Quality is at the heart of family child care; it’s what drives providers to create safe, nurturing, and stimulating environments where children can truly thrive. The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Accreditation represents the gold standard in this commitment, recognizing programs that go beyond meeting basic requirements to demonstrate excellence and continuous growth.
That’s why it is such a significant achievement that The Innovative Daycare Corp., a QUALITYstarsNY participating program since 2020, under the leadership of Janna Rodriguez, has become the first Group Family Day Care in Long Island to attain NAFCC accreditation. While QUALITYstarsNY Standards are already aligned with many accreditation benchmarks, Janna chose to go above and beyond by pursuing this national recognition, demonstrating her dedication to elevating her program to the highest level.
With the support of her Quality Improvement Specialist, Maria Stella Lundie, this milestone not only highlights the provider’s unwavering commitment to quality but also serves as an inspiration for other Family Child Care programs in the region. By leading the way, The Innovative Daycare Corp. shows what’s possible when passion, professionalism, and persistence come together; paving the path for others to follow and raising the bar for family child care across New York. Congratulations!
(From left to right) QI Specialist Stella Lundie, Former Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, and Innovative Daycare Corp. Owner Janna Rodriguez
What inspired you to open your program?
As an educator deeply involved in the community, I saw firsthand the gaps in early childhood education—especially for working-class families and children with special needs. What inspired me to open The Innovative Daycare Corp was the lack of nurturing, high-quality environments that truly respected the developmental needs of young children. I wanted to create a space that honored the whole child, celebrated cultural identity, and made families feel supported—not judged. That meant designing a program where equity, intentionality, and education weren’t just buzzwords, but lived practices.
What were your goals when you started?
My initial goal was simple but bold: to create a safe, developmentally appropriate, and emotionally supportive environment where children could thrive. I aimed to serve families often left out of mainstream systems—low-income, immigrant, bilingual households, and families of children with developmental delays. I also hoped to build a sustainable business that would allow me to employ staff and offer dignified work in a field that is often undervalued.
How did these goals evolve after you were up and running?
Once the doors opened and the program began growing, the goals naturally evolved. I realized the depth of advocacy required in this work—not just for children, but for providers like myself. I began integrating trauma-informed care, inclusive curriculum design, and multilingual education practices. I started mentoring staff, offering internships to local youth, and engaging in policy conversations on how systems like Medicaid and CCAP (Child Care Assistance Program) affect our ability to serve and stay open. The work became bigger than the building—it became about impact, systems change, and sustainability.
What motivated you to pursue NAFCC accreditation?
NAFCC accreditation represented a commitment to excellence, reflection, and leadership in family child care. I pursued it because I believe that even in a home setting, children deserve the same quality, structure, and intentionality as any formal classroom. Accreditation held me accountable to best practices, helped me reflect on what was working, and challenged me to improve where needed. It also gave me the language and credibility to advocate for our profession.
What were some of the biggest challenges during that process?
Balancing day-to-day operations with documentation and system improvements required by accreditation was tough. I was still serving children full-time, supporting families, and running a business. Finding the time to build systems, train my team, and prepare for the assessor visit meant working after hours and weekends. But more than the logistics, the biggest challenge was often emotional—trusting myself, knowing that my work was worthy, and pushing through moments of doubt. The process forced me to grow both professionally and personally.
What does becoming accredited mean to you personally?
To me, accreditation is a validation of every hard day, every late night, every decision rooted in love and professionalism. It means I am not just running a program—I am building a legacy of quality care in my community. Accreditation proves that excellence exists in our communities, especially when we are trusted and resourced.
What does this mean for your community and the families you serve?
For my community, accreditation means their children are being cared for in a program that meets the highest standards in the nation. It builds trust. It offers peace of mind to working parents. For families who may not speak English, for parents juggling multiple jobs, for those raising children with special needs—it tells them, You belong here. We see you. And we're holding your child with care and professionalism.
What's your next goal, and what are you working on?
I'm currently in the process of expanding. We're opening a second licensed home facility and actively planning for a third, which will operate as a 24-hour early childhood education facility. My goals now include strengthening our workforce, mentoring the next generation of educators, and pushing policy that sustains our field—including access to Medicaid, higher wages, and respect for providers. I'm working to ensure that the IDC becomes a model—not just of early education, but of what is possible when community, care, and leadership come together.
