The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast

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Organizational growth does not begin with a new program, a bigger building, or a longer strategic plan. It begins with developing the people who will help carry the vision forward.

In this episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair, Erica sits down with Niki Da’Jon to discuss the connection between internal confidence, leadership development, and strategic planning. Together, they explore why directors must look beyond the immediate needs of the day and intentionally prepare their teams for the future.

This conversation examines how leaders can recognize potential, build confidence, create meaningful growth opportunities, and help educators see themselves as part of the organization’s long-term success. Erica and Niki also discuss why strategic planning should include people development, succession planning, professional goals, and clear pathways for emerging leaders.

When you invest in your people, you create stronger teams, reduce dependence on one leader, and build an organization that is prepared to grow. This episode will challenge directors and owners to ask an important question: Are you simply managing the people you have today, or are you intentionally developing the leaders your organization will need tomorrow?

Support the show

The Child Care Director's Chair Podcast is proudly powered by WatchMeGrow, our premier podcast sponsor and a trusted partner in early childhood education.

WatchMeGrow helps child care programs strengthen family engagement through secure live-streaming, classroom video access, and communication tools that build transparency, trust, and peace of mind for families. Their innovative technology empowers programs to enhance safety, strengthen relationships, and showcase the incredible learning happening in their classrooms every day.

To learn more about how WatchMeGrow can support your program, visit www.watchmegrow.com.

Thank you to WatchMeGrow for supporting our mission to inspire, equip, and empower child care leaders around the world.

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What does it truly mean to lead learning in an early childhood program? In this episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair, Erica sits down with Jessica Karpathios, a forest school practitioner, pedagogical leader, presenter, and the voice behind The Curious Educator Collective, for a meaningful conversation about pedagogical leadership.

Together, they explore how early childhood leaders can move beyond managing schedules, paperwork, staffing, and compliance to become more deeply connected to teaching, learning, and educator growth. Jessica shares how curiosity, reflection, intentional questioning, and collaboration can help leaders strengthen their practice and create environments where both educators and children feel empowered to explore, take risks, and grow.

This episode also dives into what pedagogical leadership looks like in everyday practice, how leaders can help educators fine-tune their craft, and why meaningful reflection is essential for professional growth. You will hear practical ideas for asking better questions, supporting educators without simply giving them all the answers, and creating a culture where learning is viewed as an ongoing process rather than a checklist.

Whether you are a childcare director, owner, administrator, coach, or classroom educator, this conversation will challenge you to think differently about leadership. Pedagogical leadership is not limited to a job title. It is about how we show up, how we remain curious, and how we create the conditions for meaningful learning to take place.

Support the show

The Child Care Director's Chair Podcast is proudly powered by WatchMeGrow, our premier podcast sponsor and a trusted partner in early childhood education.

WatchMeGrow helps child care programs strengthen family engagement through secure live-streaming, classroom video access, and communication tools that build transparency, trust, and peace of mind for families. Their innovative technology empowers programs to enhance safety, strengthen relationships, and showcase the incredible learning happening in their classrooms every day.

To learn more about how WatchMeGrow can support your program, visit www.watchmegrow.com.

Thank you to WatchMeGrow for supporting our mission to inspire, equip, and empower child care leaders around the world.

Send us Fan Mail

Your best teacher may be dependable, respected, and amazing with children, but that does not always mean they are prepared to lead adults.

In this episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair Podcast, Erica breaks down why strong teachers often struggle when they move into supervisory roles. From navigating friendships and difficult conversations to learning how to delegate, give feedback, and make decisions, this episode explores the leadership skills that are often missing after a promotion.

If you are a childcare owner or director trying to step away from the day-to-day, this episode will help you understand how to stop simply filling positions and start intentionally building leaders who can help carry your organization forward.

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Support the show

The Child Care Director's Chair Podcast is proudly powered by WatchMeGrow, our premier podcast sponsor and a trusted partner in early childhood education.

WatchMeGrow helps child care programs strengthen family engagement through secure live-streaming, classroom video access, and communication tools that build transparency, trust, and peace of mind for families. Their innovative technology empowers programs to enhance safety, strengthen relationships, and showcase the incredible learning happening in their classrooms every day.

To learn more about how WatchMeGrow can support your program, visit www.watchmegrow.com.

Thank you to WatchMeGrow for supporting our mission to inspire, equip, and empower child care leaders around the world.

Send us Fan Mail

Passion may bring educators into early childhood education, but passion alone will not keep them there.

In this episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair, Erica Saccoccio explores why the childcare workforce cannot continue surviving on dedication, sacrifice, and love for children without the leadership, support, compensation, respect, and working conditions educators need to stay.

This conversation challenges leaders to move from asking employees to give more to examining the systems that may be exhausting them. Erica discusses the difference between appreciation and action, why burnout should never be treated as proof of commitment, and how the daily employee experience shapes retention.

You will leave this episode with practical questions to help you evaluate your workplace culture, onboarding, schedules, communication, professional growth opportunities, and leadership practices.

The goal is not to find educators who are passionate enough to tolerate unsustainable conditions. The goal is to build workplaces that are worthy of their passion.

This episode is sponsored by Watch Me Grow. To learn more about strengthening trust, safety, and family engagement in your childcare program, book a call today with Kevin and the Watch Me Grow team.

Support the show

The Child Care Director's Chair Podcast is proudly powered by WatchMeGrow, our premier podcast sponsor and a trusted partner in early childhood education.

WatchMeGrow helps child care programs strengthen family engagement through secure live-streaming, classroom video access, and communication tools that build transparency, trust, and peace of mind for families. Their innovative technology empowers programs to enhance safety, strengthen relationships, and showcase the incredible learning happening in their classrooms every day.

To learn more about how WatchMeGrow can support your program, visit www.watchmegrow.com.

Thank you to WatchMeGrow for supporting our mission to inspire, equip, and empower child care leaders around the world.

Send us Fan Mail

What if the real problem is not that good teachers are impossible to find—but that something inside your program is making it difficult for them to stay?

In this episode, Erica Saccoccio challenges childcare leaders to look beyond job postings, callouts, and constant hiring. She explores how workplace culture, communication, expectations, support, onboarding, and leadership practices can quietly create what looks like a staffing problem.

Before you hire another person, it may be time to take an honest look at what your current team is experiencing. This episode will help you identify where the real gaps may be and what you can begin changing today to build a workplace where strong educators want to stay.

Support the show

The Child Care Director's Chair Podcast is proudly powered by WatchMeGrow, our premier podcast sponsor and a trusted partner in early childhood education.

WatchMeGrow helps child care programs strengthen family engagement through secure live-streaming, classroom video access, and communication tools that build transparency, trust, and peace of mind for families. Their innovative technology empowers programs to enhance safety, strengthen relationships, and showcase the incredible learning happening in their classrooms every day.

To learn more about how WatchMeGrow can support your program, visit www.watchmegrow.com.

Thank you to WatchMeGrow for supporting our mission to inspire, equip, and empower child care leaders around the world.

Send us Fan Mail

Childcare directors spend their days holding everything together—the classrooms, the staff, the families, the schedules, licensing requirements, enrollment, and every unexpected challenge that walks through the door. But while everyone depends on the director, who is checking on the person carrying it all?

In this honest and personal episode, Erica Saccoccio talks about the emotional weight of childcare leadership, the hidden signs of director burnout, and why exhaustion should not be treated as proof of commitment. She also explores how stronger boundaries, better systems, and leadership support can help directors move from simply surviving the day to leading with clarity and confidence.

For the next 30 days, you can join the Trailblazer Membership Group free and experience a community created to support childcare leaders just like you. Use code LAUNCH and visit www.childcaredirectorschair.com to join today.

Support the show

The Child Care Director's Chair Podcast is proudly powered by WatchMeGrow, our premier podcast sponsor and a trusted partner in early childhood education.

WatchMeGrow helps child care programs strengthen family engagement through secure live-streaming, classroom video access, and communication tools that build transparency, trust, and peace of mind for families. Their innovative technology empowers programs to enhance safety, strengthen relationships, and showcase the incredible learning happening in their classrooms every day.

To learn more about how WatchMeGrow can support your program, visit www.watchmegrow.com.

Thank you to WatchMeGrow for supporting our mission to inspire, equip, and empower child care leaders around the world.

Send us Fan Mail

What if the behavior challenging your classroom is actually a child’s way of asking for help?

In this episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair Podcast, Erica sits down with school counselors and authors Ashley Zomalt and Kacy Brubaker to uncover what children’s big emotions and challenging behaviors may really be communicating.

Together, they share how educators and child care leaders can move beyond simply stopping a behavior and begin identifying the feelings, unmet needs, and missing skills beneath it. You will learn how empathy, emotional intelligence, and storytelling can help children name their emotions, build self-regulation, and feel understood.

This conversation will challenge you to stop asking, “How do I control this behavior?” and begin asking, “What is this child trying to tell me?”

Connect with Ashley and Kacy:

Website: www.weallhavesuperpowers.com
Instagram: @weallhavesuperpowers
YouTube: @weallhavesuperpowers

Support the show

The Child Care Director's Chair Podcast is proudly powered by WatchMeGrow, our premier podcast sponsor and a trusted partner in early childhood education.

WatchMeGrow helps child care programs strengthen family engagement through secure live-streaming, classroom video access, and communication tools that build transparency, trust, and peace of mind for families. Their innovative technology empowers programs to enhance safety, strengthen relationships, and showcase the incredible learning happening in their classrooms every day.

To learn more about how WatchMeGrow can support your program, visit www.watchmegrow.com.

Thank you to WatchMeGrow for supporting our mission to inspire, equip, and empower child care leaders around the world.

Send us Fan Mail

Your best teachers are often the ones who show up, step in, solve problems, support others, and quietly hold everything together. But because they are dependable, they can also become the most overlooked, overworked, and taken for granted.

In this episode, we are talking about what extraordinary teachers truly need from their leaders. We will explore how to recognize burnout before it is too late, support their professional growth, listen to their ideas, and make sure appreciation goes beyond simply giving them more responsibility.

Your strongest teachers should not have to feel exhausted, invisible, or undervalued before you realize how important they are. The real question is: Are you giving your best teachers a reason to stay?

Support the show

The Child Care Director's Chair Podcast is proudly powered by WatchMeGrow, our premier podcast sponsor and a trusted partner in early childhood education.

WatchMeGrow helps child care programs strengthen family engagement through secure live-streaming, classroom video access, and communication tools that build transparency, trust, and peace of mind for families. Their innovative technology empowers programs to enhance safety, strengthen relationships, and showcase the incredible learning happening in their classrooms every day.

To learn more about how WatchMeGrow can support your program, visit www.watchmegrow.com.

Thank you to WatchMeGrow for supporting our mission to inspire, equip, and empower child care leaders around the world.

Send us Fan Mail

Are great leaders born, or are they built?

It's one of the oldest leadership debates, but I believe we've been asking the wrong question. Some people seem to have natural leadership abilities from a young age, while others grow into leadership over time. The real question isn't how you started—it's what you're doing with the leadership you've been given.

In this first episode of our new series, Leadership Myths That Are Holding You Back, I'm sharing my own leadership journey—from being a Head Start child and earning my GED to becoming a childcare owner, leadership coach, speaker, and podcast host. Along the way, I discovered that while leadership may begin with natural gifts for some, lasting influence is built through intentional growth.

We'll explore why personality isn't the same as leadership, how John Maxwell's Law of the Lid applies to every childcare leader, and why your willingness to keep growing determines the impact you'll have on your team, your program, and ultimately the children you serve.

If you've ever questioned whether you were "meant" to lead—or if you've always been told you're a natural leader but aren't sure what comes next—this episode is for you.

Join me this Wednesday inside the ECE Trailblazers Leadership Community, where we're committed to growing ourselves so we can multiply leaders throughout the early childhood profession.

Because leadership isn't about where you begin. It's about who you're becoming.

Support the show

The Child Care Director's Chair Podcast is proudly powered by WatchMeGrow, our premier podcast sponsor and a trusted partner in early childhood education.

WatchMeGrow helps child care programs strengthen family engagement through secure live-streaming, classroom video access, and communication tools that build transparency, trust, and peace of mind for families. Their innovative technology empowers programs to enhance safety, strengthen relationships, and showcase the incredible learning happening in their classrooms every day.

To learn more about how WatchMeGrow can support your program, visit www.watchmegrow.com.

Thank you to WatchMeGrow for supporting our mission to inspire, equip, and empower child care leaders around the world.

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when two sisters each run their own family child care program? You get honest conversations, plenty of laughter, real-life lessons, and a passion for supporting the profession they love.

In this special podcast swap episode, Erica Saccoccio, host of The Child Care Director's Chair, sits down with the hosts of The Daycare Sisters Podcast to talk about the unique journey of owning separate family child care businesses while leaning on each other every step of the way. Together, they share stories from the field, discuss the realities of running a home-based program, and explore how building relationships with family child care providers across the country has created a powerful community of support.

Whether you're a family child care provider, center director, owner, or early childhood educator, this episode is a reminder that leadership doesn't have to be lonely. Through shared experiences, authentic conversations, and a commitment to lifting one another up, we can strengthen our profession—one story at a time.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• The unique bond of being sisters in early childhood education
• The realities of owning and operating family child care programs
• Why community matters more than competition
• Lessons they've learned from providers across the country
• How sharing our stories helps elevate the entire early childhood profession

If this conversation inspired you, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another early childhood professional who believes we're stronger together.

Support the show

The Child Care Director's Chair Podcast is proudly powered by WatchMeGrow, our premier podcast sponsor and a trusted partner in early childhood education.

WatchMeGrow helps child care programs strengthen family engagement through secure live-streaming, classroom video access, and communication tools that build transparency, trust, and peace of mind for families. Their innovative technology empowers programs to enhance safety, strengthen relationships, and showcase the incredible learning happening in their classrooms every day.

To learn more about how WatchMeGrow can support your program, visit www.watchmegrow.com.

Thank you to WatchMeGrow for supporting our mission to inspire, equip, and empower child care leaders around the world.