Growing up in Mexico, Isabel Blair remembers the warmth of family, the rhythm of tradition, and the joy of community celebrations. Those cherished moments shaped her deeply. It was in this vibrant environment that she learned the importance of family, culture, and community.
When Isabel immigrated to the United States with her Bachelor’s degree, she brought those values with her. After moving to California, she met her future husband, and together they started a family. As she became a mother to her first child, and then a second, Isabel’s interest in child development blossomed. Driven by a passion for understanding and nurturing young minds, she pursued formal education in early childhood development and began working in a child care center.
However, with the birth of her third child, Isabel realized that she needed a career that would allow her to be more present for her own family. She wanted to create an environment where she could instill the cultural values and traditions she remembered so fondly from her own upbringing. That’s when she decided to open her own child care center in Byron Center, Michigan named Mi Casa es su Casa Bilingual Family Daycare.
Equipped with her Bilingual CDA (Child Development Associate) certification, Isabel launched her center, enrolling local families and creating a nurturing, bilingual environment for young children. Mrs. Blair worked with Great Start to Quality (GSQ) to ensure the highest possible quality offering to her families. Mi Casa es su Casa is a Demonstrating Quality private bilingual family childcare business accredited by the State of Michigan with a group childcare license. Her mission was clear: to provide not just a place of quality care, but a community that celebrated family and cultural heritage every day.
“It’s not just about celebrating a heritage month or a single event; it’s about honoring our children and their families’ cultures and values all the time,” Isabel explained. She makes it a point to learn about the traditions each family celebrates at home, incorporating these into the life of her center. “We celebrate everyone—grandparents, aunts, uncles, the entire family. When children see their whole family honored and respected, they know they are valued and cared for.”
Her Spanish immersion program goes beyond language learning; it’s a way of embracing and celebrating diverse cultural identities. Mrs. Blair shares the research that shows how bilingual environments enrich children’s cognitive development with families. She recalls a moment when a mother laughed after her child kept requesting “avena” at home, not knowing it meant oatmeal. They shared a moment of cultural exchange, bridging understanding between home and child care. Mrs. Blair also cooks meals that she and her family enjoy as well as meals that families request.
In another instance, Isabel’s dedication to her families reached across continents. When one of her students was visiting family in India, she arranged a Zoom call to maintain that connection. Later, when the grandparents visited the U.S., they felt so welcomed by Isabel’s center that they donated traditional dress-up clothes for the children, further enriching the multicultural experience Isabel works so hard to provide.
For Isabel, it all comes back to the community we are all building— a community of people looking out through their windows and appreciating all the diversified groups who bring with them their own identities and experiences, just like the one she grew up with in Mexico; full of love, tradition and a deep sense of belonging. Isabel has also used the GSQ process to continually improve her offerings. Her daycare is not just a place where children come to learn, it is a place where families come to grow together, celebrating, embracing and respecting their cultures and each other.