Honoring Nannies and Caregivers This Black History Month

As we move through Black History Month, I’ve been reflecting on something that sits at the heart of the childcare industry but isn’t often discussed enough.

The childcare industry in the United States has historically relied on Black women and women of color working as nannies and caregivers. For generations, they have cared for children, supported households, and helped families thrive, often without fair recognition, fair pay, or workplace protections.

Even today, caregiving professionals still fight for the respect and professional dignity their work deserves.

And yet, families, businesses, and communities function every day because of caregivers.

Here in the Reno–Tahoe community, we see every day how professional nannies and caregivers support working families. Parents are able to pursue careers. Households run smoothly. Children are nurtured, supported, and loved…often because someone else steps in to help carry the daily responsibilities of care.

That contribution deserves acknowledgment not just this month, but always.

Working in this industry has shown me how deeply personal caregiving work is. Nannies and caregivers become trusted parts of families’ lives. They help raise children, support parents through stressful seasons, and bring stability and care into homes.

And yet caregiving work is still too often undervalued or seen as temporary or informal labor, rather than the professional, skilled work that it is.

At Pb+J Collective, we believe caregivers deserve professional respect, safe work environments, and fair compensation. They deserve to be treated as professionals whose work makes family life possible.

As both a business owner and a mom raising young children, I also think about the example I want to set. I want my children to grow up understanding that caregiving work matters, and that the people who care for others deserve dignity, respect, and appreciation.

This month is a reminder not only to recognize history, but also to ask how we can continue to improve the present.

For our agency, that means continuing to learn, advocate for caregivers, and support families in building respectful, healthy working relationships with the people they welcome into their homes.

Because childcare isn’t just a service. It’s care. It’s trust. And it’s work that deserves recognition.

I hope, as an industry and as families, we continue to move toward a future where caregivers are valued not only for what they do, but also for who they are and the impact they have on the lives of children and families every day.

-Kaitlin

CEO/Founder, Pb+J Collective