Keshia Jenkins has been in the early childhood care and education field for 21 years and truly enjoys seeing young children learn. "Being a part of the most formative years of a child's life is a task that requires great skill and level of love that only a passionate early childhood professional."
In addition to serving as the Community Engagement Manager for the Children's Movement of Florida, she also runs an evening and weekend Family Childcare Home in Leon County. As a FLAEYC member, you will find Keshia active in the advocacy chapter/coalition, a member of the 2022 NAEYC Public Policy Florida team, and always ready to discuss the issue of compensation and respect of our shared field. But she does not complain about these issues bur rather rolls up her sleeves, pushes for creative solutions and helps others discover pathways they may have not known.
As Keshia has grown in her role as an advocate for early childhood education, she has also developed a passion for other topics in related spaces: maternal and infant mental health, black maternal health, breastfeeding, and, most of all, equitable early childhood opportunities and quality childcare for all. Maybe it is this last one that led her to select It's Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr as her favorite children's book.
"I began reading this book when I started teaching one year olds in 2007. I read it to my students as a story to better understand a classmate that wore glasses. Now, with my understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion, I know that I am teaching students about social justice and acceptance."
