family child care educators must not only be heard—they must shape the solutions that will sustain and strengthen this field. The future of care and education depends on it.

By Eboni Delaney, Interim Director of Policy and Movement Building, NAFCC 

“I have no regrets. This journey has been full of laughter, joy, and upside-down wonders.”

For Carolyn Collins, a veteran early childhood educator in St. Paul, Minnesota, family child care began as a temporary solution, but it grew into a lifelong calling. What started in 1983 as a plan to stay home with her youngest child quickly evolved into a powerful and enduring career.

“I couldn’t leave my child in a care setting where I wasn’t sure she’d be loved and safe,” Carolyn recalls. “So, I thought, what if I started my own?” Driven by both love and necessity, Carolyn opened her own child care program. Decades later, she’s still running it and still impacting lives.

From the beginning, Carolyn’s approach emphasized empathy and connection. Having witnessed poor care experiences for her older children, she vowed to create something better for her daughter and for the many children whose parents shared her worries. “I knew other families were nervous about their children’s safety and well-being. I wanted to give them peace of mind.”

Carolyn’s program quickly became more than a business. It became a community. Over the years, she’s welcomed infants, guided preschoolers, supported families through milestones, and celebrated her former students’ achievements as they grew into thriving high school graduates.

But Carolyn’s journey did not stop with providing care. In 2004, she connected with the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center and met a child care coordinator who introduced her to the CDA (Child Development Associate) Credential and NAFCC accreditation. That moment transformed her path.

“I loved the idea of elevating myself in the field,” Carolyn recalls. She pursued both credentials with determination and was later featured on the cover of a NAFCC pamphlet by Resources for Caring, now known as Think Small. Over time, she became a CDA advisor and proudly maintained NAFCC accreditation for more than 20 years, setting a standard of excellence for herself and inspiring others to follow.

Still, Carolyn was not finished. Although she had built a career full of impact, she felt a deeper desire for recognition, not just from others but within herself. “I realized I had come far,” she shares, “but not far enough to truly receive the respect of my position.”

She made a bold decision to earn her college degree in Early Childhood Education Studies. With the support of the TEACH program, she enrolled at Metro State University while balancing full-time child care, coursework, and her responsibilities as a foster parent.

“It was not easy. I studied at night, went to school on weekends, and spent hours in the study labs. But I would not stop until I earned that degree.” Carolyn’s dedication paid off. After completing her internship and final review, she walked across the graduation stage feeling, in her words, “nervous, excited, and overjoyed.”

Carolyn’s story reflects a journey that many family child care educators are navigating today: pursuing higher education while running their businesses, raising families, and meeting licensing and accreditation requirements. This aligns with a core NAFCC policy goal: removing barriers to higher education, especially for educators who are working full time or returning to school later in life.

Carolyn’s determination to turn years of lived experience into a formal degree is more than inspiring. It represents a workforce that deserves real investment, recognition, and support. Her graduation was not only a personal milestone, it transformed her practice. Carolyn redesigned her program from top to bottom, improving her environment, supplies, and curriculum. Today she proudly holds a 4-Star Parent Aware Rating and continues to refine her work with a strong focus on early learning.
“National Accreditation was the anchor behind my achievements,” she says. “It helped me build the foundation that made all of this possible.”

Carolyn now stands as a shining example of what it means to lead with purpose, grow with intention, and never stop believing in your own potential. Her story is a reminder that family child care is not a fallback. It is a profession, a passion, and a powerful force in the lives of children and families.

Written by Eboni Delaney, Assistant Director of Narrative and Movement Building

“She passed at 8 1/2 months, and I continued this work in her name.”

For over three decades, Mrs. Ollie Anderson has provided family child care in Miami Gardens, Florida, opening her doors and heart to children and families needing it most. But her journey into child care didn’t begin with a business plan. It began with motherhood.

“I started this daycare after the birth of my daughter,” Ollie shares. “I named it after her—Asia Anderson Children’s World Daycare.”

Just 8 1/2 months later, tragedy struck. Ollie tragically lost her baby daughter, Asia, but even in the midst of profound grief, she carried on.

“She passed at 8 1/2 months, and I continued this work in her name,” she says. “This daycare is her legacy.”

That legacy has become a lifeline for families across Miami Gardens. Ollie’s program provides 24-hour care, serving parents who work overnight, on weekends, and outside the typical 9-to-5. She supports children in foster care, those with disabilities, and families facing crisis, trauma, and housing instability.

Need isn’t always convenient, but care is always consistent. When families reach out, Ollie meets them where they are.

Over the years, she has cared for a newborn just four days old, removed from her mother and placed with a grandmother, doing everything she could to keep the family stable. Ollie stepped in without hesitation, and that baby girl is now 20 months old and thriving.

She’s supported children with complex medical needs, like a young boy who used a wheelchair and relied on a breathing tract. His mother trusted Ollie to care for him after school, knowing he was safe, loved, and understood.

She walked alongside families navigating homelessness, including a young mother with three small children who rode multiple buses each day, one child in a stroller, two toddlers walking beside her, to get them to Ollie’s home. Aware they wouldn’t receive another hot meal that night, Ollie ensured they ate before returning to the shelter.

“The shelter dinner was over, and no outside food was allowed,” she remembers. “So, I would make them eat beans, rice, and chicken before they left.”

Her lasting impact is remarkable and a testament to the quality of family child care. The children she once looked after as kids now return as adults to express their gratitude. Some, whom she cared for as toddlers, returned with their children for Ollie to care for. One of her former students still keeps the “Most Athletic” award she presented to him 10 years ago—he’s now a college football player. Another, who at one point stayed in a shelter, is now a 23-year-old truck driver traveling the highways of California.

“It’s amazing when parents come to find me years later,” she says. “They still want me to care for their babies.”

In August 2025, Mrs. Anderson shared her story with a member of her congressional representative’s team as part of the Advocacy is Action campaign, organized by the National Association for Family Child Care. Stories like this help move the needle forward, showing the heart, impact, and lived experiences behind family child care.

When decision-makers hear directly from educators like Ollie, the message is clear: family child care matters, and the people behind it deserve to be seen, valued, and supported.

Mrs. Anderson is an NAFCC accredited educator, and holds degrees in human development with a specialization in social change, but something deeper fuels her—love, loss, and purpose.

“We are more than childcare. We are family. We are helpers, doctors, nurses, and motivators. We care, and we problem-solve.”

Every child who walks through Asia Anderson Children’s World Daycare’s doors becomes part of that family, part of a legacy born from heartbreak and built on love.

Mrs. Anderson credits the long-term success of her business to those who have supported her over the years: her husband, her six children, her extended family members, and the children and families she’s served.

“It takes a village to do this work, and I am thankful for my village.”