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As co-founders of Families First in Cabarrus County in 2014, operating Cabarrus Bilingual Preschool and Cabarrus Bilingual Preschool at St. James Lutheran, Spencer and Aurora Swain are strong advocates for their teachers, for education and for workforce supports. Spencer agreed to share more about their story and his accomplished staff.
Spencer and Aurora Swain are working hard to make a difference in their community. When they got married 20 years ago, Spencer was a pastor and Aurora was working with Parents as Teachers as a home visitor. Aurora encouraged the Hispanic families she served to trust the early childhood system and enroll in child care. Spencer said, “One child told her that if she started a preschool, she knew her mommy would send her. And Aurora came home with that burden. Six months later, we had our first five-star center. And then three years later, we had two more, though one closed during COVID. When I was a young kid, my best friend’s dad ran an orphanage, so it was a seed in my heart to want to care for the vulnerable and those children who didn’t have parents or hope. I took a trip to Germany and went in search of one particular orphanage to figure things out in my own life and came back with a vision for Families First, which is a non-profit we have in addition to the child care programs. The heartbeat of that non-profit is a home visiting program where we get children ready for preschool. When you get in people’s homes, you get in their hearts, and you build relationships. Three of our teachers were once parent participants in the home visiting program. My wife noticed their skills and natural abilities and now they have their four-year degrees!”
Supporting the educational pursuits of teachers is of utmost importance to the Swains, and they have seen firsthand the difference it can make for individuals, families and for quality care. “We have six first-generation students — four now have their bachelor’s degrees and two have associate degrees and are still in school, and these are all WAGE$ participants. Two of these are now first-time homeowners. Having their education, their overall confidence in their careers, the belief they now have in themselves have all helped build economic mobility. They feel like they are part of this community. One of our core values is working with the whole family, not just children. That is true also for our staff. Even if we eventually lose them to the school system, we are going to do everything we can to get them on a career pathway. I remember my first EDU 119 class and although I was already doing a lot of the things, I was so thankful to know why I was doing it. We had great moms, but when they went to school, the light bulb went off, and it kept shining the more courses they took. The quality has gone up.
Spencer says that his centers took advantage of both the TEACH Early Childhood® scholarships and the Child Care WAGE$® supplements to support his teachers. “Without TEACH, I don’t think it would have ever happened. The time to give them out of the classroom, the increased wages or bonuses — it’s not easy — but they are full-time teachers and full-time students and they need this support. The financial piece from TEACH helps with school and then they are getting enhanced compensation from WAGE$. The programs work in tandem. WAGE$ is motivation to keep going, to keep growing.”
“Signing people up for WAGE$ is just part of our program,” Spencer said. “I hope other directors realize how much this helps with morale, retention and quality. The overall morale of the organization goes straight down to the kids. We’ve experienced continuity of care for the children and that stability has brought what we believe to be stronger outcomes. Recruiting teachers with TEACH and WAGE$ is so much easier.”
Spencer said, “I’m a big advocate of building community and these teachers have built community with each other because they feel more seen and valued because of WAGE$ and TEACH. They’ve grown closer as recipients. They feel like professionals, and they are. They didn’t feel that way with their first class. They were intimidated. Fast forward four years and now they have their bachelor’s degrees! We recognize what they are doing and we fight for them. We advocate for them. They now have a unified vision. It’s a new mindset.”
Spencer is very grateful to the Cabarrus Partnership for Children for funding WAGE$. “I called the previous executive director who recently retired and I just thanked her. This year is a full-circle moment for us with all the graduates,” he said. “I want to know what I can do to make sure WAGE$ can be continued. I truly feel like we need WAGE$ for the support and encouragement and the retention rate for educated teachers in a world where teachers are leaving. We need WAGE$ to make sure they are compensated, valued and seen for what they are worth. That directly strengthens the quality of child care that families receive. It keeps our community going. Early childhood is a difficult business right now and WAGE$ just makes you feel like you are being loved on for your hard work and your passion for working with children. I want the Partnership to protect those things that matter the most and that includes WAGE$.”
Having WAGE$ is a bright spot when challenges in the field are mounting. “Not having the stabilization grants anymore has been so hard for our center and for the field as a whole,” Spencer said. “Even though it was a financial hardship, we made a conscious decision to keep all our staff because they were working on their degrees and we did not want them to lose WAGE$ and have to start over. I’m so proud of our board for making this commitment and now look what has happened for these teachers and their futures.”
