Step Up To Quality Stories

Step 5 Spotlight: Michelle Rasmussen’s life-long dedication to increasing quality

Meet Michelle Rasmussen, director and owner of Lighthouse Preschool in La Vista, Nebraska. As one of the first providers enrolled in Step Up to Quality, Michelle recently secured her second Step 5 rating for her family child care home. Learn more about Michelle’s life-long dedication to increasing and maintaining quality child care practices.

What inspired you to become an early childhood professional?

I’ve always loved working with kids, and I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a teacher. Between babysitting and working in different centers, I noticed that care didn’t often extend beyond safety standards, but I knew that early years are incredibly important for development. I wanted to make a difference in young children’s lives.

After high school and spending a year as an exchange student in Spain, I was offered the TEACH scholarship, so I started taking classes in early childhood, then student-taught in second grade and kindergarten.

I taught Head Start for about five years up until I was expecting my first child. I didn’t want to leave her in child care one place then work at an early childhood center across town. My boss at the time encouraged me to open an in-home program — I thought that was something that I would never do, like it may be a step back in my career. But I fell in love with providing in-home child care and realized it didn’t compromise high-quality care. That was 15 years ago.

What is your child care philosophy?

It takes a village to raise a child. A child’s parent is their first and most important teacher. We work with families to provide the best education and care for each child so they can live up to their full potential. By working together, we know that the children who walk through the doors of Lighthouse Preschool each morning will develop a pure enjoyment of learning and will be prepared for the rest of their lives.

My philosophy is also very focused on hands-on learning through play. Our daily activities are connected to the children’s interests, like building or creating art, so when they go on to school, they continue to be excited by learning and will want to continue to learn.

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

I attended one of the first Step Up to Quality orientations. I wanted to prove to others that it’s not just me saying that I’m quality — I can show through my actions, which are supported by Step Up to Quality, that I do run a quality program.

Step Up to Quality has really helped me feel professional again. I didn’t have to make a lot of changes in my program to go through the steps, because I was already determined to provide high-quality child care. It validated that what I’m doing is important.

How does it feel to be re-rated at a Step 5 level?

It feels great. Since my original Step 5 rating, I’ve moved to a larger home, and I’ve also changed to a Family Child Care Home II license. Despite all those changes, I’m proud to have been able to maintain that level of quality.

Did you have a Step Up to Quality coach? How was the experience?

The coach I had when first going through the steps was amazing. They encouraged the positive things that I was already doing and suggested small improvements to take on bit by bit.

I know some providers can get overwhelmed or nervous that a coach is going to have a bunch of negative, time-consuming suggestions, but as an individual child care provider, my coach was super encouraging and made me feel like I was doing a great job.

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

Step Up to Quality has helped me advertise my child care and better communicate the quality of my program to parents — to prove to them that this is a strong, quality program, and they don’t have to take my word for it.

What words of encouragement do you have for providers who are considering joining Step Up to Quality or are still working through the steps?

Just keep going, one step at a time. Don’t get overwhelmed with the big picture. Focus on each tiny step and reach out for help along the way, like other providers who have gone through the process or a Step Up to Quality coach.