Sparking Change: A Storyteller Initiative

Stephanie is a leader on the Statewide Hotline in Virginia Beach who is deeply committed to professional and personal development. As a Black Christian woman, she navigates the complexities of these identities while helping survivors access services, especially LGBTQ+ individuals.

A mother of four, Stephanie is passionate
about reproductive justice, trans access to resources in rural areas, and childcare access, drawing from her own experiences as a single mother who worked a second
job to afford childcare.

Angel is a genuine, compassionate, and persistent advocate from Alexandria City. A former foster care child and now a single mother of two, Angel’s life experiences have
fueled her passion for equity and inclusion.

Her son’s ADHD diagnosis and challenges with IEP implementation inspired her to advocate for children with disabilities to
receive the support and opportunities they deserve. While working in the healthcare field, Angel continues to serve as a dedicated parent advocate and member of
the Kids’ First Years Family Council, using her voice and lived experience to ensure every child and family has access to quality education, care, and essential services

Cheryl is a licensed family childcare provider of 25 years in Chesterfield County. She is a wife, a mother and grandmother, and her childcare center serves 12 families.
She is a trusted advocate and community leader working to organize childcare providers.

 Cheryl testified before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Committee, highlighting the essential role of early childhood education and advocating for systemic change to ensure educators earn a livable wage and access healthcare.

Shemik is a childcare owner in Chesterfield, VA and a Policy Fellow with NAFCC. She has 24 years of experience in early childhood education. Originally from a small town (Emporia VA) with a young mother, she grew up with the care and support of her family.

Today, as a licensed family child care educator, she has provided a nurturing environment for over 60 children and families since 2020. Shemik is a strong advocate for child welfare, mental health, and social-emotional development, actively shaping policy and systems change through her leadership roles and meetings with legislators, ensuring the voices of family child care educators are heard.

Heather is a committed community leader and advocate residing in Fairfax County, bringing years of experience in social services to assist families and individuals facing the challenges of poverty. As a mother of six, Heather’s journey has been shaped by personal experiences, including her husband’s layoff and the hardships that followed when their family lost a business due to the lack of access to affordable childcare, which ultimately led to homelessness. These experiences deepen her dedication to social justice.

For the past two years, Heather has served as the Vice-Chair of the Virginia Promise Partnership’s parent advisory committee, where she has made significant contributions. She actively participates on various local and state boards, championing causes such as affordable housing, childcare access, and food security. Additionally, Heather is a published writer, focusing on the urgent need for accessible childcare and addressing the pressing issues of food insecurity in our communities.

Raynique Syas is a Los Angeles native living in Charleston and advocating for better childcare and education, mental health, and income security for families like hers. As a young mother and primary parent of three children, Raynique tells her story of moving to South Carolina and navigating a complex system to get support – while balancing three jobs, sharing one bed with her children in the only place she could afford, and lacking access to health insurance. Raynique has appeared in The Cut by Vox, is a recipient of the Wayfair Foundation’s Women of Color Schoolboard Fellowship, and is highly active in her neighborhood association.

Raynique is a storyteller from South Carolina.

See Raynique featured in: Balancing Acts: Stories of Women at the Crossroads of Working and Caregiving, Sparking Change Storytellers Tell Congress What Women and Families Actually Need , “Telling people means I’m weak; it means I can’t; it means I failed”: Six Women of Color Share Their Experiences with Mental Illness—and the Stigma It Can Carry

“How many families are trying, but the feeling of getting ahead is only a hope and a dream?”

Born in Charleston, SC, Chantelle Mitchell is an advocate for income security and food access for single-parent households. As the primary parent of six children working multiple jobs, Chantelle experienced housing insecurity and displacement for over a year, as well as insurmountable barriers to accessing SNAP benefits to feed her family. She is also a survivor of domestic violence, having nearly lost her life to gun violence by an ex-partner, and she shares this story to empower other women. Today, Chantelle is highly engaged in her local community and is a graduate of the Wayfair Foundation Women of Color School Board Fellowship, a member of NWLC’s Sparking Change inaugural cohort, and an advisor to the NWLC Community Impact Fund, a community-led grantmaking initiative. She also develops parenting workshops aimed at fostering healthy changes within households, enabling families to thrive. She is a motivational speaker, youth advocate, mentor, author, and certified life and family coach.

Chantelle is a storyteller from South Carolina.

See Chantelle featured here: Sparking Change Storytellers Tell Congress What Women and Families Actually Need, The Recovery Paradox: Women and Families Need More Support to Expand and Improve Economic Gains, “Telling people means I’m weak; it means I can’t; it means I failed”: Six Women of Color Share Their Experiences with Mental Illness—and the Stigma It Can Carry, Parents worried about financial burden as federal childcare funding ends

Christine Matthews is a loving mother of three children, community organizer, and advocate for affordable childcare access for neurodivergent children, housing access, voter participation, and income security. Christine has appeared in Forbes and NPR’s Here and Now, and she has been featured on multiple panels at NWLC’s Annual Childcare Convening. She currently is a student at Trident Technical College, serves as her neighborhood community secretary, and works as a property manager.

Ms. Christine is a storyteller from South Carolina.

See Christine featured in: Lowest Paid Workers In U.S. Are Mostly Women. Paying Them More Helps GDP, The Recovery Paradox: Women and Families Need More Support to Expand and Improve Economic Gains, Left Behind: The Retirement Crisis for Women and LGBTQIA+ People

“I walk and talk with a purpose. We must seek change for childcare. I encourage anyone who feels the same way to be a voice for mothers and fathers who are in the same position we were once in…where I was at seven years ago, being a mother first and everything else second.”

Melodie Ali is a motivator, storyteller, and advocate for affordable childcare and better education in Charleston, SC. As a proud mother and primary parent of two children, Melodie speaks deeply about her experience providing for her family while navigating high costs of living and childcare, relocating to South Carolina, grieving the loss of her mother, and prioritizing her children’s wellbeing.

Melodie is a storyteller from South Carolina.

Merline Gallegos is a business owner, activist, and a mother of four. When childcare costs were too exorbitant to afford while working, she opened her own at-home daycare. Merline has been interviewed by dozens of news outlets including Telemundo, Linea Abierta, New Mexico Political Report, and Univision. She has shared her personal story with legislators on Capitol Hill as well as the New Mexico legislature, advocating on behalf of childcare workers’ rights, childcare access, immigrant rights, gun violence, and family economic support. She is also a certified disability rights advocate.

Merline is a storyteller from New Mexico.

See Merline featured in: Sparking Change Storytellers Tell Congress What Women and Families Actually Need, The Recovery Paradox: Women and Families Need More Support to Expand and Improve Economic Gains

Patricia Bustillos was born in Chihuahua and has been living in Albuquerque for 30 years. When she became a mother at 15 years old, her fight for more accessible and affordable childcare began. As a survivor of domestic violence and a mother of five, she is a part of creating a strong community of care and has shared her story on Capitol Hill, in the New Mexico state legislature, and in interviews with Voz de America and New Republic.

Patricia is a storyteller from New Mexico.

See Patricia featured in: Sparking Change Storytellers Tell Congress What Women and Families Actually Need, “Decirle a la gente significa que soy débil; significa que no puedo; significa que fallé”: Seis Mujeres de Color Comparten Sus Experiencias con La Salud Mental y El Estigma Que Puede Llevar

Patty Ortiz is an early education teacher who has been advocating for accessible, affordable childcare and higher teacher salaries since knocking doors for the “Vote Yes for Kids” campaign, which succeeded in amending the state constitution to direct more funds to childcare. After losing her husband, Patty has gotten by with her children and perseverance. She has contributed her story to research at the Berkeley Center for the Study of Childcare Employment as well as Partnership for Community Action, and her interviews have appeared in Telemundo New Mexico and Voz de America.

Patty is a storyteller from New Mexico.

See Patty featured here: “Decirle a la gente significa que soy débil; significa que no puedo; significa que fallé”: Seis Mujeres de Color Comparten Sus Experiencias con La Salud Mental y El Estigma Que Puede Llevar, ¡Bienvenidos a un día en la vida de la proveedora de cuidado infantil, Patty Alma Ortiz!

“The future of our country depends on our work as teachers.”

Sandra Ibarra is an early childhood educator and advocate for pay parity in education. As an immigrant and mother in New Mexico, she has overcome multiple labor challenges while fighting for a living wage for teachers. She has collaborated on research on child care employment with the Berkeley Center and has been featured in media outlets such as The Albuquerque Journal, Univision, Voice of America, and Telemundo. In addition to advising educators on state benefits, scholarships, and entrepreneurship initiatives, she always finds time to support her community, pushing for recognition and pay justice for those who form the foundation of early childhood learning.

Sandra is a storyteller from New Mexico.

See Sandra featured in: “Decirle a la gente significa que soy débil; significa que no puedo; significa que fallé”: Seis Mujeres de Color Comparten Sus Experiencias con La Salud Mental y El Estigma Que Puede Llevar,

“This is my story of struggle, of love and commitment to my community. It all started with a brave woman who, with only a second grade education, taught me to believe in myself and fight for a more just world. As a first-generation migrant, I know that the road is not always easy, but I also know that with determination and solidarity, we can achieve significant changes. ”

Felicitas Torres is a first-generation immigrant to the United States now working in childhood education. “I was born in a humble town where access to education and opportunities were limited,” she says. “My mother was a strong and determined woman and always dreamed of something better for me, although she could only attend school until the second grade due to the economic circumstances of her family. She never underestimated the power of knowledge.” Today, Felicitas works in a nursery school and her daughter is a university graduate. She is a staunch advocate for teacher pay, voting, and immigrant rights, sharing her story at the New Mexico state legislature, Albuquerque City Council, and taking part in action days such as A Day without Childcare, a campaign that seeks to make visible the critical importance of child care workers and how their work sustains families and the economy. “Every step I take is a tribute to my mother’s legacy,” she says.

Felicitas is a storyteller from New Mexico.

See Felicitas featured in: Balancing Acts: Stories of Women at the Crossroads of Working and Caregiving, “Decirle a la gente significa que soy débil; significa que no puedo; significa que fallé”: Seis Mujeres de Color Comparten Sus Experiencias con La Salud Mental y El Estigma Que Puede Llevar