Elevating Family Child Care — Tressa Clemow’s Journey
At Love Bug Lane Learning Academy, LLC, the classroom does not end at the doorway. It extends into open air, garden beds, and thoughtfully prepared natural spaces where discovery is intentional and growth is nurtured daily.
As a Large Family Outdoor Program and ambassador site for “Let’s Go Outside” and “Let’s Grow Outside,” Tressa Clemow has built more than a child care setting. She has built a professional Family Child Care environment rooted in exploration, structure, and purpose.
Here, children learn through movement, observation, dialogue, and meaningful connection to the world around them. Nature is not an enhancement to the curriculum. It is foundational to how learning unfolds.
Family Child Care, in Tressa’s hands, is both intimate and innovative.
A Career That Strengthens the Field
For over 42 years, Tressa has served children ages 12 and under, including neurodivergent learners. Her impact is measured not only in years, but in generations of families who have trusted her leadership and expertise.
Family Child Care providers often operate as educators, administrators, mentors, and advocates simultaneously. Tressa has embodied all of these roles with consistency and care.
Her longevity in the field reflects resilience. Her approach reflects professionalism. Her environment reflects intentional design.
Family Child Care is essential to Delaware’s early childhood landscape, and experienced providers like Tressa strengthen that foundation every day.
Growth Within the Profession
Even seasoned educators continue to evolve. Several years ago, Tressa began the journey toward earning her Child Development Associate® credential. Like many Family Child Care providers, she balanced business ownership, caregiving responsibilities, and family life.
She chose to pause her CDA® journey to prioritize her family. It was not abandonment of the goal. It was stewardship of her season.
When she returned through the ECIC Family Child Care CDA Cohort, she did so with renewed clarity and commitment to her professional growth.
Supported to Succeed
Completing her CDA through the ECIC DE RISE Scholarship represented more than fulfilling requirements. It affirmed her experience while strengthening her credentials within the Family Child Care profession.
As Tressa shared,
“Finally completing the CDA® is very empowering. I did this for me and had amazing support along the way.”
Guided by Cohort Coach Stephanie Jackson, Tressa benefited from structured coaching, accountability, and the encouragement of fellow Family Child Care providers walking the same path.
The cohort model reflects what professional advancement should look like in Family Child Care: accessible, community-centered, and responsive to the realities providers navigate daily.
This is wraparound support in action.
A Philosophy Rooted in Encouragement
At the heart of Tressa’s work is a belief that continues to guide her practice:
“Encouraging children to grow and be amazing every step of the way.”
This philosophy shapes her outdoor classrooms, her instructional choices, and her daily interactions. It affirms that Family Child Care is not simply supervision. It is intentional early education delivered within a relationship-based environment.
Through her leadership, Love Bug Lane remains a space where children build independence, confidence, and curiosity under the guidance of a professional who understands both development and heart.
Strengthening Family Child Care in Delaware
Tressa’s story reflects the strength and possibility within the Family Child Care community. Professional growth does not have an expiration date. Experience and credentialing work together to elevate the field.
Through the ECIC DE RISE Scholarship, Delaware Family Child Care providers can access CDA® pathways, cohort-based learning, individualized coaching, and wraparound support designed specifically for providers operating their own programs.
If you paused, you can return.
If you started, you can complete.
If you are ready to strengthen your practice, ECIC is here to walk alongside you.
Because insisting on success means investing in Family Child Care professionals who anchor early learning across our communities every single day. 💙