My name is Rachel Kurtz. I grew up living all over the place. My father was one of the best salesmen in his industry and he was often asked to move and help expand and open new locations, which meant we moved a lot. Our last move brought us to Richmond, Virginia in 1998 which we now call home. It was here that I finally grew my roots. Here, I earned my first job, made many friendships, and eventually met my husband and started a family. My husband and I have been married for 18 years and we have 2 wonderful children, Vance and Olivia.
Growing up, I always knew what field I wanted to work in. I was the baby of the family, so I always wanted to have a younger sibling. I wanted to experience being the big sister. I knew I loved working with children and volunteered in the church nursery or looked for baby sitting opportunities every chance I got. In high school I got a job working in a local gym nursery. I loved it! Every Saturday morning and a few evenings a week I was there and ready to play with the children. The more I was there, the more parents began asking for my information for babysitting. I had a whole list of my regulars that I babysat for all the time, which I continued to do for many years! In my senior year of high school, I was fortunate to be able to take an education course that allowed me to do some student teaching at a local elementary school. It was wonderful and I loved the whole experience but felt like it may not have been quite the setting I wanted to be in. I preferred working with younger children. Towards the end of my senior year, on the way home a friend of mine and I noticed that there was a new childcare opening right down the street from us. We decided to go in together and see what it was about and if we could find a job. To our advantage, they weren’t quite open but planned to open the week of our graduation and it just so happened, the owner seemed to love us! We were offered a job straight out of high school in this new little childcare as assistant teachers. Over the years, I continued to work in early education. I also worked as a nanny but eventually found myself back in a childcare center. I have worked with all ages from infants all the way up to preschool and after school. I earned my CDA credential and moved into a lead teacher role and eventually became a direct at a local church nursery and preschool. I was there for many years until after my daughter was born. When my daughter was born, I decided I wanted to find a way to stay home with both children. I decided to look into home childcare. I am very particular about knowing the rules and what I can and can’t do so I dove into learning the rules and regulations of family childcare. I had a friend that started her own childcare long before I did and she allowed me to come and observe what it was like before taking the dive. Once I saw how wonderful it was, I dove right into it! I started out legally unlicensed and unregulated and eventually became Voluntarily registered which opened many doors. I was able to then participate in many programs that ChildSavers offers such as the CACFP food program and Infant and toddler specialist network. I knew what quality care looked like and what I would want in childcare as a parent. I wanted to offer the kind of quality childcare every parent and child would want. I wanted an environment that was safe and loving. I poured everything I had and all of me into my childcare. I eventually became licensed which again opened more doors. This allowed me to have more children in care at a time, allowed me to hire an assistant, and allowed me to join more programs such as Virginia Quality (now, VQB5). During my time as a home childcare provider, I earned a second CDA credential in the family childcare setting, managed through the first year and a half of the global pandemic while also navigating my own children completing virtual school at home while running my home childcare. Still, I was so proud of the space I created and the service we offered. All of our children were healthy, happy, and loved. The children loved to learn and loved being there! I loved every bit of it, although it didn’t come without trials. There were many ups and downs and things that I had to learn along the way.
I have always been passionate about community and connecting with others. I loved connecting with other providers. We would brainstorm with each other and share resources. It was so nice to not feel alone which is why, when I had the opportunity to join the ChildSavers team, I jumped at it. It was an opportunity to help other providers and teachers. It was an opportunity for them to feel heard and seen. I love that I can share without any doubt that I know what it’s like to be in their shoes. I was able to take the knowledge and experience that I have learned and share it directly with providers and teachers across the central Virginia region.
I started at ChildSavers as a coach and CLASS observer. I became certified in all 3 CLASS tools and used that to help early educators reach their goals in the classroom. I later became a Child Development Specialist while continuing my work with centers and family day homes across the region. While I continue this work, I am also the coordinator for Voluntary Registration and VQB5 for ChildSavers. Through my voluntary registration role, I work directly with childcare providers that are either new and just starting their childcare or providers that are currently providing childcare but are unregulated, become registered with the state. I walk them through the entire process step by step and conduct their health and safety inspections to ensure that their space is safe for children. I help provide resources, technical assistance, coaching, and a variety of trainings to both family day home providers and to childcare centers. I am always looking for more opportunities to learn and add to my own toolbox so that I can continue to offer more resources to others. I am passionate about the work I do and love sharing that passion with others.