In this special bonus episode, Child Care Aware® of America Board President-Elect Dr. Renée Boynton-Jarrett interviews outgoing CEO Dr. Lynette Fraga. They discuss Dr. Fraga’s contributions to the organization over the past decade and to the field over the past thirty years. Dr. Fraga shares her hopes for CCAoA and for the future of the child care sector. 

About Dr. Lynette Fraga, PhD 

As Chief Executive Officer of Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA), Lynette M. Fraga, Ph.D., is a passionate practitioner, advocate and leader in the field of child care and early learning, working to advance the accessibility of quality child care experiences for all children. 

Dr. Fraga has over 25 years of experience as an educator, program director and executive leader working on behalf of children and families. Since her selection in 2012 as the Executive Director at CCAoA, Dr. Fraga has sought to position CCAoA as the nation’s leading voice on child care in policy, practice and research. 

Dr. Fraga began her career in early childhood as a teacher in infant, toddler and preschool classrooms, and has since held positions at the local, state and national level within the nonprofit, corporate and higher education sectors. 

Dr. Fraga holds a doctoral degree in Family Studies from Kansas State University, a master’s degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor’s degree in Special Education from the University of Arizona. 

About Dr. Renée Boynton-Jarrett 

Renée Boynton-Jarrett, MD, ScD is a pediatrician and social epidemiologist and the founding director of the Vital Village Community Engagement Network (www.vitalvillage.org). Her work focuses on the role of early-life adversities as life course social determinants of health. She has a specific concentration on psychosocial stress and neuroendocrine and reproductive health outcomes, including obesity and early puberty. She is interested in social ecology and the role of neighborhood attributes in influencing health trajectory. Specifically, she has studied the intersection of community violence, intimate partner violence, and child abuse and neglect and neighborhood characteristics that influence these patterns. Her current work is developing community-based strategies to promote child well-being and reduce child maltreatment using a collective impact approach in three Boston neighborhoods. 

 
“A Seat at the Table” is an award-winning podcast produced by Child Care Aware® of America, the nation’s leading voice on child care. Listen and subscribe at www.childcareaware.org/TheTable. 

In the final episode of the season, Dr. Lynette Fraga talks with emerging early childhood professional Tanise Dixon about how to build a “kitchen cabinet” of mentors, advisors and others who can support professional development in the child care field. Tanise shares how a formative experience at a summer camp ignited her passion to support the development of young minds. Tanise and Dr. Fraga discuss how communities can creatively support whole-child development and growth.   

Tanise Dixon is a child care leader who was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and now lives in Colorado. She has worked in child care for the last 15 years and . currently serves as the Early Childhood Manager with the Alliance for Kids, which helps families in El Paso County, Colorado, locate high quality child care. Tanise holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Recreational Management from Ferris State University and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from the University of the Rockies. She has a passion for making a difference in children’s lives and enjoys working with others to create leadership and equity in organizations that directly affect today’s youth. 

“A Seat at the Table” is an award-winning podcast produced by Child Care Aware® of America, the nation’s leading voice on child care. Listen and subscribe at www.childcareaware.org/TheTable.