Angela Suter has had the pleasure of working alongside her children at Westview KinderCare. It’s an experience, she tells the Muse, that has allowed her to see how much her children have learned from her, watch them implement important life lessons at work, and see how successful they have become.
“I feel blessed to have worked with my family for so long,” she says. “I have always been a mentor to my girls who decided to follow my path in early childhood education, and they have made me so proud. Many families have expressed how much they love seeing family working together in the center, which gives the whole center a family feel.”
One of Suter’s daughters—who followed in her footsteps, working with the company for eight years, first as a preschool teacher and then in the infant room—made a particularly important impact on KinderCare, where she once attended school herself.
“We tragically lost her in a car crash that involved a tractor-trailer [in October of 2024],” Angela says. “She was such an important piece to the families at her center. The amount of support from the families and KinderCare was quite humbling.”
Angela has been through a very difficult season of life, losing her husband of 29 years to cancer in May of 2025, as well. But she feels grateful for the support that KinderCare has given her throughout this time.
“They have offered so many company benefits for me to use, such as counseling and time off,” she says. “The support did not end with just the HR of KinderCare, but extended through my DL and my staff. This support has made it possible for me to continue what I love to do.”
Here, we learned more about her experience at KinderCare, as well as the challenges she’s undergone and the lessons she’s learned through working with her family for families.
Tell us about your role at KinderCare and how you got started.
I started working at KinderCare in October of 2006 at the Westview location, where I worked as a pre-k teacher, phonics teacher, and bus driver. In March of 2024, an opportunity opened up for me to spread my wings, and I took an acting director position at a sister center at Willowdale. I finished my associate degree that summer and decided to remain the director. I celebrated my one year this year, and it has been the best decision.
What does your day-to-day life look like at KinderCare?
My typical day is working in the office on my tasks that need to be done, and I go into classrooms when needed to do observations. I am always sharing my ideas from my past teachings and helping with enrichment and curriculum. I like to think of myself as a “leader,” not as a “boss.”
What are the challenges of working with family, and how does KinderCare help you navigate those challenges?
My biggest challenge is seeing them on the hard days, struggling with work, and not interfering as a mother, and letting the management handle it. I was lucky to have a wonderful director who taught me so much, not just with family. Other staff members would come to me, as well as my children, with frustrations because I have been at the center for so long. This director taught me to still listen and continue to be a role model, but to direct them to her.
How would you describe KinderCare’s company culture, and how has it evolved throughout your career?
I love the mixture and support of all cultures that KinderCare includes. When I started out in childcare, I was 18 years old. So much has changed over the years, and it wasn't until I started with KinderCare that I was aware of the many different cultures and how children can differ socially and emotionally because of different cultures. I love how KinderCare includes all cultures and incorporates them in our curriculum.
What has been your most valuable career mistake that you’d want your children to learn from?
Early on, I made mistakes, quickly responding to situations. I have learned and have tried to pass on to my children to always take a breath, a moment, or a day to reflect before addressing difficult situations.
Looking back on your career journey, what’s one decision you’re especially proud of that helped shape you as a leader and could inspire your children’s careers?
I am so proud of my communication and engagement with families and of treating all the children that I work with as if they were my own. The most important thing is to make the families feel welcome and loved—to let them know you are a partner in their children's childhood journeys. If you would not like your own child to feel a certain way, then do not do that to someone else's child.
