In an attempt to address the childcare crisis, an East Palo Alto mother opens a daycare.

One Bay Area mother hopes to close the gap by opening a daycare from her house as California continues to struggle with a shortage of childcare resources.We offer curricula for preschoolers, toddlers, and newborns. Maribel Aguilar, the owner of Apolo Daycare and Preschool, told CBS News Bay Area, "We even like for them to explore and to be exposed and this is really important for them, especially with the little ones for more sensorial activities."The daycare is a Spanish language immersion program situated in East Palo Alto. "I can build that community, so it's incredibly essential to me. And that's what matters most in my life; I just want to serve and encourage others. And I believe that this job gave me the chance to do that," Aguilar stated.She wanted to find out what she could do in her life to support other parents after moving to East Palo Alto from Mexico around two years ago.Now, Aguilar's interest is her daycare service, which looks after kids from one to five years old. "They think highly of themselves. "They can acquire problem-solving skills," Aguilar stated. For many of the kids, Spanish is their first language. She talked about how raising her kids as a single parent had presented numerous challenges.

When she was working, she wished there had been more resources available to care for her kids. Currently, she aspires to assist working parents in the Bay Area."Finding the perfect person to look after my girls and a space for them to run between jobs was incredibly difficult for me. At the time, it was really stressful. I can now assist other mothers, particularly when they are by themselves, thanks to this program," Aguilar added. She went on to say that the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center's assistance made her dream come true. She completed ten courses and received funding from the center to launch her daycare. "No one is truly born with the ability to handle operations, marketing, or accounting. Therefore, we support them by assisting them in turning their concepts into a successful company. Sharon, CEO of the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center