It took a lot of courage to start her own child care business. But with support from Neighborhood House’s Oregon Child Care Alliance, Olga Maldonado started Un Nuevo Amanecer in 2023.
Olga worked in child care for 15 years and always dreamed of becoming her own boss. Through OCCA, she worked with a business coach who helped her apply for a grant to jumpstart her home-based program. OCCA provided a wealth of other resources, like access to a classroom curriculum to enhance the education Olga provides, and software to streamline the business side so she can concentrate on the children. It took a year of work, but OCCA gave her a strong foundation to make sure Un Nuevo Amanecer would succeed and thrive.
Olga is the perfect OCCA success story: opening more quality, affordable child care slots for Oregon families while helping small business owners create generational wealth.
It took just six months to fill all 10 child care slots, and Olga has a wait list for more families.
Olga’s business name, Un Nuevo Amanecer, translates to A New Sunrise. “I chose this name because, for me, every sunrise is a new opportunity to improve and make a difference,” Olga said.
The space at Un Nuevo Amanecer feels cozy, with different activities and nooks for students to explore and be creative. By matching toys to their images on shelves, students participate in their environment and contribute to the classroom. Using the Creative Curriculum provided by Preschool Promise, Olga lets the children’s interests guide the classroom throughout the day, such as findings leaves together or other child-led activity. With thoughtfully-placed furniture, Olga has been able to make an open floor plan inviting and exciting for her students.
With her passion for working with children and commitment to building a strong foundation for her business, we are proud and grateful to work with Olga as she continues to learn and grow as an early education small business owner.
