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We are new Seattle non-profit in which strong, high quality child care centers
are joining together, sharing their administrative functions to streamline and strengthen business practice, but retaining
own unique community and family identity. By uniting across centers and combining the most cutting edge tools to support early
childhood education and small business, we free resources to improve teacher and director practice and serve more low-income
children.
Co-Executive Directors
 Diana Bender is Co-Executive Director of Sound Child Care Solutions. Prior to starting the Consortium, Diana spent 10 years in early childhood policy and planning at the City of Seattle where she raised over $5 million for children, created and managed multi-million dollar project budgets and led large, diverse teams. She staffed the Northwest Finance Circle, conducted the True Cost of Child Care budgeting research, then led the team that developed then was awarded an initial $3 million Early Reading First grant. She developed the budget for Seattle’s new $4 million (annual) Early Learning Networks. She was interim director of Seattle Early Reading First and national Director of Development for Common Cause in DC where she raised over $30 million. Diana has a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in children and family policy. She's the mother of a 9 year old son and does yoga every day to keep her sanity. Her newest family member is Henry, a black lab mix rescued from the Humane Society last summer. Laura McAlister
Laura McAlister
is Co-Executive Director of Sound Child Care Solutions, having just completed 5 years as a coach, mentor and teacher
trainer at Jose Marti Child Development Center (an Early Reading First site). She has been working with
children, families and teachers in many different ways for over 25 years. Laura is an instructor in Early Childhood Education
at Shoreline Community College, and also taught at Pacific Oaks College and East L.A. Community College. As
an accreditation mentor, she helped many bilingual centers pursue accreditation. She directed an accredited
non-profit child care center. Early in her career, she taught pre-school and kindergarten and spent time as a parent educator.
Laura has a master's degree in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College (bi-cultural development
specialty), with postgraduate courses in literacy development and assessment. Advisory Group In addition to our Board of Directors, a core group of experts have agreed to advise us, including a high tech start-up entrepreneur, small business manager, child care licensor, the Head Start director for two counties, financial analysts, Resource and Referral agency staff, foundation staff and other key public and private stakeholders in our field. |
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Consortium Offices
115 27th Ave E
Seattle, WA 98112
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