The Love Connection

In this final episode, we hear from Braizell, a Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) care provider who has been in her grandson’s life since he was just a baby. She has been there through it all, bathing, feeding, and nurturing him until he could learn how to spell his name and tie his shoes. In this episode we explore the incredible bond they share and how she instills in him a strong sense of cultural identity and pride in his heritage.

In this episode we meet Hailey, a single mother, part-time waitress, and artist who also earned two associate degrees while navigating the complexities of parenthood. How does she balance it all? When the school bell rings and daycare doors close, she leans on her small but mighty village for support.

Angelica is a Napa resident who worked in the food industry for several years before finding her true calling in early childhood development. She reflects on how becoming a mother inspired her to switch careers and become a Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) care provider for a family of two. She pulls back the curtain on how child care is not just “changing diapers” as some might assume. Angelica truly believes that in this field, you must do it “with all your heart,” and that is exactly what she does.

Joiandrea, a wife and mother of five, takes us through her journey of finding child care after moving to a rural area. After her children experienced a frightening and aggressive child care incident, Joiandrea found a safe space with a local Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) care provider, whose loving care gave her peace of mind as she pursued her education and career goals. Joiandrea reflects on the invaluable support from her child care provider and a bittersweet goodbye to a friend turned family. Warning: This episode contains instances of offensive language related to race and descriptions of aggression towards a child. Listener discretion is advised.

Kryston once dreamed of having a big family with lots of children, but that dream was no longer in reach after facing health challenges that prevented her from having more than one child. Kryston shares her journey on how becoming a Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) care provider for five children has helped her heal and allowed her to gain bonus children along the way. She highlights that while FFN care creates rich bonds between caregivers, children, and their families, the work is often misunderstood and under-appreciated.

In this episode we meet Sofia, someone who has provided child care in Los Angeles for over 13 years. She has a history of taking care of infants who she has seen grow into young teens. Her commitment as a Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) care provider demonstrates how her loving long-term emotional and physical care shows up in the children’s well-being for years to come. Sofia’s first language is Spanish and she often finds herself teaching the kids the language. She also discusses how despite the hard work, child care workers are often underpaid, although she knows the families love and appreciate her.

They say it takes a village to raise children. In this episode, Lisa and Eric tag team child care by providing Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) care to support their family in Hyampom California, their home in the wilderness. Lisa and Eric care for three boys, Lisa is the boy's grandmother and Eric is the boy's uncle. Together, they expose the boys to gardening, bike riding, and baking. For Eric, it's important that he shows up as a father figure in order to leave a lasting impact on the boys self-worth and future. Both Lisa and Eric agree that child care is an under-appreciated but essential job.

When Emily finds herself with a gap in child care, an unexpected person comes to the rescue. Her next-door neighbor, a former preschool teacher. Miss Jessica steps up to provide Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) care, creating a nurturing and engaging environment for Emily's infant daughter. Emily reflects on how their close connection, trust, and communication made the transition back to work easier. She also encourages other parents to seek support from those within their circle.

Tonia is a proud Louisiana native living in Compton, California and has been in the child care field for nearly three decades. She raised her two sons as a single mother and is now a grandmother. Tonia shares her experience as a Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) care provider for her grandchildren, and how she weaves in her rich African American culture and history into their daily lives. She discusses the importance of teaching her grandchildren to embrace their Black identity especially amid current social and political challenges. She also advocates for greater recognition, support, and fair compensation for FFN caregivers.

Carolina's heart warming story explores how Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) care goes beyond formal education and is filled with values of trust, love, and shared cultural experiences that are vital for many families, especially for communities of color. We get a look inside her own experience and how her grandmother has been an essential caregiver, providing a cultural connection, safety, and a foundation of faith for multiple generations. Carolina emphasizes the crucial role FFN providers have in raising children and the need for society to truly honor their contributions through meaningful support and policy change. 

In this third and final episode of the Love Connection companion podcast, you'll hear from Brandy Hinkle, a lead teacher at a Waldorf child care center in Jamestown, California, and Nora Zarate, a family child care provider in Oceano, California. The two providers share their thoughts about the importance of trainings and continued education in child care, and the supports that would be most helpful to access these resources. Hosted by Salaine McCullough. Engineering by Maximo Planes. Produced by Gretchen Howard. Interviews by Paola Marizán. Music by Chad Crouch. Inspired by research by Keisha Nzewi. This series is made by the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, and made possible by support from First 5 LA. You can follow the Network on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube at CARRNetwork to stay up-to-date on child care news in California. If you would like to learn more about the research that went into The Love Connection and read the full report, visit https://rrnetwork.org/policy/the-love-connection.

While love of what they do and the children they care for and their families keep many providers in the profession for decades, respect for their expertise - whether learned in a classroom, at a workshop, from a mentor, passed down through their family, or gained over years of experience - is a simple need so many in the child care workforce are missing. Among those who have been rated in QCC, none felt the process acknowledged their expertise or respected them as professionals and none use their rating to attract families to their program. Some were so discouraged by their rater’s first visit that they contemplated leaving the profession. Despite QCC’s gaps and misalignment with parents’ and providers’ values, child care providers don’t let these barriers get in the way of providing high-quality care. They love participating in quality improvement programs. They yearn to feel connected to others in their profession, and participating in their local QCC allows them opportunities for those connections. In this episode, you'll hear from Tessie Ragan, a family child care provider in Rosamond, California, and Preeti Sadhu, a family child care provider in San Diego, California about their experiences engaging with Quality Counts CA and other forms of peer support. Hosted by Salaine McCullough. Engineering by Maximo Planes. Produced by Gretchen Howard. Interviews by Paola Marizán. Music by Chad Crouch. Inspired by research by Keisha Nzewi. This series is made by the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, and made possible by support from First 5 LA. You can follow the Network on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube at CARRNetwork to stay up-to-date on child care news in California. If you would like to learn more about the research that went into The Love Connection and read the full report, visit https://rrnetwork.org/policy/the-love-connection.

Who gets to decide what quality child care looks like, and how to quantify it? Over 30 years ago, in order to “assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early care and education settings,” quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) were developed across the United States to increase the likelihood that child care subsidies would support high quality care for young children. These systems were built in response to the notion that most child care in the U.S. is low quality, and “children from low income families and minority families are more likely to be in low quality care.” In this episode, you'll hear from Keisha Nzewi, Director of Public Policy at the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, and Miren Algorri, a family child care provider about their perspectives on California's quality rating and improvement system. Hosted by Salaine McCullough. Engineering by Maximo Planes. Produced by Gretchen Howard. Interviews by Paola Marizán. Music by Chad Crouch. Inspired by research by Keisha Nzewi. This series is made by the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, and made possible by support from First 5 LA. You can follow the Network on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube at CARRNetwork to stay up-to-date on child care news in California. If you would like to learn more about the research that went into The Love Connection and read the full report, visit https://rrnetwork.org/policy/the-love-connection.