Sponsor Spotlight: Paula Barton and Amy Warby of Alliance For Children
Sponsor of Family Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers
June 8, 2026
Paula Barton is the Executive Director of Alliance For Children (AFC) and Amy Warby is the newly promoted Associate Director of AFC. AFC is a sponsor of 208 family child care homes and 32 child care centers that serve nutritious meals to more than 5,500 children across Utah.
AFC was founded in 1989 by Carolyn Linton, who came from a background in child care and social work. Paula, who also has a background in social work, joined AFC in 1991 as a part-time monitor. Just a few years later, in 1994, Paula became the full-time Executive Director of AFC. When she was first hired by AFC, Paula knew nothing about the CACFP, but the program has become her lifetime career and passion.
Amy began her food program career as a family group day care home provider under the sponsorship of AFC. During her time as a provider, Amy experienced, first-hand, the importance of the program and saw the impact it has on children, their families, and the child care providers. So, when the opportunity presented itself three years ago, Amy joined AFC and transitioned from being a provider to supporting other providers with operating the CACFP.
Their amazing, dedicated team is one of the reasons why Paula believes AFC is such a successful sponsor. Her team always keeps the mission in mind and strives to offer excellent customer service and support to their providers.
“I really think what makes us successful is our fantastic team. I like to remind our team that teamwork is what makes our dream work. We all know that we’re here to help the providers and the centers be successful and ensure that the children in the child care settings receive well-balanced, nutritious meals and snacks. We do our very best to offer exceptional customer service to our providers. People like to come on our program because we show concern for our providers on their worst days as well as their best days, because we all have our bad days,” said Paula.
The devotion and hard work of their providers are also integral to their success. Amy and Paula recognize that it takes them all working together, AFC and their providers, to truly see the extraordinary benefits of the program.
“Those providers, they’re really the heart of it. They show up every day, and they serve healthy meals to the kids. We’re just here to support them along the way,” said Amy.
In order to support their providers, Paula also thinks it’s important for team members to take care of themselves first. When they take care of themselves, they can put their best foot forward for the rest of their team and their providers. AFC also does its best to stay connected with its providers and give them the opportunity to ask questions and seek help. AFC and their providers work together as a team to ensure the success of the program, and they try to portray that as much as possible to their providers.
Although the job isn’t always easy, Amy and Paula are both driven by the meaningfulness of their work. Waking up every day and knowing they have a purpose behind their work and are making a difference in the lives of children and families keeps them motivated. As a former family home provider and CACFP operator, Amy can attest to the positive effects of the CACFP in her program.
“When I was a child care provider, the CACFP was a huge help. The reimbursement each month helped cover the food cost and the meal pattern gives us the direction that we need to keep those kids healthy. It took a lot of pressure off so I could focus more on the kids and less on the grocery bill,” said Amy.
After 35 years working at AFC, Paula has been able to see the long-term impact the CACFP has on the lives of children and providers.
“My motivation really comes from seeing the long-term impact. I’ve witnessed providers grow, programs become stronger, and children experience lasting benefits. It's good to know that we can make a difference, not only in the kids’ lives, but also in the providers’ lives. Knowing that what we do each day helps support children and the people that are caring for them is what really keeps me committed after all these years,” said Paula.
This purpose is what drives the work of AFC and the dedication of Amy and Paula. That’s why, as Paula plans to retire from her role as Executive Director in October 2026, she will stay on part-time at AFC to continue supporting their work. And, as Paula moves into a smaller capacity at AFC, Amy is stepping up to fill her position as Executive Director. Paula has all the confidence in Amy as the next leader of AFC.
“Since she’s already been part of the team, I expect a smooth, natural transition. She already has a thorough understanding of the program and has already brought many great ideas and examples to our program. We’re really excited to continue learning and growing under her leadership and her fresh perspective for our program,” said Paula.
Amy is excited to step up to the plate and grateful to Paula for handing over an organization that already works as a well-oiled machine. As they move into this next chapter, AFC remains dedicated to their mission and those they serve.
Paula has been with AFC since 1991 and Amy has been with AFC since 2023.