SEIU Education and Support Fund

07/17/2026

They are educators shaping early learning. Entrepreneurs sustaining small businesses. Leaders strengthening their communities. Workers advocating for a stronger profession. And, above all, human beings whose lives, experiences, and resilience make this work possible.

I AM was created to honor the people behind the profession and to recognize that no single title can capture the impact of Family Child Care Educators.

Thank you to every educator who shared their story and to everyone who joined us throughout this journey.

07/16/2026

Sometimes our greatest growth comes from the moments we never would have chosen.

In this conversation, Crislery shares how adversity became one of her greatest teachers, shaping her resilience, deepening her faith, and helping her believe in herself.

07/15/2026

Before every educator, entrepreneur, leader, and worker is a human being.

In this week's I AM a Human Being reflection, Angela Carolina, ELCC Program Manager at the SEIU Education & Support Fund and a former early childhood educator, explores what it means to care for others without losing ourselves in the process.

Her reflection reminds us that the humanity of Family Child Care Educators is not separate from their work. It is what gives their work meaning.

Read the full reflection on our website.

07/14/2026

What keeps someone caring for others, even through life's most difficult moments?

For Crislery, the answer is love.

Love for children. Love for watching them grow. Love for the families she serves. And a calling that has never left her.

This week we are reminded of the Human Being behind the work.

07/13/2026

This week, we're highlighting the fifth and final identity in our I AM campaign:

🤍 Human Being

Meet Crislery Cordero, a Family Child Care Educator from Massachusetts.

Alongside her mother, Crislery has created a program rooted in love, homemade meals, culture, and care. Every day, she welcomes children and families into a space where they are seen, nurtured, and valued.

This week, Crislery reminds us that behind every Family Child Care Educator is a whole person with hopes, challenges, and a life beyond the profession.

Welcome to I AM a Human Being.

07/09/2026

07/08/2026

In this reflection, ESF Executive Director Kursten Holabird explores how embracing a worker identity transforms not only how educators see themselves, but how they organize, advocate, and build collective power.

Worker identity isn't about replacing the roles of caregiver, educator, or entrepreneur. It's about recognizing that the labor of caring for children is real work worthy of dignity, respect, and a voice in shaping the future of the profession.

Read the full reflection on our website.

07/07/2026

Work is more than what you do.

It's what you build, who you serve, and the people whose lives are better because you showed up.

Hear Ivonne talk about Family Child Care Educators as workers, advocates, and changemakers, and why their work matters.

07/06/2026

This is Ivonne.
She is a family child care educator.
And that also makes her a worker.
She shows up every day.
She cares for children and families.
She creates safe, nurturing learning environments.
She teaches and mentors fellow educators.
She strengthens the family child care workforce.
She advocates for the profession.
She stands with fellow educators to create change
She never stops showing up.
Meet Ivonne Bejar,
Worker.

07/03/2026

Leadership in family child care extends far beyond the classroom.

It lives in mentorship, advocacy, collaboration, and the everyday decisions that strengthen children, families, and fellow educators.