Immigrant family helping to fill the child care gap in Lincoln

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — An immigrant family is working to fill the need for child care in Lincoln.

Melba Al-Sayagh is starting a day care with her niece and daughters. They will call it Estrellitas, which means little stars.

Al-Sayagh said this is a dream that she had held close to her heart for decades. She said she wants to help other mothers. 

“We as a woman, we need to go out and make a living, bring money to the house,” she said. “But also, we have to take care of our family.” 

Al-Sayagh’s niece, Mayola Gomez Hernandez, said she has struggled to find reliable child care for her daughter.

Starting this new center is a good opportunity for her.

“My plan is to bring her with me so I can take care of her,” Gomez said. “So, I can watch her, and I feel more safe.” 

Al-Sayagh’s dream started with classes at ECHO Collective, a local nonprofit that helps immigrant women open their own businesses. 

The women are taking classes with Lincoln Littles, a nonprofit that helps child care centers. 

“Now we are in the process of looking for a facility so I can rent to open the center,”Al-Sayagh said.  

She said they want to be a welcoming place for immigrant families. 

“The idea is to make a place bilingual or trilingual because we’re going to teach Spanish, Arabic and English,” she said.

Her daughter, Beneen Al-Sayagh, said she is proud of her mom and is excited to work with her own family.

“It’s great to know that people I can really trust are working with me, and they can trust me as well,” she said. “It’s great that we can all have each other.”  

The family hopes to open the new day care center in northwest Lincoln this year.