Fighting Cancer & Building Community with Katrina

Brandee talks with Katrina, a licensed in-home daycare provider in Arizona, about burnout, daycare contracts and policies, parent communication, provider support, and what it really takes to run a home daycare. Katrina shares how she stepped away from child care, what brought her back, and why community, boundaries, and business support matter so much for family child care providers.https://www.tiktok.com/@katrinawoods3www.helpinglittlehands.comhttps://www.instagram.com/katrinalove_/https://www.facebook.com/katrina.woods.507If you run a home daycare or family child care program, this conversation will help you think through burnout prevention, parent handbook expectations, difficult conversations with families, daycare fit, nap policies, and building a support system that makes this work sustainable.Key takeawaysBurnout in home daycare can show up as exhaustion, short patience, and isolation.Contracts, policies, and clear boundaries can make difficult parent conversations easier.A strong provider community can help daycare owners with support, marketing, business growth, and sustainability.You do not need a huge space or expensive materials to build a meaningful daycare program.Not every family is the right fit for every daycare, and that is okay.About this episodeKatrina is a licensed in-home daycare provider in Arizona. In this conversation, she shares her journey through burnout, re-entering the field, working in a small space, running a play-based program, handling tough parent conversations, and supporting other providers through lesson plans and policy resources.#homedaycare #healthyparenting #homedaycareprovider #homedaycareowner #daycaresisters #cancer 00:00 Intro00:30 Katrina’s Daycare Journey01:00 Why She Paused Daycare02:35 What Burnout Looked Like04:20 Returning to Child Care05:00 Contracts and Boundaries05:35 Helping Other Providers07:55 Starting Daycare in an Apartment10:25 Daycare Licensing in Arizona13:00 Family Life and Daycare Numbers13:55 Her Cancer Diagnosis and Mindset17:30 Building a Stronger Support System18:00 Learning the Business Side21:10 Protecting Family Space at Home24:10 Licensing Visits and Support Programs28:00 What She Thought Daycare Would Be31:10 Hard Moments in Daycare33:15 What Drains and Energizes Her34:45 Parents Misunderstand the Job35:30 Hard Conversations With Parents37:45 When a Family Is Not a Good Fit39:35 Ages She Accepts40:35 Nap Time Is Required42:30 What Daycare Taught Her43:25 Difficult Parents vs Difficult Kids44:20 Why She’s Staying in Daycare45:00 How Daycare Helped Her Grow46:20 Advice for Daycare Parents50:55 Advice for New Providers53:00 Where to Find Katrina53:30 Outro