Care rooted in understanding, trust, and family partnership

Lailah is a mother, social worker, and experienced family services professional whose connection to childcare began in childhood. Her mother owned and operated a daycare and was part of a network of women who ran childcare programs, collaborating with and supporting one another. Growing up in that environment, Lailah assisted her mother and saw firsthand the relationships, routines, responsibility, and trust involved in caring for children and partnering with their families.

That early exposure became hands on professional experience. Lailah worked for a number of years at Best Beginnings, developing her experience working directly with young children and families. She later earned her Master of Social Work from Simmons University, along with a Certificate in Trauma Practice, and built a career dedicated to children, families, and community-based services.

As a Mental Health Consultant with The ECE in Columbia, Lailah worked within early childhood environments to better understand patterns of behavior and the social-emotional needs of young children. Her approach considered what behavior might be communicating, a child’s individual and environmental needs, and how parents, teachers, and caregivers responded.