Olga Grays, owner of Mrs. Olga’s Daycare in Las Cruces, speaks during a “Day Without Child Care” event on May 12, 2025. (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM)

Olga Grays has cared for hundreds of children since she became certified in 2025 as a home daycare provider in Las Cruces, but her experiences have not been without difficulty.

Grays owns and operates Mrs. Olga’s Daycare near the west side of the city where she cares for 15 children throughout the day. She described the business to Source NM as a “family” with her adult children working with her, as well as long-time employees.

Grays joined the national “Day Without Child Care” movement on Monday, where early childhood centers closed their doors for a full day to bring awareness to the necessity of childcare and the low wages teachers are paid to care for children. Albuquerque-based advocacy organization OLÉ New Mexico hosted three events in the state, including at Grays’ home.

Organizers, educators and parents spoke in Las Cruces about the need for a guaranteed $18 per hour base wage for early childhood educators; expanding the industry to recognize experience as well as education teachers have; and ensuring child care is accessible and affordable in the state.

Maria Ruiz, a long-time employee of Grays, explained that she entered the early childhood education workforce soon after moving to the U.S. from Mexico and has at least 20 years of experience working with children. However, because she does not have a degree, she is stuck only making minimum wage.

“All my kids were so little and I saw them grow here,” Ruiz said in Spanish as an interpreter translated. She became a widow several years later and left the daycare to make more money to sustain her family, but returned to Olga’s where she enjoyed better working conditions. She said her years of experience should qualify her for higher wages. “We can’t afford this kind of life. Everything is so expensive.”

Marc Cordova, a single parent with two young children enrolled at Olga’s Daycare, emphasized the flexibility a smaller daycare provides him so he can get to work early and ensure his children are cared for.

Marc Cordova is pictured with his youngest children, Evalynn Codova, 5, and Marc Cordova Jr., 3, at Mrs. Olga’s Daycare in Las Cruces on May 12, 2025. (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM)

“Mrs. Olga and her employees have always gone that extra mile for our children. Mrs. Olga has even offered to get my Evalynn ready for school and drop her off, knowing my situation of being a single father. I don’t know any other daycare programs willing to help like that,” Cordova said.

Grays explained to Source that not only has she looked after and taught children during the day, but she’s also done emergency foster care for children who, for example, do not get picked up or who need a safe place to stay while their guardians deal with other factors. She said she took in one four-month-old boy until he was 8 years old.

“It’s my passion. I feel like kids that are the most in need, who lack the resources because either both parents are addicted or they don’t have that support, that those are the kids who [don’t get] seen. I understand there’s parents who could afford expensive daycares with better quality,” Grays said. “I chose to get a pay cut and stay in this because I feel like that’s who needs it the most. And who sees them? Nobody really. And so I make sure that I tell my employees, my kids, they have the same heart as me.”

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This post was originally authored and published by Leah Romero from via RSS Feed. to get your news feed on Nationwide Report®.