10/07/2026
Two weeks later, and we’re still talking about it.
Four leaders from Delaware County’s early childhood community had the opportunity to attend the Association for Early Learning Leaders (AELL) first annual Business Symposium, made possible through the generous support of the George and Frances Ball Foundation and our participation in the PILOT CAN committee.
Carol Johnson of United Day Care Center, Erika Serf of Huffer Memorial Children's Center, Kelsey Buck of Mitchell Early Childhood and Family Center YMCA, and Emma Dragoo of BY5 had the opportunity to learn alongside one another—and what we can say collectively is that this experience was transformative for each of us.
We may have each come home with different notes and different things we want to put into practice, but we found ourselves coming back to many of the same questions.
What is it like to be on the receiving end of me?
That question has stuck with us.
The symposium gave us a chance to really think about leadership—not just as a position, but as a journey. So many of us begin in the classroom, move into leading a small team, and eventually find ourselves responsible for supporting an entire program and the professionals within it. Along the way, it can be easy to focus on getting everything done and forget to pause and think about how we are showing up for the people doing the work alongside us.
We left thinking more intentionally about one-on-one conversations with staff, making sure we are showing up for every member of the team—not just teaching staff, but the kitchen, office, and support teams, too. We talked about the importance of investing in our people because when we add value to the team, we strengthen the team—and those relationships matter when we need our people to show up for one another.
We were reminded that sometimes leadership means not taking things personally, leaning on the policies and systems we have put in place, and remembering that clarity is kindness. It means building confidence while still being willing to learn.
And then there was the practical side of running a sustainable early childhood program: looking honestly at the true cost of care, understanding our numbers, strengthening onboarding and those critical first 100 days, thinking differently about family engagement, and making sure our programs have the financial cushion they need to weather what comes next.
Two weeks later, we’re already looking at our own programs differently. We’re revisiting policies, including how we can strengthen protections and deepen our understanding of reasonable accommodations under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. We’re thinking about where our systems can work better and where we can be more intentional as leaders.
Maybe that is the best part of professional learning. You don’t just leave with a notebook full of ideas. You come home and start seeing your everyday work through a slightly different lens.
We are incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to learn together, represent Indiana, and bring that learning home to the children, families, educators, and programs we all care so deeply about.
Two weeks later, and we’re still learning from it.
