About

U-DREAM-IT. WE-APPROVE-IT. U-LAUNCH-IT.

Where Workforce Meet Homegrown Opportunity

We’re so glad you’re here! Whether you’re a parent, educator, or aspiring entrepreneur, thank you for taking the time to learn about our mission and the work we do to empower families and professionals across Virginia.

💜 Our Story

Our founder, Nicole St. Ann-Ahmad, first envisioned U-LAUNCH while studying at Norfolk State University—balancing motherhood, coursework, and Army cadet training while struggling to find reliable childcare.

What began as a class project became an award-winning business plan earning first place in NSU’s 2011 Hodge Business Plan Competition—and laying the foundation for what would later grow into U-LAUNCH.

When the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped childcare in 2019, Nicole discovered Virginia's Family Day System—an underutilized model that allows educators to operate approved home-based programs under a unified system. That discovery reignited her mission to make childcare accessible, turn-key, and community-rooted.

U-LAUNCH: IT

Workforce Development at the Core

U-LAUNCH: IT is the workforce development backbone of the U-LAUNCH ecosystem. We transform skills into opportunity by helping individuals transition from employment to entrepreneurship through homegrown, state-recognized pathways. By integrating education, credentialing, business development, and career readiness, U-LAUNCH: IT creates turn-key systems that enable people to launch sustainable, home-based businesses while remaining rooted in their communities.

Our work centers on economic mobility, equitable access, and workforce ownership—preparing individuals not just to work, but to lead, grow, and thrive.

🏛️ Our Structure

At the heart of U-LAUNCH: IT is the U-LAUNCH: Virginia Board of Directors, which provides governance, oversight, and strategic direction for all U-LAUNCH initiatives.

Three interconnected divisions work together to align education, entrepreneurship, and family empowerment into one cohesive workforce development system:

🏡 U-LAUNCH: Childhood Development Homes (CDH)

U-LAUNCH: Childhood Development Homes (CDH) is licensed by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) as a Family Day System—a designation granted to organizations that approve, supervise, and support a network of approved childhood development homes.

As a licensed system, we carry full responsibility for ensuring that every approved Childhood Development Home and Childcare Educator Operator (CEO) meet Virginia’s standards for safety, quality, and child development.

Under this structure:

U-LAUNCH: IT, a Virginia-registered limited liability company and pending SWaM certification, provides the workforce development framework that supports individuals transitioning from employment to entrepreneurship through structured training, credentialing, and business-readiness pathways.
U-LAUNCH: Childhood Development Homes (CDH), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, delivers the centralized administrative, compliance, and system oversight functions that power the Licensed Family Day System statewide, ensuring quality, accountability, and regulatory alignment.

U-LAUNCH: Childhood Development Homes Authority, are responsible for:

Approving and certifying childhood development homes that operate under our system’s oversight.
Referring children to approved childhood development homes and, when needed, to local health and social services for early intervention and family support.
Providing training, technical assistance, and consultation to Childcare Educator Operators (CEOs) to ensure ongoing quality and compliance.
Conducting inspections and supervision of each childhood development home, including quarterly visits (with at least two unannounced annually) to maintain compliance with state standards.
Maintaining accurate administrative records for each CEO and family served, including enrollment, billing, and tuition collection.
Ensuring that each approved home cares for no more than nine children and that all CEOs meet the same background checks, central registry, and health screening standards as licensed family day home providers.

Through these functions, CDHA fulfills its regulatory role while empowering Childcare Educator Operators (CEO) to operate as small business owners.

Together, U-LAUNCH: IT and U-LAUNCH: CDH create a sustainable model where Virginia-quality childcare meets workforce opportunity.

🎓 U-LAUNCH: CEO Academy

U-LAUNCH: CEO Academy delivers related technical instruction and competency-based training for Childcare Educator Operators.

Through the U-LAUNCH: Virginia Childhood Development Credential (VCDC), participants earn recognized credentials, micro-credentials, and continuing-education hours aligned with 8VAC20-780-190 Program Director Qualifications and national standards.

The Academy is also open to individuals enrolled in GED programs and high-school Early Childhood Development courses, creating a seamless pipeline for the next generation of educators.

💼 Workforce Development Home-Based Programs

Beyond early education, U-LAUNCH: IT empowers professionals to build sustainable, home-based and remote careers across industries.

We provide career readiness, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship training, helping individuals transform their skills into sustainable income while strengthening local communities and families.

💫 Our Impact

In June 2024, U-LAUNCH: Childhood Development Homes became an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Today, the U-LAUNCH network continues to expand statewide—training, approving, and equipping Childcare Educator Operators; connecting families to trusted care; and building a stronger, more equitable early-learning workforce.

💜 Join the Movement

If you believe in creating access to opportunity, uplifting Childcare Educators Operators, and building stronger communities—we invite you to partner with us.

👉 Donate Today
👉 Become a Community Partner
👉 Sponsor a New Provider

Together, we’re building a Virginia where education, entrepreneurship, and empowerment begin at home.

U-Dream-It. We-Approve-It. U-LAUNCH-IT.

Where Workforce Meet Homegrown Opportunity.