ChildCare Conversations with Kate and Carrie

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder what lifeguarding has to do with running a child care program? Turns out — a lot! In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate shares how becoming a lifeguard at 15 shaped everything she believes about training, preparation, and staffing in early childhood education.  The big takeaway? Training must come before responsibility. She draws eye-opening parallels betwee...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Childcare Conversations, we chat with Robert Rodriguez, co-owner of Texas Christian Preschool in Brownsville, Texas. Robert shares how his mom founded the business back in 1981, and how he brought his corporate retail and finance background to the family biz about ten years ago. The real gold nugget here? His journey from Post-it notes to discovering Playground,...

Send us Fan Mail This episode of Childcare Conversations is such a good one! Kate sits down with Annette Eberhart, a 19-year family childcare veteran from Florida, to talk about something we all need to hear: self-care and wellness for early childhood educators. We're not just talking bubble baths here! Annette digs deep into boundaries, mindset, discipline, and even shares a bit of her perso...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate sits down with Tom Melhorn, president of North Star School Supply, for a really refreshing chat about something every childcare owner deals with: supplies and equipment. Tom shares how North Star takes a totally different approach than just handing you a catalog. They actually talk to you, assess your space and budget, and help you...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Childcare Conversations, you'll meet Vineeta; her story is truly something special! What started as a mom's response to her daughter's Type 1 diabetes diagnosis turned into a preschool empire spanning 59 schools and 100 franchise agreements. Vineeta shares how she built a TV-free, academics-meets-performing-arts program from the ground up. She als...

Send us Fan Mail Parent Engagement Gets a Tech Upgrade!  This episode of Childcare Conversations is one you'll want to share with every director you know. Kate and Carrie sat down with Jamie Selig from Perfect Day Live to talk about live video streaming for childcare centers, and here's the kicker: it's completely free for programs! Parents pay a small weekly subscription to watch t...

Send us Fan Mail This episode of Childcare Conversations is such a good one! Kate and Carrie sit down with Crystal Johnston, founder of Hire Up Recruiting, to talk all things staffing in early childhood education. Crystal shares her wild journey from economics grad to middle school teacher to recruiting specialist, and gets real about why hiring quality staff post-COVID is SO much harder now that...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Childcare Conversations , Kate and Carrie chat with Beth Heyer, founder of Babysitting Connection — and honestly, it's such a fun conversation! Beth shares how she turned her own struggle to find reliable babysitters in Austin into a thriving membership-based agency that vets and matches sitters with families. For childcare directors, this is worth a listen...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Kate Woodward Young and Jason Lody have a really eye-opening conversation about leadership stability in early childhood education. Kate shares her impressive journey from family home provider to business coach, then dives into findings from a survey of 620 programs across 30 states. Spoiler alert - the results are concerning! Over half of programs feel they'r...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Kate, Carrie, and guest expert Alisha Kriege dig into the world of outdoor play spaces, and it's such a good one! They tackle the big question: do you really need an expensive playscape? Spoiler: probably not! From repurposing tree stumps to creating "tiny towns" with donated playhouses, they share budget-friendly, creative ideas that work for real...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Carrie and Kate dive into a really fascinating topic: the role of keynote speakers at early childhood education conferences. They chat about how the term "keynote" has gotten a bit watered down lately, with some conferences featuring multiple keynotes that blur into workshops.  They also uncover a surprising stat: despite the E...

Send us Fan Mail Child Care Conversations: Music, Joy & Early Childhood Magic Get ready to smile! In this episode, Carrie and Kate sit down with the absolutely delightful Debbie Clement — musicologist, author, illustrator, and self-described "best kept secret" in early childhood education. With nearly 30 years of experience, Debbie shares why music isn't just fun; it's brai...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate Woodward Young gets real about something so many childcare leaders feel but rarely name — decision fatigue. It's not just the busyness, it's the endless stream of high-stakes decisions that wear you down. Kate introduces Center IQ, a decision intelligence tool built specifically for childcare leaders to help connect the do...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Childcare Conversations, the hosts sit down with the wonderful Prerna Richards to talk about something every childcare leader faces: coaching staff through tough mindsets and tricky behaviors. Think victim mentality, resistance to change, and team conflict. Prerna drops some real gems, including her "connection before correction" philosophy and the SBA...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate and Carrie get real about the hidden costs of delayed decision-making in childcare leadership. Using everything from melted Easter ice cream to "emotional support underwear" as metaphors, they break down how holding onto disengaged staff can quietly drain your program — we're talking potentially $62K a year in lost tu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Childcare Conversations, the hosts chat with Pietro from BRIT AI about smart marketing strategies for childcare centers. Pietro breaks down why Meta ads (Facebook & Instagram) are often a better investment than Google Ads right now, and introduces the Meta Pixel as a game-changer for targeting the right families. He also gets real about budgeting — think 5-8...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate and Carrie get real about something many childcare leaders avoid — the numbers! They walk you through how to track your enrollment funnel, from first inquiry all the way to a signed contract, and why knowing your data is actually empowering, not scary. You'll pick up practical tips on qualifying families, using consistent call...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Childcare Conversations, you'll meet Jonathan Pearce - a Louisiana childcare leader who literally grew up in childcare (his mom built a center next to her dance studio!). Jonathan shares his fascinating journey from engineering student and bartender to running four childcare centers. But here's where it gets really interesting - frustrated by inconsist...

Send us Fan Mail In this fun bonus episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate and Marie chat about the new Devil Wears Prada 2 movie and what it means for early childhood leaders. They dig into how technology can never replace the human heart in childcare, and why encouraging your staff to share their stories matters so much.  Vulnerability, authenticity, and celebrating the people around you are bi...

Send us Fan Mail Ever feel like you're constantly putting out fires instead of running your program? Carrie and Kate get real about the hidden costs of reactive decision-making in childcare leadership. From losing staff and families to making impulsive purchases, those snap decisions add up fast! They share some genuinely practical strategies, like taking a simple pause before responding, lea...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of ChildCare Conversations, the hosts Kate and Carrie sit down with Ronnae Williams, aka the "State Lady," a former licensing consultant for Georgia. Ronnae shares her journey from Pre-K teacher to licensing rep and drops some seriously helpful wisdom about shifting your mindset around licensing visits. Instead of dreading that clipboard, think of it like...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Childcare Conversations, you'll meet Whitney McCrory, a true childcare legacy carrier from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her mom launched the business back in 1982, and Whitney took the reins in 2018, running three nationally accredited five-star centers. She gets real about surviving COVID, navigating brutal state budget cuts, and fighting for quality care in a heavily...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Childcare Conversations, you'll meet Barbara Tedrow from New Mexico, a childcare owner turned powerhouse advocate. Barbara shares how New Mexico built a truly universal childcare system, funded by an oil and gas trust fund that has grown to a whopping $11 billion! She also breaks down how the state created its own Early Childhood Department at the cabinet l...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Childcare Conversation, Kate and Carrie sit down with the amazing Dr. Mia Young, a 27-year education veteran who went from public school principal to childcare entrepreneur! Dr. Young breaks down the real financial journey of opening and expanding child care centers, including navigating SBA loans, building banking relationships, and what it actually costs to bu...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder why staff retention feels so hard in childcare? Kate and Carrie get real about it in this episode! They dig into how childcare evolved without much business training built in, leaving many directors figuring out staff management on the fly. Sound familiar? They share practical wisdom on avoiding favoritism, showing appreciation equitably across your entire team, and wh...