I have known Cassandra for several years now. She is professional and passionate about helping providers deal with licensing actions.
Cassandra is knowledgeable about The Department of Early Learning, WACs, RCWs and Administrative Hearings. I appreciate her availability and willingness to answer questions when I need help. Cassandra gives 100% personal service with honest answers to your questions even when the answers are hard to hear. She does a wonderful job for many Providers and Centers across the state.
Donna M Horne, Immediate Past President
Washington State Family Child Care Association (WSFCCA)
Cassandra has worked for and with me through a Summary Suspension, Expedited Stay, several phone hearings, revocation, an Administrative Hearing (which we won), a review with the DSHS, Board of Appeals, and a Request for Reconsideration with the Board of Appeals. She has helped me advocate for other providers, using her knowledge of the WACs and RCWs to compile research needed to assist other providers with questions and help them to solve problems. Cassandra is knowledgeable, competent, sympathetic and trustworthy in her work with child care providers, whether family home or center. Her integrity and positive support have gotten me through many rough spots. Words are not adequate to describe my thanks for her assistance and compassion.
Kathleen Hardee, Seattle
Cassandra has been a role model to providers by rising above her own conflicts with DEL and using her experiences to help providers all over the state. The Hispanic provider community, especially, has benefited tremendously by her humanity and loyalty to all providers.
Maria Consuelo Lopez
Past Vice-President WSFCCA
Sandi,
Thank you so much for helping us through the appeals process. You were always there to answer our questions and to help us make sense of the laws and the 'ins and outs' of a complicated system. You were our lifeline. You know more about DEL laws and WACS than anyone in the system. We would highly recommend you to anyone needing help, assistance and knowledge in coping with our difficult laws and procedures.
Karen G., Spokane
I have worked side by side with Cassandra since 1998 advocating for providers' rights. Her passion for child care issues and watching her evolve as a professional advocate has been an inspiration to me.
Linda Brehmer, Seattle
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Hello my name is Deborah Coleman. I am the owner or A 4 Apple Home Day/School. i was in a situation where my childcare license was being denied and revoked. I was blessed to get in contact with Sandy who is a advocate for childcare providers. She was able to take my case. I am not going to go into details but sandy could tell you my situation upon request. All I can say is she was very knowledgeable on the WAC. Very professional in her conduct. She also kept me informed on deadlines and the progress of the case.
Oh yeah I WON!!! Words could not express the gratitude my family and i have for Sandy. I am back working with my license in in place giving good quality care that I have provided for the last 15 yrs.
Thank You and God Bless
Deborah Coleman
Sandi has been working with me through a Summary Suspension. She gave me information for getting Parent Letters from my day care Moms and getting them notarized. She kept on top of things I needed to do and when and reminded me at the right times. She walked me through what was going on and what to expect. She advised me about issues, choices and how she suggested I respond, leaving the final choice up to me.
Sandi has been my ROCK through all of this! She has been a shoulder to cry on for comfort, when I was having a "down" day and giving me courage to stand up for myself and go on. She is very professional and compassionate and helped me stay focused during discouraging and disappointing times along the way. It helped me to know that she had also been a day care provider and had gone through something similar in her own life. I knew she absolutely knew what I was going through and had empathy with me and what I was going through. I think that is the original deciding factor in choosing to go with her instead of some attorney, who really wouldn't have a personal clue as to what I was going through or know how to comfort me. She is a great role model to me and any future providers because she has actually experienced it and fought for herself and made it through. This made her stronger and more knowledgeable about making sense of the ins and outs of the complicated "system" of WAC's, RCW's, DEL and Administrative Hearings.
I keep thinking of this scene of it being a dark stormy night and I am in this little beat up row boat getting bashed around by heavy wind and waves (the system) and there is Sandi, the sturdy Lighthouse with her soft strong light guiding me around the big jagged rocks along the shore to a safe sandy beach.
We, my husband and I, appreciate her so much more than we could ever express. She has been available by phone with her soft reassuring voice, or emails that I can refer back to with answers to many questions. She gives 100% personal service with honest answers, even when they are hard to hear at times. She has been such an awesome lifeline for us!
Thanks again! We couldn't have done it without you!
Jan and Don Elliott
Soap Lake, Wa
Thanks for being such a friend to so many! Darlene went to a local SEIU meeting here last week and shared the VERY GOOD NEWS of your approval / support as THE go-to person / agency for providers in contention with The State.
Acknowledgement for all your labor of love and care is so satisfying to all who know firsthand what your wise, experienced CARE means in times of extreme distress.
After you shared your hope and wish for consistent and reliable income so you could look at training a team to extend CARE services to meet the growing need for "advocates" to providers I prayed for GOD to hear our prayer. This is a blessing to many! YAY GOD!!! LOVE and continued prayers for you and your calling to serve.
Ivana Grace
C.A.R.E.
Childcare Advocates Resource & Education
