Early Childhood Fellowship Spotlight: Chelsea Davis

Toledo Day Nursery co-director and early childhood advocate Chelsea Davis brings both heart and leadership to her work with young children and families. In this Q&A, she shares her path to early childhood education, what drives her passion for quality care, and how she’s using her voice through Groundwork Ohio’s Early Childhood Leadership Fellowship to create meaningful change.

Q. Tell us about yourself and your current professional role. What kind of work do you do, and who do you serve?

A. Wife. Mom. Daughter. Friend. Pastor’s wife. My day-to-day life is full of roles, but professionally, you may know me as an advocate, early childhood education professional, and director. After graduating from The Ohio State University in 2012, I taught high school for a couple of years before feeling called to shift my career path. In 2015, I joined Toledo Day Nursery as an assistant director. Today, I proudly serve as co-director, leading an extraordinary team of early childhood professionals who work passionately every day to make a positive and lasting impact on children’s lives. We serve children ages six weeks to five years old throughout Toledo and the surrounding areas and there’s no work more meaningful to me.

Q. What made you want to apply for the Early Childhood Leadership Fellowship?

A. My passion for advocacy and policy change in early childhood has grown exponentially in recent years. Joining the fellowship is my way of taking that tiny flame burning inside of me and turning it into a beacon that lights up change for the children, families, and community I serve.

Q. What are you most excited to learn, gain, or take away from the Fellowship experience?

A. I am genuinely excited to connect, grow, and learn together with other passionate professionals. I believe this experience will be the perfect example of “iron sharpening iron,” where we refine each other’s ideas, strengthen each other’s resolve, and leave the experience more equipped to create real impact.

Q. How did you first hear about or get involved with Groundwork Ohio?

A. I first learned about Groundwork through Toledo Day Nursery, my involvement in our local director’s network, and the communications we receive from key community partners. The more I learned, the more I knew I wanted to be a part of this movement.

Q. What’s one issue or challenge in the early childhood system that you’re passionate about addressing?

A. I am deeply passionate about what “quality” truly means in early childhood education. This is not just on paper, but in real classrooms. My heart is for ensuring that quality care is not a luxury, but an accessible reality for every working family.

Q. How does your lived experience shape the way you lead or advocate for young children and families?

A. As a young preschooler, I was shy, quiet, and unsure of myself. At our end-of-year program, my teacher chose me to be the show-stopping, beautiful butterfly in The Very Hungry Caterpillar play. She stood in the gap, saw my potential, and spoke life into me, and for the first time, I felt chosen. That moment changed me. It reminded me that relationships matter, and that the quietest voices often just need someone to believe in them.

Q. What do you think is important to help make Ohio the best place to be a young child?

A. To create spaces where children are truly seen, heard, and loved every single day.

Q. How do you hope to use your voice as a leader in this space—now and in the future?

A. To be simple, I am really just looking for high impact. I am not sure exactly what that looks like, and don’t long to place my journey in a box, but to remain open-minded and obedient to using my voice as I am commissioned to do so!