To celebrate National Childcare Provider Appreciation Day, WHEDco held a special event at the Andrew Freeman Home to honor 150 local childcare providers who receive training and other support from WHEDco’s Home-Based Childcare program. The event celebrated Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson’s new proclamation naming May 18 “WHEDco Childcare Appreciation Day” and also honored the vice president of WHEDco’s Home-Based Childcare Program, Diana Perez.
Diana joined WHEDco in 1995 and has been the driving force behind our crucial work in home-based early childcare, for which WHEDco is recognized city- and state-wide. She and her team of more than 90 staff members teach licensed/registered home-based childcare providers to become successful small business owners, ensuring children in their care receive healthy food, excellent educational curricula, and access to motor development and physical exercise. In addition, her team ensures that over 30,000 unlicensed childcare providers throughout the city meet health and safety childcare standards for low-income families. Prior to joining WHEDco, Diana worked with the Athena Project, a community-based childcare microenterprise program in the Bronx, and with the Mount Hope Housing Corporation as a Parent Educator. She was trained at Bank Street College of Education and is an advocate and policy advisor on childcare licensing issues and practices. Diana holds a BA from Lehman College and an MA in Public Administration from Baruch College.