You have a degree in business administration from Indiana State University and were working for a New York-based company before you became an early childhood educator. What drew you to the profession?

I was working for Henry Schein, out of New York, when 9/11 happened. I ended up losing my job. My sister had a family child care home, and she said she needed help, so I went to work for her. At the time, it was something I thought I’d do temporarily. But it went so well. The families liked me; the children loved being around me. Then I got pregnant with my son. Eleven days after he was born, he ended up with a form of meningitis and had a very low percentage of surviving. It really scared me. I decided I wanted to do something where I could be near my children.

I worked for my sister for a year-and-a-half, then she came to me and said, “You’re doing a really good job. I can’t afford you anymore!” She had a house not too far away and said, “Why don’t you buy it from me, and you can have your own child care?” My husband knew I loved children. He encouraged me a whole lot. My sister encouraged me a whole lot. My mom encouraged me a whole lot. I wanted to have a place where children could come and feel loved, feel cared for, and be happy.

What was your growth trajectory like?

In the beginning, I had the one home licensed for 16 children, birth to age 5. It was always at capacity. When children and families kept coming, I realized I needed to have more space. I opened a second home six years later to serve school-age children. Then five years ago, I split the first one into 0–2 and 3–5. Those two homes are next to each other.

What are the rewards of providing home-based child care and education?

We’re a place where children can come to feel loved, cared about, and happy. We plan for family engagement so that the families, the children, the staff, and myself can all be together. Earlier this year, I finished remodeling my garage, so it’s now a resource center for families. I’ve stocked it with information about trauma, mental health, dealing with anxiety—resources that families were interested in. It will help families understand their children and ways to help them thrive.

We take a lot of field trips around our local community. We took our older children to a buffet, so they could see different kinds of food and we could talk about the food groups. I don’t want to just tell children about something. I want them to experience it. I want them to enjoy it. I like to do things that really help a child navigate their learning.

What are the challenges?

Finding and keeping qualified staff is a challenge. Family child care providers make about half of what teachers at a center might make. We need greater federal and state support and investment in the work we do. Without that, we’ll continue to struggle keeping qualified staff and ensuring they have the compensation and benefits for their ongoing development. When you work with children, you need knowledge. I have to renew my CDA [Child Development Associate credential] every three years. I provide opportunities for the staff to get their CDAs. I’m also a huge fan of professional development. I want my staff to have the knowledge and tools to be intentional, adaptable teachers.

In the face of these pressures, what keeps you motivated?

The children. You can’t do this job for the money. The money I earn has to go back into the business to make sure we’re providing quality care. That means knowledgeable staff, a clean environment, and materials that focus on every age group. Home-based child care is not a babysitting business. We are here to help families guide their children through the early stages of their lives.

How does NAEYC help?

I learned about NAEYC when I earned my CDA. One of the books from my class was Developmentally Appropriate Practice. NAEYC resources helped guide me when I was choosing a curriculum. The magazines give me ideas I’ve never seen before. NAEYC just sets the standard for everyone who cares about children and their development and growth.

What’s ahead for Christie’s Love Bugs?

I want to become NAEYC-accredited. I’m very excited by the new accreditation process. If I have NAEYC attached to my name, it tells everyone that I’m a quality early childhood educator.

Photographs: courtesy of Christie Phelps
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