Today we’d like to introduce you to Alisha Bird.
Hi Alisha, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I knew early on that the early childhood/childcare industry was my passion in life. In my senior year of high school, I took an entrepreneurship class, and my final project was to own my own childcare business. I began my childcare career by opening and operating home-based childcare within 6 months of graduating high school and ran successfully for 10 years before closing it and moving to Wichita. Once settled in, I began working as a toddler co-teacher for a worldwide corporate-owned childcare center. My goal was to get into center management as soon as possible, which included earning a CDA (Child Development Associate certification) and a Program Director’s License. Within 4 years, I worked my way up to a Director position, leading my center to become the Wichita area’s first NAC Accredited program within that company. After almost 8.5 years with the corporate-owned company, I left for an opportunity with a smaller family-owned childcare company rapidly growing into the largest program offered in the Wichita area. I began as a Director of newly opened centers before becoming a member of the Administration team alongside the owners. In late 2020, the owners decided to retire and sell their 7 childcare centers in the Wichita area. I was offered the amazing opportunity to purchase one of those 7 centers. I am officially living my dream! I am the Director and Owner of Busy Bird Learning Center! I have the honor of leading an amazing team of caregivers and early childhood educators with whom I share a passion. This industry is complex. Very hard. But it is truly a fantastic gift with endless rewards.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As with many industries, staffing has been the main struggle.
Thanks for sharing that. You could tell us more about your work.
I am an Early Childhood Educator/Childcare Provider. Our program provides quality childcare for children from infant to school age; our center is a play-based program with a relaxing, inviting family feels. We pride ourselves in being committed to the children in our care. And we are constantly striving to improve our program to meet the current needs of the industry.
We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Being a support system to my teaching team and the families as we raise a child is a success. Being a trusted program in this industry is a success.
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