We were lucky to catch up with Diana Rondon recently and have shared our conversation below.

Diana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My mission is to support the parents who trust their children’s care by providing quality care. I intend parents to focus on pursuing their personal goals. I want parents to know that their children are safe. Additionally, I want parents to know that their children are somewhere providing them with learning tools and abilities catered to their age group. My inspiration stems from being a 16-year-old mother. I was very young, I thought my desire to obtain my degree was nearly impossible. I did not have the income to have my daughter attend the type of facility where I wanted her to be. This is why I had to resort to neighbors for my daughter’s daily care. Because it was a low-cost childcare, my daughter was not provided with the resources or activities that would allow her to strengthen her knowledge. As years went by, I was able to attend school and pursue a career, but I felt indebted to my daughter. After opening my daycare, I understood I was given the chance to offer the care that I wanted my daughter to have. Similarly, I believe that my parents deserve the peace of mind I wanted to have while I worked and studied simultaneously.

I am part of Quality Start Orange County and Start Well Orange County; they provide me with training and resources to offer quality childcare. My job is silent and on occasions not recognized but I am positive that in the future the doctor, NASA scientist, or even president could be one of the children I am watching grow today.

Diana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

In 2012 my daughter and I moved to Anaheim, California. In December of that year, we got licenses. At first, it was hard getting children, our space back then was rather small, and parents felt uneasy. As well, we didn’t have enough furniture and toys. Fellow daycare providers used to refer children to us, but it didn’t seem to work out either. Finally, a nearby provider closed her daycare, and not only did she provide us with some of her toys and furniture, but she transferred many of her children to our facility. Four of these children had care programs that we were not contracted with, and naturally, we had to wait months for these agencies to process the paperwork. For a few months, we cared for, transported, and fed these children without being paid for them. These were difficult times as we had to care for other children with variable schedules and daily care of 13-14 hours to fill the financial void. Simultaneously, the house landlord feared the daycare children damaging the house inside, so he decided to end the contract, which caused major stress. Finding housing in California is difficult as it is, but finding a house where the owner is comfortable with you running a daycare is even harder. Additionally, the license doesn’t belong to the provider. The license belongs to the house, meaning while Social Services approves the license, the daycare provider continues to pay rent in the old address while paying rent in the new address. Additionally, adjusting to a new location comes with an expense of its own and it will take months to recover financially from this process. Not to mention, social services doesn’t give priority to addressing changes which causes us to pay rent in both places for an additional month. We have been able to win the landlord’s trust in this new location. Four years ago, my daughter graduated, and with this new journey for independence, I was left running the daycare alone. I started taking classes in Child Development, and this new knowledge came with the realization that childcare isn’t an empirical job. I enrolled in the Quality Star Orange County program a year ago because I wanted to improve my childcare program. I started in this program because, like other jobs, childcare requires quality. Since then, I have taken the concepts of the Reggio Emilia method, I followed my coach’s advice to improve my daycare’s service. Through this method, children are expected to learn most of their skills through curiosity, environment, and daily routines. In the same way, I am also part of the Star Well program in Orange County. Through this program, I learned to work with children with defying problems. With this knowledge, I’ve acquired the skills necessary to work with families and children with trauma. It has been a difficult and challenging journey, but a pleasing journey as well. I have seen improvement firsthand from these children, and I am proud to be part of their progress. I’m content to be able to provide families with the knowledge and see that happy children and happy families after trauma are possible. This framework is possible through the following approaches: 1. Diversity: We are all different and can enrich society through our complexities and uniqueness. 2. Inclusivity: We are all important and make an important piece of society. Celebrating our differences makes diversity possible. Inviting all to feel included gives everyone a role in society. 3. Generosity: We teach our children to be mindful first and generous right after. For example, in the summertime, we teach our children to give the mail people water. 4. Respect: Not only do we lead by example; in the way we interact daily with the children. We also teach them respect for nature as it is crucial for the World’s future. 5. Democratic Participation: We simulate civic duties at daycare by creating pretend elections. The dynamic involves offering children an option and having them choose through Yes or No elections. This is one of their favorite times of year and it teaches them the importance of democracy and civic involvement. Finally, these 5 framework approaches allow me to teach children valuable life tools while giving them beautiful memories. My dream is for children to remember our daycare one day as the place that was home while their parents earned a living. I hope these capsules of our days together leave a heartwarming footprint in their memory.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I wanted to go to Law school since I was 13 years old. After becoming a mother at 16 years old, Law school became a personal goal I chased for 6 years. Afterward, I went to grad school for Labor Law. After coming to this country, that work was left behind. Back then I did not know I would find joy and pride in becoming a Daycare provider. I did not understand how fruitful this job was for me until 3 years later. Children were the ones that made me fall in love with this job. I witnessed their sadness and voids every day. Then, I decided to provide them with a different perspective and give them happiness in the few hours they spent with me daily. I understood that we do not always find fulfillment in our desired careers.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

By taking Child Development classes, I’ve had to question everything I thought I knew about childcare. Some of these things were cultural but still wrong. For instance, in my country, there’s the belief that if a child cries after they’ve been fed and changed, it is because they’re being difficult. Also, there’s the misconception that children cry when they want to be always carried. Both beliefs were wrong. My classes taught me that from age 0-3 years old, children need to feel safe with their caregiver and proximity allows the child to trust. Trust then creates a bond that allows them to feel comfortable with their environment and connect to the people around them. This is where social skills come into play, emotional stability is at stake too. So now, when I see a child cry, I understand that it is my task to be receptive and aid them the best I can. I raised my daughter, so I naturally believed that some of these conceptions were okay and self-explanatory. Now, I realize that childcare is meant to be studied and questioned constantly.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: tippytoesfamilychildcare
• Facebook: Tippy Toes Family Childcare
• Yelp: Typpy Toes Family Daycare

Image Credits

I have the credits because I took the pictures.