Maritza Manrique - January 2023 Shero

Congratulations Maritza Manrique, East Boston, MA

Hello everyone, my name is Maritza Manrique, and I am of Colombian nationality.  I have been a resident in the City of East Boston for 18 years and a family childcare educator since 2005, licensed by the Department of Early Education and Care. The motivation that led me to get involved in early education was rooted and modeled by my three sisters and family, who had been family childcare educators for more than 25 years in the city of East Boston.

My childcare, Mis Kikatos Program, has partnered with many organizations since 2007, such as the Boston Commission, Raising A Reader Team, Stand for Children, Boston Office of Early Childhood, Boston Children Hospital, and Boston Public Schools.   We hold NAFCC accreditation and accept families being helped by subsidies through Child Care Choices of Boston. 

Another important factor in my beginnings from 2007 to 2009 was the opportunity to educate myself as a Child Care Entrepreneur from Urban College of Boston. I continued to extend College level credits through 2014 for Director 1 in 2009 and hold my CDA.

Additionally, I spend time in community service in East Boston with projects and programs for the welfare of families and the early education of their children. This has opened doors for me with different community organizations.  Throughout, it has been very exciting to connect with the needs of individuals, offering a lot of motivation and experience. 

In 2010 I was proudly integrated into the Local 509 family, an opportunity and experience that led me to understand advocacy and participate in campaigns, knocking on doors and collecting signatures as well as gaining support from allies at the State House, especially with the need to be able to formalize the union for family child care workers. I currently proudly represent the position of Child Care Chapter President in Boston MA as of 2023.

I invite all my colleagues in this sisterhood to work collectively, each voice counts, and we need our childcare programs to be more recognized and sustainable.

I am grateful for all the workshops offered by Shared Services. They are benefit workshops for all educators, they helped me become even more organized with the financial part of my business. For our Union for the benefits and enjoyment. Also, the different organizations, EEC Entities, MassCOSH for the Air Purifier equipment in the time of Covid19, among others.

We need to continue with the opening of new childcare programs for the well-being and guarantee of community families.  Children are the future of tomorrow.