Fairfax Futures Speaks at National Association for Family Child C
July 27, 2023
Each year, the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) hosts a conference in which hundreds of family child care educators and other stakeholders gather to network, learn and advocate on behalf of family child care and the children they serve throughout the country. The 2023 NAFCC Conference – The Future Starts with Us - recently convened in Atlanta, GA from July 12-15 with over 1,000 participants!
The Fairfax Futures team presented two breakout sessions, Creating Synergy Through CDA® Peer Mentoring. Fairfax Futures’ executive director Sallyann Rodriguez-Sawao and Ana Hoover, an early childhood specialist with McFarren Avilés and Associates, and Shashi Negi, a family child care educator who is serving as a CDA® peer mentor, presented in English; while Tori Ongodia, Fairfax Futures’ manager of programs & communications, Jill McFarren Avilés, founder/director of McFarren Avilés and Associates, and Fabiola Rivadineira, a family child care educator CDA® peer mentor, presented in Spanish. The sessions highlighted a peer mentoring leadership model which supports early childhood educators in attaining their CDA® credential. Participants practiced peer coaching skills and identified strategies for philanthropic networking.
Shashi and Fabiola embraced this opportunity and shared their unique experiences in leading the way for other educators to pursue the CDA®.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to attend the NAFCC 2023 conference. I had a fantastic experience. As a peer mentor, I was happy to share my experience and encourage other early childhood educators. I learned that learning never stops and there is much to learn from others. My favorite part was seeing other powerful women empowering each other. I always knew how amazingly Fairfax Future works to improve the future for our young children. During the conference, I experienced that firsthand and saw the Fairfax Futures team working as a great team. Overall, it was so much fun spending time with great mentors and role models; I came back with much more knowledge in early childhood education and will implement what I learned in my program.” —Shashi Negi, Family Child Care Educator, Shashi’s Shining Star
The CDA® Mentoring Program is a generous three-year initiative funded by the John & Janice Wyatt Foundation. Visit our Facebook album for more event highlights.
