Meet Alexis Marquez, owner and director of Lexie’s Little Sunshines in Grand Island, Nebraska. For Alexis, what began as a job at a child care center has grown into a career committed to increasing and fostering high-quality child care practices — and coaching others to provide the very best care for the families they serve, too. Learn more about Alexis’ quality improvement journey.

What inspired you to work in the early childhood field?

I was really young, around 16, when I started in the field. I had six siblings, so it felt natural for me. I kept saying I was going to leave this field, but here I am!

A friend suggested that I should start providing in-home care. I had been working at child care centers for a long time. I didn’t think I would do well, but it was an opportunity to spend more time with my daughter.

Now, after all this time, the kids and their families make me stay doing this. It’s the relationship I’ve built with them.

What is your child care philosophy?

Our home child care is founded on the belief of nurturing families. A high-quality environment is essential for children’s growth and development. Our primary goal is to provide personalized care that fosters a sense of security, learning and joy for every child that we serve in our community.

What does high-quality child care mean to you?

It means providing more than just supervision. It means creating an environment where children are engaged in meaningful learning experiences, building positive relationships, following developmentally appropriate practices and maintaining a safe and healthy environment.

How did you learn about Step Up to Quality? Why did you decide to join?

When I was still working at a child care center, the center’s Sixpence coach recommended enrolling in Step Up to Quality when starting my in-home. I decided to join Step Up to Quality because I loved the meaning of each step not just being a number. It’s the work, it’s the dedication that we give to our families, and you can see it through your program.

How does it feel to have achieved a Step 5 rating?

It feels really good! It’s nice to have the Step 5, but it’s also nice to have that feedback from the observation process. When you go through an observation, they just see one day of your life, but it’s a chance to hear their suggestions for improvement.

In what ways has Step Up to Quality helped boost the quality of your child care practices? What have you learned and implemented?

After my first observation, I received a Step 4. At that time, I chose to work with a Step Up to Quality coach. We went through my last rating to see what I could work on as a provider, looking at areas for improvement to help boost my score. But best of all, it boosted the quality of my practices for my kids.

I worked with a coach because I wanted to ensure I was doing things correctly. I tell everybody, I’ve been doing this for 12 years, but what I’ve been learning throughout the last three years has really clicked — preparing for the observation process again with a coach was very beneficial. They didn’t do the work for me, they were just there to support what I was learning and help me understand what the process looks like.

Because of Step Up to Quality and Sixpence, I’m actually a Sixpence coach now! I serve Spanish-speaking providers in the Grand Island area, and I’m excited that Step Up to Quality has so many materials available in Spanish that I can share with them.

What words of encouragement do you have for providers who are considering joining Step Up to Quality?

I would encourage every provider to take a leap. It may seem overwhelming at first, but you don’t have to do it alone. The support, coaching and professional growth make it worthwhile.

Step Up to Quality isn’t about being perfect, it’s about continuously improving for the children and families we serve. Every step you take strengthens your program, builds confidence and demonstrates your commitment to providing high-quality early childhood education.

Earning a Step 5 has been one of the most rewarding accomplishments of my career, and I would absolutely encourage others to begin their own quality journey.