Isabella arrived in the United States at 16, speaking little English and uncertain about her future. Today, at just 24, she runs her own thriving family child care business, is pursuing her early education credentials in college, and has become a confident advocate for the children and families she serves. Her transformation from an inexperienced young provider to an empowered early education leader illustrates the profound impact that quality coaching and support can have on the early care and education workforce.
“I want to be that support for children and families,” Isabella says, reflecting on her motivation to work in early education. “I see so many families that don’t have enough support, and I want to help fill that need.”
Isabella’s path to early education began in high school when a teacher, recognizing her potential, suggested she intern at a pre-K program. After graduating, financial constraints prevented her from attending college immediately. Instead, she took a position working for another family child care provider, where she gained hands-on experience but also encountered the challenges many young educators face when working in environments with limited mentorship and professional development opportunities.
Despite the challenges, Isabella views that early experience as formative and educational. The experience of navigating the field with limited guidance ultimately inspired her to create the kind of supportive, mentoring environment she wished she had experienced as a young educator when she decided to start her own business.
The Reality of Running a Family Child Care
When Isabella opened her own family child care in her home nearly two years ago, she quickly discovered that running a business involved much more than caring for children. “When I had to do all the paperwork, I was like, going crazy. I didn’t know how to do anything,” she recalls. “There’s so much people don’t realize goes into it—you have to develop a curriculum, handle all the business documentation, manage schedules and billing. You also have to make time for yourself, because if you don’t have time for you, you’re going to burn out.”
Feeling overwhelmed and isolated, Isabella was struggling through her first year when she learned about coaching services offered through the Metro Boston StrongStart Professional Development Center. At a class on self-care, she met Adriana Batista-Guerra, a coach who offered exactly the kind of comprehensive support Isabella needed.
“She explained how they could help with coaching, curriculum development, setting up my space, and communicating with parents,” Isabella remembers. “She said ‘We are here for support,’ and once I started working with her, we accomplished so much together.”
The coaching relationship between Isabella and Adriana exemplifies personalized, culturally responsive professional support. Meeting weekly initially, then biweekly as Isabella’s confidence grew, their sessions covered practical elements like developing child-led curricula and managing operations while providing crucial emotional support.
Through their work together, Isabella developed a deeper understanding of early childhood education that went far beyond “hanging out with kids.” She now recognizes the profound responsibility of caring for young children.
“Everything we do, they will do it. Everything we say, they will repeat it,” Isabella explains. “The way you treat them builds who they’re going to be—how they feel now will reflect on how they treat people when they’re 12, 13, 14, 16.”
Opening New Doors
Perhaps most significantly, Adriana encouraged Isabella to pursue higher education — something Isabella had never considered possible. “She gave me all the support to do it,” Isabella says. Now in her fourth course at Urban College of Boston, Isabella is working toward credentials that will allow her to open a center in the future.
Isabella’s business has grown steadily. Licensed for eight children, she currently serves six and recently moved to a larger location where she’s seeking to expand her license to ten children. She’s also hired an assistant, recognizing that quality care requires adequate staffing. “It’s way easier with two people,” she notes.
For Isabella, coaching provided more than just professional development — it offered a pathway to realizing her potential as both an educator and entrepreneur. Through the relationship, she discovered that her challenging childhood experiences, rather than being obstacles, had prepared her to provide the kind of nurturing, supportive care that many children need.
The Metro Boston Professional Development Center offers free professional development and coaching services to licensed early educators in Massachusetts. Training is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese, and Mandarin through highly engaging professional learning communities.
To learn more about available coaching services, please email Kori Lantas at Kori.lantas@umb.edu. For any questions regarding Metro Boston’s Professional Learning Communities, affinity groups, or any other training topics, please email Ana Teresa Farias at anateresa.farias001@umb.edu.
