Kerya is a single mom, who came to Washington as a refugee from Eritrea in December 2012 with her three sons. When Kerya and her family first arrived, it was difficult while they were relying on TANF assistance. Eventually, she worked for several different companies that kept her family afloat. Kerya has experience raising and caring for children, so she actively started working to open her own business. A friend told Kerya about the Refugee Resettlement Office (RRO) and their assistance programs for refugees wanting to open a childcare business.
Kerya visited the RRO in May, wanting to learn more about starting her own childcare business. She started her STAR training and orientation classes to get her childcare license. After eight months of hard work, she finally was able to get a Washington State Family Based Childcare Business License in November.
During the entire process, the RRO provided her with technical and financial assistance to start her business. “Though starting a new childcare business in Washington State is a very lengthy and complicated process, it went very well with me because of the technical and financial support of RRO. Now I’m able to do business in my own house and I can take care of my children as well,” said Kerya.