About Creative Childcare Solutions

Michelle Davenport began her childcare experience as the favorite neighborhood babysitter. "Some people just have a natural knack with children, and I always have," says Michelle. "At all the family gatherings, I was the one the children gravitated towards." After high school, she attended Chico State University in California as a business major. While attending classes and working nearly full time, she made time to volunteer at the college preschool and in the Big Brother/Big Sister program with local "at risk" youths. Once she realized she no longer wanted to major in business, she accepted a job with a Fortune 500 company in Sacramento, California, and moved to begin her career in sales.

After selling coffee service and vacuums in the Sacramento area, she moved to the Bay Area and accepted a position selling children's books for Price Stern Sloan Publishers (PSS!). "I held that job for over one year, but knew that sales were not the place for me to invest years of my life," states Michelle. "I knew I wanted to work with children but daycare was just beginning to emerge as a real need and was starting to be viewed as a serious vocational choice." While working in a toy store and baby store, Michelle went back to college and completed her Early Childhood Certificate. In 1987, she was named Volunteer of the Year in Sonoma County, California for her contributions at a local home for abused children. In 1989, she had her first son and moved to Oregon in July of that year.

Her first job in Oregon was at the Lake Oswego KinderCare as the head teacher in the infant room. While working full time there, she also cared for children after school for several families until she opened her own in-home daycare. While operating her business from her home, she was allowed to be home with her child and gain valuable experience dealing with well over 100 families. "Finally, a niche had been made for me to care for children while remaining with my son," claims Michelle. "I loved what I was doing everyday and managed to successfully care for up to 10 children at a time on my own. Relationships that began in business have continued and grown throughout the years. Some of the girls I cared for as young children now babysit for my children and drive!"

In 1998, Michelle got married and had another son, all while completing her degree in Human Development by attending night classes at Warner Pacific College in Portland, Oregon. Michelle gave birth to a third son in October 2000.

 As Michelle states, "My former boss, Deanna Pulford and I began to develop the idea for Creative Childcare Solutions, Inc., I knew I did not want to return to daycare full time.” Deanna was a former KinderCare director for 12 years and brought with her a real talent for finding quality people with whom they could work. “I wanted time to work on providing care for more people in more dynamic ways. I could get out of the house more and utilize the sales skills I attained earlier to help meet a bigger need in the community for childcare. I found that others shared my values for family by wanting to bring their children with them when traveling for work or pleasure, but that not all of their time could be spent with the children when work commitments needed them elsewhere. So, Voila!"

In 1999, about a year after Michelle and Deanna began the business, Deanna and her husband adopted 2 special needs children through the State of Oregon. Deanna realized her energy and focus needed to be with her newly expanded family and decided to sell her shares and take on more of a consultant role. Michelle took over from that day on and has worked hard to build a successful company that serves hundreds of families each year.

Michelle loves serving families in the Portland area and likes the idea of each situation being unique. Here are some of the examples she gave: "One company may have a party for their employees and want to include children without too much expected of them in an adult setting; while planning the wedding, a bride may feel conflicted between allowing her friends' and family members' children to attend or the possible chaos that could ruin her special day; a convention comes to town and the parents want to expand their children's education by introducing them to new parts of the world, but do not know what to do with them during the seminars."

Michelle Davenport, owner of Creative Childcare Solutions"Working with new people while planning an event is refreshing," Michelle says. "The opportunities are as vast as the number of people we deal with. Creating an event for the children that works for the companies and families allows for a win-win situation. I look forward to further developing our business and enjoying the journey along the way, all while knowing that we really do bring a high level of quality and professionalism to the people we serve."

As a mother of three boys, Michelle volunteers at her younger sons’ elementary school as a reading specialist. She is also spending many hours coordinating her oldest son’s 2007 Graduation Celebration. This includes fundraising and event planning for “big” kids. She teaches third grade Sunday school at her church, as well. She lives with her husband, Mike and three sons in Oregon City, Oregon.