Join Action for Children for the 2026 L.E.A.D. Conference, a one-day professional learning experience for early childhood educators, child care providers, program leaders, and professionals supporting children and families.
Connect with fellow early childhood professionals, explore practical strategies, and leave with new ideas and resources you can put into action in your classroom, program, or community.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Upper Arlington Bob Crane Community Center | Columbus, Ohio
Please plan ahead: This is a child-free event. For liability reasons, children cannot attend or be brought into the building during the conference. Please arrange childcare before attending. Thank you for your understanding.
Great early childhood programs begin with professionals who feel supported, informed, and connected.
Through engaging sessions and conversations, attendees will explore strategies and resources related to the opportunities and challenges facing today’s early childhood programs.
Whether you work directly with children, lead a program, support families, or strengthen the early childhood system, L.E.A.D. is an opportunity to invest in your skills and connect with others doing this important work.
The L.E.A.D. Conference is designed for early childhood professionals at every stage of their careers, including:
Whether you are new to early childhood education or have years of experience, L.E.A.D. offers an opportunity to learn, reconnect, and grow.
Explore sessions focused on the real opportunities, challenges, and conversations happening in early childhood programs, then spend the afternoon connecting with resources, partners, and fellow professionals.
A 90-minute interactive leadership training designed to help child care providers recognize their influence and develop practical leadership skills they can apply immediately. Through an exploration of six leadership styles, Visionary, Strategic, Inspirational, Mentoring, Serving, and Developing, participants will learn how to intentionally lead children, families, assistants, and their businesses.
Using real-life child care scenarios, self-assessments, group discussions, and reflection activities, participants will identify their natural leadership strengths, explore opportunities for growth, and discover how different leadership styles can be applied to everyday challenges. By the end of the session, participants will leave with practical strategies, increased confidence, and a personalized action plan to help them lead with purpose, inspire others, and build a lasting legacy within their child care programs.
From Policy to Practice: Empowering Early Childhood Professionals to Advocate for Children, Families, and Themselves
Explore the connection between early childhood policy and the everyday experiences of childcare providers, programs, children, and families across Ohio.
Learning doesn’t stop when the morning sessions end! The afternoon at the 2026 L.E.A.D. Conference is designed to give early childhood professionals time to connect, ask questions, discover resources, and find practical support for their childcare programs.
From our FREE Resource Fair and focused mini sessions to lunch, networking, and a Build-a-Bag-Charm Station, attendees can create an afternoon experience that fits their needs.
Connect directly with organizations and community partners that support early childhood educators, childcare providers, families, and small businesses throughout Central Ohio and Ohio.
The L.E.A.D. Resource Fair gives attendees an opportunity to step away from formal presentations and have one-on-one conversations with organizations that can help answer questions, connect programs with resources, and provide support beyond conference day.
Featured community partners include:
And more community partners to come!
Whether you have a specific question or simply want to discover what resources are available, the Resource Fair is an opportunity to make connections that can continue supporting you and your childcare program long after L.E.A.D. ends.
Learn practical ways to use Canva to create clearer, more professional materials for your childcare program. Explore simple design tips and common do’s and don’ts that can help you create flyers, social media graphics, parent communications, and other marketing materials with greater confidence.
Learn more about small business lending and financial resources available to business owners. This session will help childcare professionals better understand options that may be available as they plan for the future of their programs.
Sustaining Your Business
This micro-class offers useful insight to small business owners on how to sustain and grow your business. It includes tips on mastering small business ownership thru mastering your cash flow & knowing your numbers; obsessing over customers & marketing your business; being proactive in paying your debts & filing taxes; creating a business plan to access resources like loans and grants; and finally, protecting your business from everything from scams & fraud to protecting your time & energy. These tips and tricks to sustaining your business will help you grow strategically, reduce risk and manage your operations successfully.
About Kenyetta: With a background in finance and education, Kenyetta helps Ohioans make informed financial decisions and protect themselves from fraud. She partners with schools and community organizations to make financial education accessible across Ohio.
Explore practical human resources considerations for childcare program leaders and business owners. This mini-session will provide information to help early childhood professionals think more intentionally about supporting employees and managing the people side of their programs.
Hosted by Action for Children in Central Ohio, the conference features experienced leaders who will share insights on childcare leadership, early childhood policy, business development, workforce support, and building sustainable early childhood programs.
Family Child Care Coordinator, Action for Children
SessionLead to Last: 6 Leadership Styles that Every Childcare Provider Needs to Succeed
Tonya Smoot is a dedicated leader and community advocate who is passionate about empowering others through education, leadership, and purposeful service.
As Family Child Care Coordinator at Action for Children, Tonya works to strengthen family childcare programs throughout Central Ohio. Through Action for Children’s Pre-Licensing Program, Tonya and her team help aspiring family childcare providers understand the licensing process and develop the knowledge, resources, and confidence needed to establish successful childcare businesses.
Tonya and her team developed a six-week cohort that guides new providers through the process of becoming licensed family childcare programs while preparing them for long-term success as early childhood professionals and small business owners.
Beyond her work in early childhood education, Tonya is committed to leadership and community service. She is a National Pageant Queen (2023–2024) and serves as a minister at Union Grove Baptist Church, where she supports spiritual growth, discipleship, and church development.
Known for her ability to connect with people, Tonya brings compassion, integrity, and a commitment to service to her work with childcare providers, families, and the Central Ohio community.
Family Child Care Specialist, Action for Children
SessionLead to Last: 6 Leadership Styles that Every Childcare Provider Needs to Succeed
Anicia Smith is an early childhood educator, coach, and systems leader with more than 15 years of experience supporting children, families, educators, and family childcare providers.
At Action for Children, Anicia supports providers through the Pre-Licensing Program and The Village Program. As a Pre-Licensing Coach, she guides aspiring family childcare providers from their initial interest in opening a program through the licensing process, providing structured education, regulatory guidance, mentorship, and ongoing support.
Anicia also plays an important role in The Village, an Action for Children initiative designed to build a connected and supportive community among family childcare providers. Through coaching, professional development, free resources, and opportunities for peer connection, The Village helps providers strengthen their businesses and build sustainable childcare programs.
She facilitates monthly informational sessions for individuals interested in becoming family childcare providers and leads the All Our Kin Business Series, which provides tools and strategies for operating compliant, high-quality, and sustainable childcare businesses.
Anicia has worked in education since 2008. Her experience includes privately owned and highly rated childcare centers, Head Start, developmental disabilities services, Columbus City Schools, and youth development programming. She holds a degree in Early Childhood Development and is passionate about creating lasting impact by empowering the adults who care for and educate children.
Vice President, Groundwork Ohio
SessionFrom Policy to Practice
Brittany Boulton is Vice President of Groundwork Ohio, where she leads advocacy and engagement efforts focused on improving outcomes for young children and families throughout Ohio.
With more than 15 years of leadership experience spanning early childhood policy, health, housing, and advocacy, Brittany has worked to bring organizations, community leaders, and stakeholders together around issues affecting children and families. Her experience includes leading statewide coalitions, advancing maternal and infant health initiatives, and mentoring emerging leaders.
As a first-generation college graduate and mother of three young children, Brittany brings both professional experience and a family perspective to conversations about Ohio’s early childhood system.
At the 2026 L.E.A.D. Conference, Brittany will present “From Policy to Practice,” exploring the connection between early childhood policy and the everyday experiences of childcare providers, programs, children, and families across Ohio.
Brittany lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and three children. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys running, gardening, and participating in Girl Scouts.
President & CEO, Action for Children
SessionConference Remarks
Tasha Booker is President and CEO of Action for Children, a Central Ohio organization dedicated to supporting children, families, early childhood educators, and childcare providers.
Tasha brings more than two decades of leadership experience in nonprofit management, strategic communications, education, partnership development, and community-focused advocacy.
Before joining Action for Children, Tasha served as Senior Vice President of External Engagement at City Year Inc., where she led national efforts to strengthen the organization’s brand and visibility. Her work included directing a $24 million communications initiative and supporting engagement efforts across 29 U.S. cities.
Previously, Tasha served as Executive Director of City Year Columbus. During her leadership, the organization experienced significant growth in private revenue and district investment while earning national recognition for its operations.
As President and CEO of Action for Children, Tasha leads efforts to strengthen partnerships among early childhood professionals, families, government, businesses, and community organizations throughout Central Ohio. Her vision focuses on ensuring Action for Children remains a trusted resource for early care and education, childcare providers, and family support while expanding access to high-quality services that strengthen children, families, and the regional economy.
Tasha holds a Master’s in Education from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and a certificate in Designing for Social Systems from Stanford University. She is also active in the Columbus community, supporting initiatives related to education, affordable housing, and parks.
L.E.A.D. is more than a day of sessions. It is an opportunity to connect with educators, providers, leaders, and early childhood professionals from throughout Central Ohio.
Share ideas, ask questions, build relationships, and strengthen your connection to the early childhood community.
Take a day to learn something new, strengthen your skills, connect with your peers, and return to your program with ideas you are ready to put into action.
Join us at the 2026 L.E.A.D. Conference.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Upper Arlington Bob Crane Community Center | Columbus, Ohio
The 2026 L.E.A.D. Conference will be held at the Upper Arlington Bob Crane Community Center in Columbus, Ohio. The center offers accessible meeting space and on-site parking, making it an easy destination for attendees traveling from across Central Ohio.
For directions, parking details, and facility information, visit the venue website.
Action for Children is Central Ohio’s trusted resource for early childhood professionals and families. Through professional development, coaching, resources, family support, and community partnerships, Action for Children works to strengthen the people and programs that help young children thrive.