East Palo Alto mom launches daycare with hopes of putting dent into childcare crisis
As the crisis of not enough childcare resources continues in California, one Bay Area mom is hoping to bridge that gap with a daycare out of her home.
"We have a curriculum for infants for toddlers and for preschoolers. And we even like for them to explore and to be exposed and this is really important for them, especially with the little ones for more sensorial activities," Maribel Aguilar, owner of Apolo Daycare and Preschool, told CBS News Bay Area.
The daycare, located in East Palo Alto, is a Spanish language-immersion program.
"It's really important for me because I can create that community. And that's the most important thing in my life, I just want to support and help other people. And I think this job offered me the opportunity to do that," Aguilar said.
She moved from Mexico to East Palo Alto about two years ago, and wanted to figure out what she could do in her life to help out other parents.
Her daycare program has now become Aguilar's passion, taking care of children ranging from one to five years old.
"They have a high self-esteem. They can learn how to solve problems," Aguilar said.
Many of the children are learning Spanish for the first time.
She shared how being a single parent, she had endured many obstacles raising her children. She had wished there were more resources available to take care of her children when she was working. And now, she hopes to be the helping hand for working parents in the Bay Area.
"It was really hard for me to find a place for my daughters to run from one work to another one, and to find that right person to take care of them. It was a really stressful time in that moment. And now with this program, I can help other moms especially when they are alone," Aguilar said.
She added that her dream became a reality due to the support of the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. She took a ten-course program, and the center with a grant to help start her daycare.
"Nobody is really born knowing how to do accounting, or marketing or operations. So, we plug them in by helping them to shape their ideas into a profitable business," Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center CEO Sharon Miller told CBS News Bay Area. "We want to help people start businesses that have a positive impact not only on themselves but also in the communities in which they live."
Sharon's team awarded Aguilar with an "Entrepreneur of the Year" award in September for her dedication to bridging the gap in the childcare industry.
"She just took in every word that she heard and she participated so generously in with the classes and with the other students," Miller said.
The Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center also offers one-on-one consulting, skill-building events and workshops on all things marketing.
As for Aguilar, she said her dreams don't stop there.
"I want to open like a school out of my house, not like a home daycare. I'd like to have a school outside, so more people can come, can have more kids," Aguilar said.