#TeamTeacherTeri

After building wonderful relationships over the last 15 years, providing fun, nurturing and enriching full time childcare for Portland Families, I paused our program at the end of June 2023 for some much needed self care. I slowly reopen a few months later with a more emotionally and physically sustainable part time program for myself and my family moving forward. Then the unexpected happened. As soon as I started diving into my health and making those needed appointments that I never could find time for while running a full time childcare; I had an abnormal mammogram. Then the diagnosis; I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. I am very grateful it was all being found in the early stages and treatable! It was very serendipitous my tired mind and tired body were telling me I really needed to take a break and put myself and my family on the front burner for awhile, but we never expected this. This new reality of appointments, procedures, surgeries, healing times & treatment, has got me behind on re-establishing a financially sustainable work/life balance for our family. I hadn’t factored in all that comes with a diagnosis like this. I had a well thought out plan for rebuilding until what no one expects to happen, happened, Cancer. I decided I would reach out to you, my extended family for help. Although childcare in America was exposed during the pandemic as an essential part of our societies infrastructure, we are not yet financially supported by our government or our state. Our taxes and annual expenses are very high in both licensing, insurances, the running of an environmentally healthy program with a low teacher to child ratio, caring for all of our animals responsibly and of course a livable wage for our teachers. It seems to be a bit of a challenge getting back on top of things financially. I want this new business model of part time care with a low teacher to child ratio to work for my family and for our local community. I am currently in the learning curve era. If you are wondering how you could help our family get back on top and keep Owl and the Dove providing for Portland families for another decade, please consider donating. I appreciate all of you and how hard things are for everyone.

always my best, Teacher Teri