The Child Care Champions
Our latest initiative is the formation of a new task force: the Child Care Champions. The Child Care Champions (CCC) are a diverse group of Humboldt-based business owners, child care experts, and leaders. The CCC will meet on a regular basis to develop proactive policies and long-term strategies to support our local child care industry.
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We partnered with the California Center for Rural Policy to determine the community's specific needs related to child care. With data-informed research, we can make a lasting impact on Humboldt's child care industry for generations to come. Access to affordable and high-quality childcare is a critical issue in Humboldt County, impacting workforce participation, economic stability, and child development. The final report was published in April 2025 and is available for download below.
To ensure that every family in Humboldt who wants or needs child care has access to affordable, high-quality care.
Child Care Champions
Jade Hoff — North Edge, Child Care Stabilization Program Manager
Susan Seaman — North EdgeC, Program Director
Wendy Hill — Director of College of the Redwoods Child Development Center
Martha Shanahan — Director, Community Health, Providence Humboldt
Angela Shull — Executive Director of the Redwood Coast K-16 Educational Collaborative
Dawn Arledge — Executive Director, California Center for Rural Policy at Cal Poly Humboldt
Kerry Venegas — Executive Director, Changing Tides Family Services
Mary Ann Hansen — Executive Director, First 5 Humboldt
Rodney Oien — Executive Director, North Coast Children's Services
Wil Franklin — Executive Director, North Coast SBDC
Laura Olson — Executive Director, Patricia D. & William B. Smullin Foundation
Jeanine Candeo Moncrief — Changing Tides Family Services
Keri Mosey — Humboldt Area Foundation
Judi Andersen — Humboldt County Office of Education
Michelle Bushnell — Humboldt County Supervisor, 2nd District
Taffy Stockton — Humboldt Network of Family Resource Centers
Ana Tejeda — Owner, Family Child Care Home
Anna Davison — Owner, Family Child Care Home
Shannon Hall — Owner, Little Learners Child Care Centers
Alannah Smit — Program Manager, California Center for Rural Policy at Cal Poly Humboldt
Shannon Fazio — Supervisor-Little Saplings Preschool
Sarah Ross — Vice President of Operations – South Division