Pathwaves Fellows enter the program with skills and experiences that create unique opportunities for their work at their placement sites. Jasmine’s background in storytelling has deepened Best Starts for Kids King County’s partnership and collaboration with Black Child Development Institute (BCDI) Seattle.
When Jasmine first joined the team at Best Starts, one of the primary functions of her role was to strengthen the organization’s relationship with BCDI Seattle. She recalls, “we wanted our partnership to impact the sector.” This would require significant investment, starting with sitting down and asking the BCDI Seattle team how they envisioned the relationship. “It was BCDI Seattle that shared the need for more research to identify barriers that Black child care providers face.” For Jasmine and her team at Best Starts, this presented an opportunity to not only reinforce their partnership, but to create connections with the community of providers the organization represents.
Jasmine worked in close partnership with the team at BCDI Seattle to create and conduct a research project that focuses specifically on the experiences of Black child care providers in King County. Seattle’s Department of Early Learning and the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families have also been brought in to ensure that barriers facing Black providers will be addressed at every level. Another priority for the project is to ensure that the data collected is qualitative as well as quantitative. This is where storytelling became essential. Jasmine reflects, “I don’t know if my supervisor knew that I am a storyteller. Maybe she noticed something about how I communicate that indicated I would be good at it. Whatever it was, my background made it possible for me to step up and really feel comfortable leading this project.”
The confidence Jasmine feels from her supervisor and Best Starts for Kids Co-Lead, Jessica Tollenaar Cafferty, set the tone for her work on this project. Jasmine shares, “Jessica put a lot of faith and trust in me to take this on. That has meant a lot to me. Many Black women in these spaces feel micromanaged or distrusted with this level of work.” Jasmine is the only full time staff person from Best Starts dedicated to the BCDI project, and takes her role as an ambassador for her team very seriously. She shares, “Our initial meeting was in October 2024, just a few weeks after the Fellowship began. I always have a learning lens when I enter a new space, but that first meeting was intimidating! I was sitting with my elders – elder Black women in the community who have been doing this work for decades.” Instead of allowing fear to hold her back, Jasmine was motivated by a desire to build trust between these women she admires and Best Starts.
These initial meetings shaped the values and approach for the project. Jasmine explains, “The purpose is to center the lived experiences and stories of Black child care providers in King County, identifying the systemic barriers they are facing and determining recommendations for short term and long term solutions that can be implemented at the city, county, and state level.” While there is some research being done in the United States that specifically gives voice to the experiences of Black child care providers, it is still not the norm. Most research either lumps all BIPOC providers together or only provides quantitative data, excluding context. This project aims to specifically target the challenges facing Black providers in King County, giving voice to their individual experiences in order to more effectively identify potential solutions that would remove barriers and improve outcomes.
One reason why storytelling is essential to this research project is that it provides participants with an opportunity to share from an asset-based perspective. Jasmine explains, “Approaching my work from an asset-based lens has really helped me to shape this project in a way that centers the humanity of our participants. This is something I learned early in the Fellowship through our work with Luis at Storytellers for Change.” An asset-based approach means that the research project is illuminating the deep care and commitment that Black providers have for the children and families in their care, while acknowledging the barriers that cause challenges. The project is still in process, and Jasmine is looking forward to the story gathering stage coming next. “I am really hoping I can do this storytelling project justice,” she shares. “I hope the providers who share their experiences with me feel like they are fully seen and represented in the project, and walk away feeling hopeful and motivated that there is work being done to remove barriers so that Black providers in King County can thrive.”
Looking back to that first meeting in 2024, Jasmine is proud of how her leadership has developed. “We had a meeting with the National BCDI team in November 2025 and I presented the background of our project and the progress so far. It felt really good to show up in that space as a leader, facilitating discussions and having answers to questions.” For Jasmine, the support from her team at Best Starts and the confidence she feels from the leadership experiences she has had in her role as a Fellow have affirmed that she is on the right path and doing good work. We cannot wait to see where Jasmine’s leadership takes her next.
