The Founder

Najwa Dahdah

Najwa Dahdah is the founder and owner of Empowered Child Care Consulting, Inc. (ECCC), a childcare training and consulting company.  Created in 2016 in response to a need for professional development for human service workers, ECCC prepares childcare professionals and Center Directors to better serve children, families, and the community.  Najwa is a bilingual (Arabic and English) childcare expert with over 19 years of early childhood work experience in both home-based (family and group) and center-based programs.

As one of Metro-Detroit’s outstanding spokespersons for children, Najwa has partnered with community-based organizations to improve childcare by providing evidence-based, culturally competent education.  Prior to working in early childhood education, Najwa enjoyed a successful career in banking management for 7 years where she excelled in operations (e.g. policy development and implementation and recording keeping).

Najwa earned an associate of applied science in child development from Schoolcraft College, a Bachelor of Science in early childhood education from Rochester University, and a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Leadership/Administration from the University of Michigan Dearborn. 

Our Team

Kim Schmidt

Kim Schmidt, CDA
Membership Recruiter

Kim Schmidt Membership Recruiter and a licensed family home childcare provider for over 26. I have my CDA and the highest level of Demonstrating Quality. I look forward to getting to know and work with other licensed family and group home childcare providers.

Rula Khalil

Rula Khalil, BS

Rula Khalil is the owner of Blossom Daycare & Preschool, a licensed group home daycare in Macomb, MI, dedicated to providing a safe, nurturing, and educational environment for children. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Ohio State University and serves as an FCCN provider coach with ECOS supporting fellow home-based providers in Macomb. As a member of NAFCC, MIAEYC, FCCN and ECOS, Rula is deeply committed to advancing quality standards in early childhood education and ensuring that young learners have the foundation they need to thrive.

Board Memebers

Ola Saad
Board Member

A Michigan native, Ola Saad has a Master of Science in Administration: Leadership Degree from Central Michigan University. Saad is the proud daughter of two immigrant parents who instilled in her the importance of community service and giving back.

Saad is a compassionate advocate for human rights; including the rights of women, children, those who identify as males and LGBT+ with over a decade of experience in the profession of advocacy, domestic violence, sexual assault, and social justice. Saad directly works with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their families, as well as immigrants and refugees and their families. Saad is extremely passionate about ending oppression, which includes violence, exploitation, marginalization, and cultural colonization.

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Non-Discrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at:https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

  2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

  3. email: Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

12/09/2022

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