Celebrating Black History Month: Family Child Care Provider Champions

Black History Month is a time to honor legacy, leadership and the work shaping our communities today. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month’s national recognition, highlighting a century of honoring and preserving Black history.

At Children’s Council of San Francisco, we recognize Black history as living and ongoing, shaped through the leadership and contributions of Black educators, families and community members. Through our Black Early Childhood Education Achievement work, we continue investing in pathways, leadership and opportunity that strengthen early learning across San Francisco. 

Honoring Educators Who Carry Legacy Forward

Black history is not only something we reflect on, it is something being shaped every day in care spaces, classrooms and communities. Family child care providers play a vital role in that work, creating environments where children are nurtured, families are supported and futures begin.

Research shows that Black children who experience even one Black educator early in life are 13% more likely to graduate from high school and 19% more likely to enroll in college. Representation and access in early learning matter. Educators who reflect the communities they serve help build stronger foundations for children’s long-term success.

Annually, Children’s Council honors a Family Child Care Provider Champion, recognizing the lifetime achievements of educators who open their homes and dedicate their lives to San Francisco’s children and families. We are proud to highlight the champions whose work embodies the living legacy of Black history.

Margie Stokes

2018 Family Child Care Provider Champion

Margie Stokes transitioned into early childhood education after a 25-year career in nursing, inspired by conversations with colleagues about the challenges families face balancing work and child care. After earning her license in 1984, she partnered with Children’s Council to build a sustainable program supported by training, nutrition resources and ongoing guidance.

Today, Margie’s program serves multiple generations of families, including children she once cared for who now bring their own children to her. Her work reflects a lifelong commitment to nurturing children and strengthening community.

Renee Underwood

2021 Family Child Care Provider Champion

With more than four decades of service, Renee Underwood is a pillar of San Francisco’s family child care community. Since opening her Bayview home-based program, she has supported generations of families while advocating for environments where children, especially Black children, feel seen, heard and nurtured.

Renee speaks openly about the inequities Black children can face in early learning spaces and the importance of educators recognizing each child’s character, curiosity and potential. She encourages providers to step forward when they witness bias, reinforcing that early care environments should be places where every child is valued and supported. 

Her leadership and mentorship continue to shape a culture of belonging and opportunity for children and families across San Francisco.

Krystle Dandridge-Pearson

2023 Family Child Care Provider Champion

Krystle Dandridge-Pearson opened Each One, Teach One with a vision grounded in family, purpose and care. With support from Children’s Council, she built a program that reflects her belief that working with children is truly her calling.

For the families who are part of Each One, Teach One, Krystle feels like an extension of their support system. Her work shows how Black educators nurture early learning with intention, purpose and a commitment to uplifting their communities.

Continuing the Legacy

The work of educators like Margie, Renee and Krystle reminds us that Black history lives in the everyday spaces where children are nurtured, voices are affirmed and communities are strengthened. 

From Margie’s generations of care, to Renee’s advocacy for belonging and equity, to Krystle’s purpose-driven commitment to families, their stories reflect how Black educators shape early learning not only through what they teach, but through the environments they build and the communities they uplift.

For those inspired to be part of that work, Children’s Council’s Black & BIPOC Early Educator Pre-Apprenticeship Pathways Program supports the creation of culturally affirming learning spaces and increases representation in early education. By helping grow the next generation of Black educators in San Francisco, the program strengthens care and learning while expanding access Black children to early learning spaces where they feel seen, supported and encouraged to thrive.

Whether you are interested in applying to the program or supporting this work through a donation, you can help move this pathway forward for educators, families and children across our city. Together we are creating more spaces where Black children can grow, feel seen and receive the support they need to thrive.