ChildCare Conversations with Kate and Carrie
Kate and Carrie have over 62 years in the childcare business industry and bring that background to their conversations. Having worked with over 5000 childcare programs across the country in the last 30 years together they are a fun and powerful team - ready to help you tackle your problems with practical solutions.
Episodes
389 episodes
377: How One Childcare Operator Scaled to 21 Schools Without the Tech Chaos With Dr. Jason Lody
What does it really take to grow a childcare organization without losing the systems, staff support, and community connection that make it successful? Dr. Jason Lody shares how Aventus grew from zero to 21 schools across six states, and ...
376: The Onboarding Mistake that Makes New Childcare Staff Quit Fast with Marie Young
Why does Gen Z leave childcare, and what can leaders do differently to make them want to stay? Kate Woodward Young and Marie Young share an honest mother-daughter conversation about Gen Z staff retention, onboarding, leadership, communicatio...
375: 3 Questions That Reveal What a Child Really Needs With Stephanie Corley
What if we stopped waiting for a diagnosis before supporting a child who needs help? Stephanie Corley joins Kate Woodward Young to explore early intervention, developmental concerns, exceptionalities, and supporting children in early childho...
374: Why Childcare Directors Need Training Before They Can Lead a Center
Great teachers don’t automatically become great directors. But too often, they’re promoted into leadership and expected to figure it out on their own. Kate Woodward Young and Carrie Casey explore why early childhood administrator training
373: 5 Ways Early Educators Can Lead With Confidence and Clarity with Jessica Van Hoose
What does it take to go from early childhood educator to CEO? Jessica Van Hoose, CEO of The Nest Schools, joins Kate to talk about early childhood leadership, business strategy, personal branding, and executive confidence. They explore w...
372: You Can’t Have a Yes Without a Why With Carla Ward
What if the behavior you’re trying to manage isn’t really a child problem—but an environment problem? Kate Woodward Young sits down with Carla Ward, early childhood educator, director, entrepreneur, and host of The Everything EC Podcast
371: Finding Your Fire in Early Childhood Education with LaTroya of The Preschool Posse
What happens when the passion that brought you into early childhood education starts to feel like burnout? Kate Woodward Young sits down with LaTroya B. of The Preschool Posse for an honest, energizing conversation about finding your fire again...
370: Game-Changers for Managing Staff Training and Compliance in Childcare with Cindy Morgan
In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate and Cindy Morgan tackle something every childcare director needs but few actually have: written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for staff training and compliance. They dig into why keeping t...
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369: Are You Really Preparing Your Early Childhood Staff or Just Checking Boxes?
In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate Woodward Young drops some serious truth bombs about why handing a new hire a handbook and saying "let us know if you have questions" just doesn't cut it. She breaks down the real difference betwe...
368: The Greatest Career Moves for Longtime Early Childhood Leaders With Erica Saccoccio
In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate and Erica sit down for a really inspiring chat about what's next when you've spent decades in early childhood education. Erica shares her incredible 27-year journey from furniture sales to childc...
367: What’s the Real Problem Holding Your Childcare Center Back? With Danielle Credeur
In this episode, you'll meet Danielle, who has spent nearly 35 years in early childhood education, and her story of how she got there is genuinely heartwarming! She sits down to talk about leading multiple childcare centers, the real challenges...
366: The Greatest Secrets to Managing Change and Growing Your Childcare Center with Confidence with Cindy Morgan
In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate sits down with Cindy Morgan from One Place Childcare to dig into a topic every early childhood leader needs to hear — "Change is inevitable. Growth is optional." Cindy shares her incredible journ...
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365: How Can Women Lead Boldly Without Apology in Early Childhood Education? With Amy Cowan
In this episode of Child Care Conversations, Kate chats with Amy Cowan, CEO of Ivy Brook Academy, about her incredible journey from public school teacher to leading a franchise with 60+ locations! Amy shares how a strong female mentor helped sh...
364: The Surprising Truth About Vendor Hall Swag, Discounts, and Building Genuine Relationships with Alisha Kriege
Get ready for conference season! In this episode, Kate and Alisha break down how to make the most of vendor halls at early childhood education conferences. Think of it less like trick-or-treating for swag and more like a strategic opportunity t...
363: The Secret to Recruiting College Students and Spouses Who Turn Into Lifelong Educators with Jennifer Clements
In this episode of Child Care Conversations, Kate talks to Jennifer Clements, who shares her journey from growing up in her mom's home daycare to running three childcare centers in Kansas. She dives into the unique challenges of serving militar...
362: The Hidden Financial Impact of Quality Ratings Nobody Tells You About with Coach Rae
In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate sits down with Coach Rae — an early childhood education specialist and consultant — to bust some myths about quality rating systems. They dig into why these systems aren't about control, but acco...
361: Why Childcare Owners Need Formal Management Training — Or Risk Burnout With Laura Biederman
Unlock the secret to rapid growth in early childhood education—without burning out your team or drowning in disjointed systems. Laura Biederman, from Ebenezer's eight locations, reveals how she transitioned from classroom teacher to business le...
360: The Most Crucial Ingredient for Quality Childcare Staffing Revealed
Ever wonder what lifeguarding has to do with running a child care program? Turns out — a lot! In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate shares how becoming a lifeguard at 15 shaped everything she believes about training, preparation, and...
359: From Sticky Notes to Streamlined Success: Revolutionize Childcare Enrollment with Tech! With Robert Rodriguez
In this episode of Childcare Conversations, we chat with Robert Rodriguez, co-owner of Texas Christian Preschool in Brownsville, Texas. Robert shares how his mom founded the business back in 1981, and how he brought his corporate retail and fin...
358: The Greatest Wellness Secrets Every Family Childcare Provider Needs to Know With Annette Eberhardt
This episode of Childcare Conversations is such a good one! Kate sits down with Annette Eberhart, a 19-year family childcare veteran from Florida, to talk about something we all need to hear: self-care and wellness for early childhood educators...
357: Are You Choosing the Right School Supplies to Boost Your Early Childhood Program? With Tom Melhorn
In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate sits down with Tom Melhorn, president of North Star School Supply, for a really refreshing chat about something every childcare owner deals with: supplies and equipment. Tom shares how North Star...
356: How Can Early Childhood Education and Performing Arts Build Confidence in Kids? With Vineeta Bhandari
In this episode of Childcare Conversations, you'll meet Vineeta; her story is truly something special! What started as a mom's response to her daughter's Type 1 diabetes diagnosis turned into a preschool empire spanning 59 schools and 100 franc...
355: The Greatest Tool for Building Parent Trust in Early Childhood Education with Jamie Selig
Parent Engagement Gets a Tech Upgrade! This episode of Childcare Conversations is one you'll want to share with every director you know. Kate and Carrie sat down with Jamie Selig from Perfect Day Live to talk about live v...
354: Struggling to Find and Keep Great Early Childhood Staff? Here’s What You Need to Know with Crystal Johnston
This episode of Childcare Conversations is such a good one! Kate and Carrie sit down with Crystal Johnston, founder of Hire Up Recruiting, to talk all things staffing in early childhood education. Crystal shares her wild journey from economics ...
353: Want Happier Staff and Happier Parents? Here’s How Babysitting Connection Makes It Happen with Beth Heyer
In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate and Carrie chat with Beth Heyer, founder of Babysitting Connection — and honestly, it's such a fun conversation! Beth shares how she turned her own struggle to find reliable babysitters ...