A Fayetteville family, caring for children, 30+ years and through a pandemic
When the Johnson brothers decided to open their family business, they had no idea of the legacy they were creating.
The multinational company started in a small New Brunswick, New Jersey, building with 14 employees, eight women and six men. Robert Wood Johnson and his brothers, James Wood and Edward Mead, laid the groundwork for a workforce that now has over 130,000 employees in 60 countries.
During a train ride on the Denver-Rio Grande railroad line, Robert Wood Johnson learned of injuries that plagued railroad workers while traveling through rural areas. As a result, the Johnson family put together a box stocked with items such as sterile dressings and sutures. This would become the first aid kit.
A family where children grow and thrive
Like first-aid kits for injuries, there are many components essential to the care of a child.
Two of the most important components are family structure and their environment. Darlene and Bradley Shaw, with the help of her three children, have set out to cultivate an environment for children to grow and thrive.
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As a factory worker, Darlene put in countless hours. However, she became pregnant and had to take maternity leave from work. During maternity leave, the matriarch of the Shaw family made a decision that impacted her family’s life as well as other families.
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Like many mothers, she wanted to stay and care for her young child. With that thought and support from her husband, she decided to quit her job and enter the childcare industry.
Birth of a childcare center
The transition was not easy. Initially, she started in 1995 by offering services to her family and friends.
From a three-bedroom home located on Strickland Bridge Road, she began caring for five kids. Over time, the number of kids grew to 12, and then came time for renovation and reconfiguring of the home.
The Shaws knocked down the garage wall for more space. Eventually, the family relocated and converted the entire home into a childcare center.
Darlene’s daughter, Sherita Shaw-Wright, remembers witnessing the growth of the center.
“In my teenage (years), it was difficult”, says Shaw-Wright. “As it grew, we grew with it and the kids became family.”
A family affair
Sherita runs day-to-day operations from an office that was once her childhood bedroom.
Her siblings, Breanna and Bradley Jr, also help with operations at Lil’ Angels Daycare. Breanna assists with classrooms and administrative duties. Bradley Jr. assists his father, Bradley Sr., with transport and maintenance of the grounds and facility.
Even the namesake is a product of a family competition that allowed Darlene and Bradley’s children to pick the center’s original name, Little Angels.
The family dynamic helps the Shaws in their effort to provide the best services for other families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lil’ Angels was able to continue serving with love and help from the North Carolina Childcare Stabilization Grant.
Weathering the pandemic
On Oct. 7, 2021, Gov. Roy Cooper signed a one-time $805 million investment that would allow childcare centers to remain operational during the pandemic. The grant ensured families continued to have access to high-quality childcare.
In addition, the Stabilization Grant assisted with retention of workforce. Funds could be used for, but not limited to, things such as tuition assistance, rent, payroll, PPE and facility maintenance.
Darlene and the staff of Lil’ Angels continued to provide service through COVID despite the restrictions placed on many businesses during this uncertain period.
After 34 years of providing service, the Shaw family is looking to expand the services for thoseworking beyond traditional childcare hours. Sherita is opening the Play with Purpose Child Development Center in 2024.
The facility will be dedicated to serving the second and third shift workforce. One of the greatest challenges to working parents is lack of adequate childcare. Shaw-Wright hopes Play with Purpose, like Lil Angels, will help an underserved population.
Her childhood home, 1648 Strickland Bridge Road, is now the site of Lil’ Angels Daycare, and she plans to announce the official location of Play with Purpose in 2024. To stay updated, log on to www.lilangelsdc.com.
For more information, contact the Shaws by phone, 910-425-9942, or via e-mail — lilangelsdc9942@gmail.com.
Salute to the Shaw family and every activist getting active. Peace.
Rakeem “Keem” Jones is a community advocate and father of three from the Shaw Road/Bonnie Doone area of Fayetteville. He can be reached at keemj45@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Longtime Fayetteville day care weathers COVID-19, ready to grow
