Victoria Mendoza opened a child care business in Salem 16 years ago, a decision inspired by her own need to find child care for her sons while maintaining a job.Â
 With child care providers located too far from where she lived, the former farmworker and immigrant from Mexico obtained a license so she could care for her own children and others. Since then, she’s successfully managed her small business and watched hundreds of children in Salem.Â
kA 4=2DDlQA``Qm“|J A=2? H2D E@ DE@A @?46 >J <:5D H6C6 8C@H?[ 3FE x =@G6 <:5D] |J 9@FD6 766=D 6>AEJ H:E9@FE 49:=5C6?[� D96 E@=5 E96 ~C68@? r2A:E2= r9C@?:4=6] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA``QmqFE |6?5@K2[ 2=@?8D:56 >2?J @E96C ~C68@? 49:=5 42C6 AC@G:56CD[ :D 3C24:?8 7@C E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 D9FEE:?8 5@H? 96C 3FD:?6DD] (:E9 7656C2= AC@8C2>D =:<6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@C68@?42A:E2=49C@?:4=6]4@>^a_ad^_c^ah^E9@FD2?5D\@7\@C68@?\H2D9:?8E@?\49:=5C6?\2E\C:D<\:7\9625\DE2CE\6?5D\=2HDF:E\2==686D^Qmw625 $E2CEk^2m 724:?8 A@E6?E:2= 4FED[ 49:=5 42C6 AC@G:56CD =:<6 96CD6=7 2?5 =@H\:?4@>6 72>:=:6D 2C6 :?4C62D:?8=J 56A6?56?E @? DE2E6 DFAA@CE � A2CE:4F=2C=J E96 t>A=@J>6?E #6=2E65 s2J r2C6 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA``Qm%96 DE2E6 @7 ~C68@? DF3D:5:K6D 49:=5 42C6 4@DE E9C@F89 E96 t>A=@J>6?E #6=2E65 s2J r2C6 AC@8C2>[ H9:49 :D @A6? E@Â k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]@C68@?]8@G^56=4^AC@8C2>D^!286D^6C54]2DAIR(9@xDt=:8:3=6Qm=@H\:?4@>6 9@FD69@=5Dk^2m]Â k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA``QmpD @7 |2J[ `e[b__ ~C68@? 72>:=:6D 2C6 6?C@==65[ 3FE 2?@E96C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]@C68@?]8@G^56=4^52E2^!286D^5672F=E]2DAIQm``[b__k^2m C6>2:? @? 2 H2:E=:DE[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 52E2 7C@> E96 ~C68@? s6A2CE>6?E @7 t2C=J {62C?:?8 2?5 r2C6] p?@E96C c[a__ 72>:=:6D 92G6 366? 2AAC@G65 7@C 7:?2?4:2= DFAA@CE[ 3FE 42??@E 7:?5 2? 6=:8:3=6 49:=5 42C6 AC@G:56C] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA``Qm%9:D :D =2C86=J 3642FD6 E96C6 2C6 ?@E 6?@F89 49:=5 42C6 AC@G:56CD :? ~C68@?] p k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^962=E9]@C68@?DE2E6]65F^D:E6D^962=E9]@C68@?DE2E6]65F^7:=6D^62C=J\=62C?6CD^A57^C6D62C49^@C68@?D049:=5042C6056D6CED0a_aa]A57Qma_ab C6A@CEk^2m 7C@> E96 DE2E6’D t2C=J {62C?:?8 s:G:D:@? AC@8C2> 7@F?5 E92E ?62C=J 2== @7 ~C68@?’D 4@F?E:6D 2C6 49:=5 42C6 56D6CED[ H:E9 @?6 D=@E 7@C 6G6CJ E9C66 49:=5C6? H9@ ?665 42C6] (:E9@FE 2446DD E@ 49:=5 42C6[ A2C6?ED =:<6 |6?5@K2 2C6 72465 H:E9 =:>:E65 @AE:@?D E@ 8:G6 FA E96:C ;@3D @C 7:?5 @E96C H2JD E@ >2?286 49:=5 42C6]  k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA``Qm|6?5@K2[ 2=@?8D:56 25G@42E6D H:E9 u2>:=J u@CH2C5 ~C68@?[ 2 ?@?AC@7:E 565:42E65 E@ 25G@42E:?8 7@C 49:=5 42C6 DFAA@CE[ 42==65 @? E96 ~C68@? {68:D=2EFC6 @? |@?52J :? 7C@?E @7 E96 DE2E6 42A:E@= E@ A2DD 7@FC 3:==D E@ DFAA@CE 49:=5 42C6 AC@G:56CD 2?5 =@H\:?4@>6 72>:=:6D]Â k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA``Qm%96D6 3:==D :?4=F56i k^Am
kF= 4=2DDlQF=`Qmk=: 4=2DDlQ=:`aQmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@=:D]@C68@?=68:D=2EFC6]8@G^=:K^a_adC`^|62DFC6D^~G6CG:6H^$qdd`cQm$6?2E6 q:== dd`ck^2mi Saad >:==:@? E@ E96 t>A=@J66 #6=2E65 s2J r2C6 AC@8C2>[k^=:mk=: 4=2DDlQ=:`aQmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@=:D]@C68@?=68:D=2EFC6]8@G^=:K^a_adC`^|62DFC6D^~G6CG:6H^wqadcaQmw@FD6 q:== acdak^2mi Sh >:==:@? E@ DEC6?8E96? ~C68@?’D 49:=5 42C6 C676CC2= DJDE6>[k^=:mk=: 4=2DDlQ=:`aQmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@=:D]@C68@?=68:D=2EFC6]8@G^=:K^a_adC`^|62DFC6D^~G6CG:6H^wqb__gQmw@FD6 q:== b__gk^2mi S`d]c >:==:@? 7@C 49:=5 42C6 H@C<6CD E@ DE2J :? 2?5 6?E6C E96 AC@76DD:@?k^=:mk=: 4=2DDlQ=:`aQmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@=:D]@C68@?=68:D=2EFC6]8@G^=:K^a_adC`^|62DFC6D^~G6CG:6H^wqadhbQmw@FD6 q:== adhbk^2mi rC62E6D 2 H@C<8C@FA E@ 56G6=@A C64@>>6?52E:@?D E@ :>AC@G6 ~C68@?’D 52J 42C6 AC@8C2> 2?5 6G6?EF2==J 6?5 E96 H2:E=:DE 7@C E96 AC@8C2>]k^=:mk^F=m
kA 4=2DDlQA``Qm$6?] r@FCE?6J }6C@? |:DD=:?[ s\(:=D@?G:==6[ DA@<6 :? 72G@C @7 E96 =68:D=2E:@?] %96 65F42E@C 2?5 >@E96C D2:5 D96 F?56CDE2?5D E96 DECF88=6D 96C 4@?DE:EF6?ED 7246 ECJ:?8 E@ 7:?5 49:=5 42C6]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA``Qmâ€�%96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? :D AC@A@D:?8 56G2DE2E:?8 4FED E@ w625 $E2CE[ $}p! 2?5 |65:42:5 7F?5:?8[â€� D96 D2:5] â€�(6 >FDE 36 C625J] ~C68@? >FDE 24E ?@H E@ AC@E64E 49:=5 42C6 :?G6DE>6?ED 2?5 6?DFC6 2 DEC@?86C 64@?@>J 2?5 2 >@C6 C6D:=:6?E 64@?@>J] ~FC DE2E6’D C@=6 :? :>AC@G:?8 2446DD E@ 9:89 BF2=:EJ 2?5 277@C523=6 42C6 :D >@C6 :>A@CE2?E E92? 6G6C]â€k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA``Qmr2?5:46 ':4<6CD[ 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C @7 u2>:=J u@CH2C5 ~C68@?[ D2:5 a_T @7 ~C68@?’D 49:=5 42C6 H@C<7@C46 :D CF? 3J :>>:8C2?E H@>6?[ 2?5 FA E@ 92=7 @7 ~C68@?’D 49:=5 42C6 H@C<6CD 2C6 @? |65:42:5] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA``Qmâ€�(6 ?665 E92E Saad >:==:@?[â€� D96 E@=5 E96 r2A:E2= r9C@?:4=6] â€�(6 <?@H E92E :E’D 2 =@E[ 2?5 A6@A=6 D66 :E 2D 2 4@>A6E:?8 :?E6C6DE[ 3FE —Â�282:? J@F 42? D66 =:<6 |65:42:5 2?5 E96 :>>:8C2?E H@C<7@C46 —Â� 2== @7 E96D6 :DDF6D 2C6 :?E6C4@??64E65]â€k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA``Qmu@C |6?5@K2[ DE2E6 :?G6DE>6?E H@?’E ;FDE D2G6 96C 3FD:?6DD[ 3FE :E H:== 2==@H 96C E@ <66A DFAA@CE:?8 =@42= 72>:=:6D :? 96C 4@>>F?:EJ] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA``Qm�(96? H6 DFAA@CE 49:=5 42C6 AC@G:56CD[ H6 2C6 2=D@ DFAA@CE:?8 72>:=:6D[� |6?5@K2 D2:5]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAgQm k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAgQm k^Am
