Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomasina Turner.
Hi Thomasina, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Honestly, it all started because I was a mom just trying to figure things out.
About twenty years ago, I was raising my four-year-old son after he was diagnosed with Autism. Back then, there weren’t many resources available, and a lot of childcare centers and schools just didn’t know how to support children like him. I was constantly getting calls to come pick him up, which made it really hard to keep a job.
I knew I had to find a way to provide for my family while making sure my son was in a place where he felt safe and loved. So during the day, I started watching children in my home, and at night, I worked as a janitor at the University of Virginia. It wasn’t easy, but those years taught me so much about perseverance and the importance of creating a place where every child feels like they belong.
When my youngest child was born in 2010, I decided I wanted to turn what I loved into a career. I went back to school, earned my teaching credentials, and worked in several childcare centers while finishing my degree. Every classroom I worked in made me even more passionate about early childhood education.
From 2010 to 2017, I owned and operated my own home childcare program in Texas while also working as a childcare center coordinator. That experience really showed me what quality childcare should look like and how important it is for families to have someone they can trust.
In 2017, I moved back home to Virginia and became a teacher with MACAA Head Start. By then, my own children were growing up and becoming independent, so I finally had the chance to focus on the dream I’d been building for years.
In 2023, I reopened my home childcare program, and the response from families was incredible. Word spread quickly, and before long we had a waiting list. That’s when I realized our community needed more than I could provide from my home.
Then, in the summer of 2024, I was given the opportunity to open a childcare center. It all happened so fast, and in November 2024, Mountain Lake Childcare & Preschool officially opened.
Since then, it’s been an amazing journey. We’ve been recognized with a Silver Charlottesville Finest Award, partnered with United Way, and became a Head Start Preschool partner. Every one of those milestones reminds me how far we’ve come and how many families have believed in us.
At the end of the day, Mountain Lake isn’t just a business to me—it’s personal. I built it because I know what it’s like to search for someone who truly understands your child. I wanted to create the kind of place I wished my own son had when he was little—a place where every child is welcomed, supported, and given the opportunity to succeed, no matter where they start.
I still remind myself every day that behind every child who walks through our doors is a parent trusting us with their greatest treasure. That’s something I’ll never take for granted.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been bumpy! Staffing shortages has been the hardest struggle by far. Finding quality staff who genuinely has a love for education and children in this field is oddly hard to find.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I think what sets me apart from others is that I have experience in all ends of the childcare profession. I’ve worked in the public schools, church programs, after school programs, and I’ve also worked in administration as a coordinator, Assistant director and Director.
How do you think about luck?
I think that it has played a huge part in my journey. Every step of my journey has been presented to me because I had a working relationship with someone or taught a child of someone they knew. I know that hard work also plays a part but it was because of that work that those particular people thought of me and came to me with their ideas or plans to put them in place. I would say I am lucky to know and have these opportunities others may not have in the same field.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mtnlakechildcare.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MountainlakeChildcare
