Sponsor Spotlight: Karen Velasco and Anabel Tejada with Child Care Network of New York
Sponsor of Family Child Care Homes
September 8, 2026
Karen Velasco and Anabel Tejada have built their careers at Child Care Network of New York from the ground up. Today, they help lead one of New York’s largest CACFP sponsoring organizations, supporting more than 1,100 family child care homes and 13,348 participants across New York City’s five boroughs, Yonkers, Nassau County and Suffolk County. What began as a small organization sponsoring about 300 homes has grown significantly over the past decade, driven by a commitment to strong systems, staff development and provider support.
Karen's introduction to the CACFP occurred in 2010 when she volunteered to recruit family child care providers. She spent her time calling providers and sharing information about the benefits of the food program. After recruiting 100 providers in her first month, she began to see firsthand how the CACFP supported both providers and the children in their care. She joined the organization full-time in 2013, working in data entry, then as a monitor before eventually becoming CACFP Director.
Anabel joined the organization in 2016 shortly after graduating with a degree in psychology. The job posting drew her attention with its focus on child nutrition. What started as a data entry role grew into a long-term career and today, she serves as Logistics Coordinator, overseeing monitoring operations and helping ensure the organization runs smoothly and efficiently. Their shared experience working their way through multiple roles has shaped the organization's culture and contributed to its success. Karen believes one of the strongest foundations of the agency is the intentional structure they built from the beginning.
"We started doing a lot of division of duties within the organization. So even if I make a mistake, somebody else would be able to catch that mistake."
That philosophy can be seen throughout the organization. Rather than assigning providers to individual monitors permanently, the logistics team coordinates caseloads and rotates monitors among providers. This approach helps avoid bias, allows monitors to observe a variety of programs and creates greater consistency across monitoring visits. The logistics team also handles much of the scheduling and paperwork, allowing monitors to focus on supporting providers and observing meal service. Regular trainings, compliance calls and shadow visits further ensure that monitoring practices remain consistent across the team.
The organization's success is also rooted in its people. Many staff members have worked together for more than a decade, creating continuity for both providers and the agency. Karen places strong emphasis on professional development, encouraging staff to pursue CACFP certifications and other learning opportunities. She also values employee feedback and works to create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas and contributing to organizational improvements.
The same commitment to relationships extends to the providers they serve. Because family child care homes operate within providers' own homes, Karen and Anabel recognize the importance of building trust and treating providers with empathy. They regularly communicate with providers through newsletters, trainings and follow-up calls.
While organizational systems and strong communication have helped fuel their growth, both Karen and Anabel point to the impact of the CACFP as their greatest motivation. For Karen, the reimbursement provided through the program remains critical for helping providers serve nutritious meals.
"We have stories of parents coming to the providers and saying that this is the only food that their child receives. The children eat at the day care home, they go home and they go to sleep without another meal because the parents can't afford anything else."
In addition to helping providers afford healthy foods, both Karen and Anabel have seen how nutrition education positively influences families and providers themselves. Training sessions introduce new ideas, encourage healthy habits and help providers create engaging nutrition experiences for children. Their annual nutrition training has become a favorite among providers, often incorporating creative topics and hands-on learning opportunities. This year, the training focused on hydroponics and farm-to-table concepts, with providers receiving seeds to grow alongside the children in their care.
Anabel particularly enjoys helping providers understand that nutritious meals can reflect the cultures and traditions of the families they serve. Providers often incorporate cultural foods into their menus and create activities that get children excited about learning and trying new foods.
Over the years, seeing their efforts come to life has reinforced why they continue doing this work. Providers frequently share photos, stories and messages of appreciation that remind the team of their impact.
"We have providers that are retiring now who have been with us for 15 years and they send us an email thanking us for helping them feed the kids. It reminds us that we are doing something good for the community, for the kids, and for the providers. That motivates everyone here in the office to continue."
For sponsors looking to strengthen their own programs, Karen encourages them to lead with empathy. Family child care providers wear many hats and often spend long days caring for children with limited interaction with other adults. Understanding those realities and meeting providers where they are can go a long way toward building strong partnerships.
Looking ahead, the organization plans to continue expanding into areas of need while maintaining the high level of service that has helped them grow. Their goal is to reach more providers, support more families and ensure more children have access to nutritious meals through the CACFP. That mission continues to drive the work they do every day.
" We are in an administrative job, but we know that what we’re doing eventually has a positive effect on children and will impact their lives. We do it for the kids at the end of the day. We're planting a seed that will grow."
In New York, Karen has been with CCNNY since 2010 and Anabel has been with them since 2016.