Paula is a passionate child care provider and advocate from Holts Summit, MO with a childcare center in Jefferson City. She has over 13 years of experience in early care and education, and she looks forward to using her voice and experience to advocate for streamlined processes for providers to become licensed and access subsidy payments for those providers who care for children whose families are at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. Kids Win is lucky to have such a fierce advocate in our fellowship this year. Read more about Paula below!
How did you become an advocate for early childhood education?
I became an advocate because there has been so much change within childcare and childcare regulation in the last 13 years that I have been in business as a provider. As a provider, we needed someone to be able to speak for us and to help us to move into the right direction. Providers have so many hats to wear on a daily basis that we need a streamlined way to become licensed, to take subsidy for low income families, and use the CACFP (The Child and Adult Care Food Program).
Why do you think it’s important to be an advocate as a provider?
It is important to be a voice of change within my community and with the families that we serve.
Why should Missouri invest more in child care and early education?
Missouri should invest more in child care, because without child care, families do not have a safe and quality place for their children to go if they do not have family and friends to care for their children.
In one sentence, what does the ideal child care and early education system look like for Missouri families?
The ideal system looks like a space that a provider can put all information into, and all programs can get to the information without the provider having to replicate the same thing a thousand times. Currently, a provider has to go to many different systems to receive a license, become a subsidy provider, and be a part of the CACFP to get reimbursed for providing meals for eligible children to ensure they receive meals while in our care.
What is one thing you’ve learned about advocacy that you’d like to share with others?
As part of the community, I am able to speak not just for providers but for families too. There are so many issues we have experienced in the last year that I have had to reevaluate what my priorities have to be.
Kids Win has also helped me find the ways to find what is needed and most importantly when speaking with a legislature to be sure they hear what I have to say and be to the point.