Vahista for #GANeedsChildCare Story Bank

Speaker: Vahista, Family Child Care Provider

Vahista: Good Afternoon. My name is Vahista. My program is Kids R Us Learning Home here in Savannah, Georgia. The ages that I provide care for is from 6 weeks to 5 years of age. I service a number of 6 children, and I do participate in the CAPS program. I just wanna talk about being a child care provider. You know, my work is filled with both deep joy and real struggles. Everyday I, you know, I open up my doors– and not just to children, but to tiny hearts that trust me completely. The joy comes from watching first steps, hearing new words, and knowing a child feels safe when they're in my program here, loved and seen in my care. They want to be loved. They want to be seen. Those moments, you know, they stay with you, even after the child departs and, you know, you know, go on throughout life. But this work is not easy. The long hours, the emotional weight, and the consistent pressure to do more with less can be exhausting. There are days when the challenge feels heavy, when support feels far away, and the responsibility feels overwhelming. Yet, we show up anyway. I love what I do, because families depend on me, and children deserve stability. Even on the hardest days, I continue, because child care is more than just a job. It's a calling for me. With the right support, providing like me, you know, a provider like me, I can keep showing up for Georgia's children, shaping their futures one day at a time. So, that's just a little bit about me. Here, as a provider at Kids R Us Learning Home, I enjoy what I do. I enjoy watching the children grow. You know, I'm just daily showing up for them.

Vahista: What makes family child care unique, important within the early childhood education system? Well, family child care is important. It's an important part of the early child care and education system, because it truly makes a difference in, in children's lives. Here in Georgia, we provide a home-like environment where kids feel safe and loved and seen, and that's important for families, because families trust us to care for the little ones. And we get to watch them grow and learn and thrive every single day. Family child care is flexible, it's personal, and it supports working parents, strengthening communities, and lays the foundation of the child's future. That's very important for the child. Without it, so many families in Georgia would struggle, and children will miss out on care that they deserve. So, that's what makes family child care unique, important, within the early childhood education system.

Vahista: I would like to share a story about an impact that I've had on a child, throughout, you know, my family child care experience here at Kids R Us. I remember a little boy who came to my family child care. He was shy, he was quiet and unsure of himself. But over the weeks, I watched him open up, smiling and laughing, and even taking pride in his small achievements he never thought he could do. His mother told me that seeing her son come home happy and confident each day gave her a peace of mind and hope she hadn't felt in months, and, you know, in months she hadn't felt anything like that, or seen anything like that in months. Moments like that remind me why this works matters. Just as a provider, I'm not just caring for children, I'm supporting families, shaping futures, and creating a safe space where both children and parents feel seen, valued and loved. The impact stays with me everyday. It stays with me everyday and it's the reason I do what I do. And I love putting a smile on parents' faces. I love just making a difference, you know, those impacts that you have on those children when they enter your center or your family, you know, home. It is important. It's personal.

Vahista: One of the biggest challenges my childcare, program faces–. And they can use some support, and it is a challenge. But one of the biggest challenges my child care program faces is simply getting the word out that I'm here. Many families don't know about the care, attention, and safe environment I provide. What makes it difficult to reach children who needs quality care. Additional support such as advertising assistance, community outreach, or resources to help connect with families would make a huge difference for my child care. program. Just connecting with families would make a huge difference. It would allow me to focus on more high-quality care while ensuring more children and families in Georgia have access to service that they need. Just allowing the community to know that I'm here. When the numbers are low, I'm here. Yes.

Vahista: One thing I would like for the elected officials to know about the need for greater investment in child care is, I want the elected officials to understand that child care is more than just a service for Georgia children and families and communities, quality care supports early learning. It helps children thrive and allow parents to work and provide for their families. Yeah. Many programs struggle to reach families or operate with–. You know, they're operating with limited resources. Geater investments in early childhood will help providers such as myself gain, you know, access to improving quality and ensuring every child has a safe and nurturing environment just to grow and succeed. Supporting child care means supporting the future of Georgia. And that's what I want the elected officials to know about the need for greater investment in child care.