Shifting Perceptions: Elevating the Role and Recognition of Family Childcare Professionals

A woman wearing glasses and a suit is smiling in front of a flag.

Sim Loh is a family partnership coordinator at Children’s Village, a nationally-accredited Keystone 4 STARS early learning and school-age enrichment program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving about 350 children. She supports children and families, including non-English speaking families of immigrant status, by ensuring equitable access to education, health, employment, and legal information and resources on a day-to-day basis. She is a member of the Children First Racial Equity Early Childhood Education Provider Council, a community member representative of Philadelphia School District Multilingual Advisory Council, and a board member of Historic Philadelphia.

Sim explains, “I ensure families know their rights and educate them on ways to speak up for themselves and request for interpretation/translation services. I share families’ stories and experiences with legislators and decision-makers so that their needs are understood. Attending Leadership Connections will help me strengthen and grow my skills in all domains by interacting with and hearing from experienced leaders in different positions. With newly acquired skills, I seek to learn about the systems level while paying close attention to the accessibility and barriers of different systems and resources and their impacts on young children and their families.”

A table showing the comparison of pre and post intervention of fas scores

Recently, I attended the annual conference of the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), where I had the opportunity to present a workshop and interact directly with family childcare (FCC) professionals. This experience was refreshing and inspiring. Our discussions encouraged family childcare professionals to consider community perspectives and critically assess business and professional practices and behaviors that could contribute to negative perception of their profession. During the workshop, many FCC professionals shared their frustration with the community and their colleagues who challenged their roles, questioned their legitimacy as business owners, and reduced them to children’s care.

It is crucial to recognize the potential of family caregivers to positively influence their business and professional reputations. The workshop, “Let’s Talk… Community Voices on Family Childcare: Advocating for Recognition,” presented by Robyn Kelton and I, is based on my doctoral research. It aimed to illustrate that even a single change could alter the perceptions of family childcare and highlight the important contributions that FCC professionals make to early childhood education and their communities. By improving business and professional practices, these professionals can change community views, helping others recognize that family care is a legitimate profession that educates and cares for children and recognizing their dual roles as educators and business owners.

During the session, utilizing technology proved to be highly effective in engaging participants and delivering information in a compelling way. This approach encouraged FCC professionals to reflect more deeply on their practices and implement changes that enhance perceptions and drive business growth. By using various tools, participants were able to share their insights and access data in a manner that promoted greater engagement and clarity. They also observed how technology facilitated collaborative efforts to reshape perceptions of their profession. Overall, this interactive experience deepened discussions and empowered attendees to apply their insights in their work environments, fostering continuous improvement and innovation.

The experience highlighted the professionals’ enthusiasm for learning and refining their practices. Discussions about family childcare professionals often include terms like caring, fun, and passionate, which is encouraging. However, it is disappointing that not everyone fully recognizes the unique value that family childcare professionals bring through their professional achievements, educational backgrounds, empowerment as women business owners, and overall contributions to the community and early childhood education.

Additionally, the meeting revealed that these professionals wanted more recognition and support from colleagues and the wider community. Many expressed the need for formal opportunities to demonstrate their expertise and achievements and suggested that visibility and recognition could further improve the value of their work. This desire for validation underscores the importance of continuing efforts to promote and improve the status of family childcare professionals within a broader social framework. This includes participation in professional development that supports child readiness and helps children transition smoothly into kindergarten. Additionally, they should have opportunities to articulate the benefits of their work, such as building relationships with children and their families, which fosters family engagement and collaboration to meet children’s needs.

In conclusion, the workshop highlighted family childcare professionals’ deep passion and commitment to educating and caring for young children. It also emphasized their frustration about being undervalued by the community. The workshop gave them valuable opportunities to change perceptions and affirm their role as legitimate educators and influential entrepreneurs.

By integrating technologies and reflecting on the findings of my research and discussions, participants were inspired to re-evaluate and improve their programs, further emphasizing their essential contributions to early childhood education and community development. It is important to recognize that refining practices is an ongoing effort in which advocacy plays a key role in changing perceptions and achieving the recognition FCC professionals deserve.

Yvonne Williams, Ed.D. is a Quality Training Specialist at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University. In this role, she serves as a National Anchor for the Program Administration Scale (PAS) and Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS). Prior to this position, she worked as an Assessor and Training Specialist conducting ERS, BAS, and CLASS assessments for the state of Illinois. She has always been passionate about working with families and young children and successfully completed research on family child care programs. Yvonne holds a master’s degree from National Louis University in early childhood administration and a doctorate in the teaching and learning program at National Louis University. Yvonne has held additional positions within the early childhood education sector as a licensed group family childcare provider and an adjunct instructor for National Louis University, Rasmussen College and Joliet Junior College. Combined, Yvonne has over 17 years of experience in Early Childhood Education.

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Paula Jorde Bloom Scholarship Recipient Monique Watts-Dennis Reflects on her Leadership Connections 2026 Experience

By Monique Watts-Dennis • June 10, 2026

Attending the McCormick Institute for Early Childhood's Leadership Connections conference as a recipient of the Paula Jorde Bloom Scholarship was both an honor and a transformative experience. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to participate in a conference that brought together passionate leaders from across the field of early childhood education, all dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children, families, and educators. Throughout the conference, I gained valuable insights from inspiring presenters and informative sessions that challenged me to reflect on my own leadership journey. The experience encouraged me to think beyond my daily responsibilities and consider how I can continue to grow as a leader while making a meaningful impact within my program, my community, and the early childhood profession as a whole. One moment, in particular, changed my outlook entirely. During the Leadership Colloquium, I had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Teri Talan share her professional journey from the beginning of her career to where she is today. She shared a story about Paula Jorde Bloom , the founder of the McCormick Institute, asking her where she saw herself in the future. Teri responded that she saw herself working alongside Paula. Paula’s response was something along the lines of, “I have funding for one year, but after that, you’ll need to find grants to support your position.” That story resonated deeply with me. It was a reminder that opportunities often begin with a vision, but they grow through determination, persistence, and a willingness to advocate for what you believe is needed. That evening, I returned to my hotel room feeling inspired and energized; maybe a little too inspired. I immediately sent my Executive Director a proposal for a Family Support Specialist position and shared why I believe this role would benefit our center, our families, and our children along with why I should lead the creation of this role within our center. In that moment, I realized that leadership is not just about having ideas, it’s about taking action. Teri’s story and McCormick Institute Executive Director Dr. Lisa Downey’s words on prioritizing the needs of your child care center encouraged me to stop waiting for the “right time” and instead advocate for the changes I believe can make a meaningful difference. While the sessions provided valuable knowledge and inspiration, some of the most meaningful learning happened outside the conference rooms. Conversations during lunch, networking opportunities, and informal discussions with fellow providers and leaders about the knowledge we gained within sessions allowed me to hear different perspectives, share experiences, celebrate successes, and learn from the challenges others have faced, many are the same I am facing now. These connections reminded me that leadership is not something we do alone. The relationships formed throughout the conference created a sense of community and support that I carry with me. This experience also strengthened my confidence that I am exactly where I am meant to be. Supporting children, families, and educators has always been a passion of mine, but this conference helped me recognize the deeper purpose behind that work. It reminded me that every relationship built, every family supported, and every child encouraged has the potential to create lasting positive change. The work we do in early childhood education is foundational, and I am proud to be part of a profession that helps children thrive during some of the most important years of their lives. The knowledge, conversations, and relationships gained through Leadership Connections have reinforced my commitment to helping children thrive and empowering families to succeed. I have been inspired by the dedication, resilience, and passion of fellow leaders and encouraged to continue growing both personally and professionally so that I can better serve those who depend on me. I leave this experience feeling energized, motivated, and grateful. More importantly, I leave with a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper understanding of my role as a leader in early childhood education. The lessons learned, relationships formed, and inspiration gained through this experience will continue to influence my work and leadership for years to come. As I end, I reflect on this year's conference theme, "ONWARD," I am reminded that growth is not a destination but a journey. To me, ONWARD represents resilience, purpose, and the commitment to keep moving forward even when challenges arise. This experience has provided me with new tools, fresh perspectives, meaningful connections, and renewed confidence in my work. For that, I am deeply thankful to the McCormick Institute and honored to have been selected as a Paula Jorde Bloom Scholarship recipient. ONWARD! Learn more about the annual Leadership Connections national conference. The Paula Jorde Bloom Scholarship Fund supports emerging and aspiring early childhood leaders who are dedicated to providing the highest quality care and education for children and families. Scholarship recipients receive complimentary full-conference registration to Leadership Connections, meals provided to conference registrants, and up to three nights lodging at the conference hotel.