Two weeks later, and we’re still reflecting.
Four leaders from Delaware County’s early childhood education community had the opportunity to attend the Association for Early Learning Leaders (AELL) first annual Business Symposium, made possible through the generous support of the George and Frances Ball Foundation and our participation in the PILOT CAN committee.
What we can say collectively is this: the experience was transformative for every one of us.
Representing the early childhood education landscape of Delaware County were:
Carol Johnson, United Day Care Center
Erika Serf, Huffer Memorial Children’s Center
Kelsey Buck, YMCA Mitchell Early Childhood and Family Center
Emma Dragoo, BY5
We came home with pages of notes, new ideas, and perhaps most importantly, a renewed willingness to look inward at how we lead and how we build stronger programs.
Leadership was at the center of so much of our reflection.
For many of us in early childhood, the leadership journey begins in the classroom, grows into managing a small team, and eventually expands into program leadership and supporting an even larger network of professionals. The symposium gave us space to think intentionally about that journey—and about the leaders we are becoming along the way.
We’re asking ourselves:
What is it like to be on the receiving end of me?
How are we showing up for every member of our team—not just teaching staff, but the kitchen, office, administrative, and support teams, too?
Are we creating intentional opportunities for one-on-one connection?
Are we investing in our people in ways that add value to the team?
Because when we invest in our teams, the team gets stronger - and stronger teams show up for one another.
We were reminded that not everything needs to be taken personally. Sometimes the kindest thing a leader can do is lean into the policy, create clarity, and remember that clarity is kindness. And sometimes leadership means choosing confidence, even when we are still growing into the role.
We’re thinking differently about program systems, too—from onboarding and event planning to the critical first 100 days of a new educator’s experience. Strong systems don’t just make programs run more smoothly; they create the conditions for people to succeed.
And then there was the financial learning.
Know your number.
Understanding the true cost of care means looking beyond tuition and enrollment and understanding the buckets that keep a program operating: staffing, program expenses, facilities, and administration. It means thinking about fixed and variable costs, the true cost of onboarding a child, occupancy, long-term stability, and building the financial cushion programs need to weather the unexpected.
For nonprofit programs, sustainability might look different—but the principle remains: breaking even isn't the same as being sustainable. Building margin, planning ahead, and creating opportunities for revenue can help programs remain resilient and continue serving children and families.
Even our thinking about family engagement and events was challenged. What if some events could simultaneously strengthen relationships with families and support the financial health of the program? In a nonprofit setting, that might mean scholarship fundraising, annual campaigns, or other intentional opportunities to invest back into the program and the families we serve.
And now, two weeks later, we’re putting some of that learning into practice.
We’re looking at our program policies and asking where we can strengthen protections and deepen our understanding of reasonable accommodations under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and emerging regulations.
That might be one of our favorite parts of professional learning: the conference ends, but the learning doesn't.
We return to our programs.
We look at our systems differently.
We ask better questions.
We have conversations we might not have had before.
And we keep growing.
We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside other early learning leaders, to represent Muncie, Indiana, and to bring that learning home to the children, families, educators, and programs we serve.
Two weeks later, we’re still talking about it. And we suspect we will be for quite some time.
