Quite simply, children are Maria Gandara’s life. A mother of four young children and a passionate advocate for parents and children in her community, Maria is the owner, teacher and director of a home-based child care and education center in Humboldt Park.

After giving birth to a child with special needs four years ago, Maria left her job as a special education teacher to start her own early childhood care and education center and be with her newborn daughter.

Based in her home, Maria cares for children anywhere from 6 weeks to 12 years old, and offers her services to the parents of special needs children. “All I could think of is that there had to be other parents like me, and the resources for special needs child care are so limited.”

The children under Maria’s care spend the day learning, laughing, and playing in a setting that is both safe and nurturing. “I have four young children of my own, so it can be tough sometimes balancing my work and the rest of my life,” she said. “But I can’t tell a mother that is in her last semester working for a degree that I can’t take her kids because she is going to school at night.”

She is quick to point out that her work goes far beyond what some would call babysitting. “I am a professional just like anyone else, except that I am also the accountant and janitor of my own business,” said Maria of her work as a provider.

In addition to her professional work, Maria also works tirelessly as a public policy advocate and leader for the parents in the predominantly Latino community that she lives in. “Providing people with the information and resources is a great start, but you also have to help them learn to be self-sufficient so they can feel like they are part of the solution, too,” said Maria.

Maria credits Illinois Action for Children as an invaluable resource in both her personal and professional life. I found Illinois Action for Children through DCFS and used them to find child care myself, said Maria. As far as her work is concerned, Maria said, “one of the best things about Illinois Action for Children is having community partners that you can bounce ideas off of, and having the provider resources available is extremely helpful, too.”

Maria Gandara believes with us that all children deserve quality child care and education, and she continues to do everything she can to turn that belief into a reality.