Cuando Nayeli1 se mudó a los Estados Unidos desde su ciudad natal en México, ya tenía más de una década de experiencia cuidando niños. Como hija mayor, se esperaba que ayudara a cuidar a sus hermanos menores. Lo que comenzó como un deber se convirtió en vocación amada. Al inmigrar a los EE. UU., Nayeli
When Nayeli1 moved to the United States from her hometown in Mexico, she already had more than a decade of experience caring for children. As the oldest child, she had been expected to help care for her younger siblings. What started as a duty grew to a calling she loved. Upon immigrating to the U.S.,
Pyrena Hui and Oscar Tang, owners of a large family child care home in San Francisco, are the first generation of their family to emigrate from Hong Kong. Their parents and some siblings remain in Hong Kong, where February marks the beginning of Spring and the Lunar New Year, a two-week celebration of family, feasting,
The start of a new year is an opportunity for reflection and goal setting. As 2025 starts, there are many unknowns around our political and social context and many known threats to the child care sector namely funding scarcity, including the expiration of pandemic funding. At times of change, there are often opportunities for innovative
Home-based child care providers share how they rest and care for themselves during the often busy and demanding holiday season.
Family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) providers are grandmothers, aunts, other close relatives, or parents who care for unrelated children of friends or neighbors in addition to their own. In many states, these providers are exempt from licensing regulations and operate outside of publicly funded payment systems. They may be paid informally by families or not
Emergency funding is deeply ingrained in the work of Home Grown. Home Grown has developed a national team of organizations and partners to design and set up of the Home Grown Home-Based Child Care Emergency Fund for Severe Weather & National Disaster Response.
Home-based providers earn the lowest wages in the child care system, with many making just $10,000 per year, while continuing to serve underserved families. Despite their essential role, they are often left out of policy discussions and loan forgiveness programs, contributing to ongoing financial strain. This new fact sheet sheds light on the earning challenges for family child care providers.
From presidential candidate Kamala Harris to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, many leaders credit home-based child care providers with raising them up and saving their careers. In celebration of FFN Appreciation Week, we spoke with three distinguished leaders in the child care sector to hear how their experiences with FFN care shaped who they are today.
Deborah Young, a grandmother from Boulder, Colorado, has spent decades caring for children and empowering communities. Through her experience as a single mother and educator, she has supported immigrant and refugee women, helping them turn caregiving into sustainable businesses. Her community-driven approach focuses on connection, trust, and collective wisdom to nurture both children and communities. Young’s lifelong mission exemplifies the power of home-based child care in transforming lives.
