25 Years at PMCCP: Reflections on People, Purpose, and Community

By Lesa Valenzuela

This year marks 25 years since I first walked through the doors of Pike Market Child Care & Preschool. That milestone feels less like a personal marker and more like a shared one. It reflects decades of children growing, families moving through different seasons, educators learning together, and a community shaped by care, bound by relationships, and guided by hope for a better future.

How It All Began

I was drawn to PMCCP because of its commitment to anti-bias education—the belief that early childhood spaces can nurture children who see themselves as capable of making a difference and who engage the world with curiosity, compassion, and empathy.

From the beginning, PMCCP recognized that young children are already making meaning about identity, difference, and belonging. Anti-bias education lived in everyday moments: how we listened, responded to conflict, and reflected on our own assumptions. Those values shaped my teaching and continue to guide my work today.

Growing With the Organization

As my role evolved, so did PMCCP’s clarity around its commitments to inclusion, anti-bias education, and child-centered practice. We strengthened our teaching practice by centering observation, reflection, and responsiveness to children’s ideas.

Our growth has never been about expansion alone—it has been about deepening practice in service of children, families, and educators.

Why I’ve Stayed

I’ve stayed because of the possibility of real change—and because PMCCP believes deeply in children’s capacity to learn, practice empathy, and engage meaningfully with the world.

It’s also the people and the culture: a place that values reflection, relationships, and shared responsibility over quick fixes.

Full Circle: Commitment, Care, and Community

PMCCP is a place where people grow—and often choose to stay. That longevity creates stability for children and continuity for families.

This year, we are seeing an increased need for tuition assistance as families navigate rising costs and uncertainty. Tuition assistance helps ensure children can remain in stable, nurturing environments during times of change.

To mark this milestone, I’m inviting our community to help strengthen our Tuition Assistance Fund. Any contribution—at any level—directly supports families who rely on this care.

With Gratitude

I am thankful to the children, families, colleagues, and Pike Place Market community who make this work possible.

Twenty-five years in, I remain proud of PMCCP—not just as a workplace, but as a community built on relationships, sustained by learning, and guided by a shared commitment to children and families.