Early Childhood Fellowship Spotlight: Stephanie Moore

Meet Stephanie Moore, an Early Education Specialist at Starting Point and a 2026 Early Childhood Leadership Fellow from Cuyahoga County. With a passion for advocacy and a deep understanding of the challenges families face, she’s dedicated to ensuring every child—especially those with social-emotional or developmental needs—has access to the services and support they deserve. In this week's spotlight, she shares her journey, what inspired her to join the Fellowship, and how her lived experiences shape her leadership in early childhood education.

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

A. I am an Early Education Specialist at Starting Point, providing technical assistance, coaching, and training to licensed Family Child Care Programs. I focus on improving and maintaining the quality of program services provided to young children and their families. I also develop trainings that are relevant to the providers and implement Ohio-approved trainings at our state conferences.

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

A. I was encouraged by my supervisor, but I also recognize this area as a weakness in my professional work, one that I need to challenge myself to overcome and advocate for those who cannot.

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

A. New experiences, and the ability to advocate in ways that will make a difference and be heard. To meet new people and to expand my knowledge of early childhood through other sectors.

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

A. Some of my coworkers were in last year's fellowship and talked about the experience and how helpful it was for them.

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

A. The children who need services, but either can’t get help or miss the qualifications by a slight margin when tested. The children who are struggling with social-emotional issues, such as anxiety, are seen by teachers as behavior issues.

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

A. I have personally experienced being made fun of, bullied, and put down for my differences, and I don’t want others to go through what I went through as a child and teen. Therefore, if I can help a parent help their child at a young age and receive the services before kindergarten, then hopefully they will be less likely to be made fun of or picked on. As a parent, I have a child who deals with anxiety and social cues and have seen her go through trials and fought to get her the help in school that she needs. I had to be her voice and advocate for her. As a parent facing a school, it can be challenging, and the school tries to overlook the issues. However, with persistence, I was able to get her the help she needed to grow, learn, and even graduate from high school.

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

A. To have passionate people who will support families and fight with the family to see their child receive the services and help they need.  The families will not have to worry about how they will get the help, because the cost will be covered, and the child will be the winner and come out on top. Early childhood needs to be seen as being as important as grade school, junior-senior high, and college, and the Early Childhood Education teachers are paid as those in higher grades and schools are paid. It is crucial for families to see the importance of early education as education and not a “service that just watches my child.”

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

A. I hope to be a stronger person who will not back down or hide in the corner because I am not sure what to say, but will be the person who will be heard. To be seen as someone who knows what she is talking about, and she is speaking for those who cannot.