Safia, an Afghan refugee, is navigating the challenges of adapting to life in Houston while pursuing her dream of working in childcare after fleeing the Taliban’s regime.
Safia is one of the 50,500 Afghan refugees who have been admitted to the United States through the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. This initiative was established by Congress to assist Afghans who worked for the U.S. government abroad. A college-educated math teacher, Safia is currently not licensed to teach in the United States. To facilitate her transition, she applied for a childcare training and licensing class at the ECDC – Houston Multicultural Center.
“In order to speed up this self-sufficiency goal, it takes everyone in the household working,” said Earlene Leverett, the program’s former manager. She emphasized the growing recognition among employers of the critical role childcare plays in the economy. “Businesses have jobs, they need employees to fill those jobs, those employees need childcare.”
Safia’s family enjoyed a stable life in Afghanistan. She earned a college degree and taught math at an elementary school in Kabul, while her husband worked as an electrical engineer. Together, they raised three children. However, their lives took a perilous turn when the Taliban regained control of the Afghan government in 2021. Her husband, who had worked for 17 years with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), found himself on a death list, putting his entire family at risk.
Eventually, Safia’s family found refuge in Houston. Although they are safe, they now face economic challenges. The process of obtaining licensure to work in their respective professions in the U.S. can take years. Currently, her husband is employed at a lower-level job in an electronics company, while Safia has found only a low-paying position as a helper at a childcare center located far from their home. Without reliable transportation, her commute has become a significant barrier.
“I worked one year in pre-K in Afghanistan,” Safia shared. “I love working with children.” She discovered a free childcare training and licensing class at the ECDC – Houston Multicultural Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting refugees and immigrants. However, due to current funding requirements, the course is only available to Afghan refugees who arrived in the United States between 2021 and 2023. Unfortunately, Safia arrived in 2024.
Earlene Leverett, who managed the ECDC childcare training program for a decade, has witnessed the transformative impact this initiative can have, not only for refugees but also for the wider community. “Childcare is in crisis,” she noted. “Employers are finally realizing the impact that childcare has on the economy.”
During her tenure, Leverett estimates that between 350 to 400 immigrants graduated from the one-year program. Many of these graduates went on to establish their own childcare businesses, creating much-needed options for parents who might otherwise struggle to find care. Others secured employment at existing daycare centers, which often face challenges in expanding due to staffing shortages.
Leverett believes this initiative benefits everyone involved. Parents who are already at home with young children, often mothers, can significantly contribute to household income. Additionally, other mothers seeking employment may prefer childcare providers who share a similar cultural background. Employers, particularly in sectors heavily reliant on immigrant labor such as hospitality and healthcare, can access the workforce they need.
The U.S. government provides some initial financial assistance to refugees upon their arrival, but this support is temporary and quickly diminishes. Nonprofits and other organizations step in to offer language classes and job training, with the goal of enabling refugees to become self-sufficient within six months.
“In order to speed up this self-sufficiency goal, it takes everyone in the household working,” Leverett reiterated. “When there is no childcare available to the employees, it becomes a huge economic issue.”
Leverett, who operated her own daycare centers in Texas for 16 years, noted that immigrants have historically played a significant role in the childcare industry as employees.
Training refugees like Safia to obtain childcare licenses has proven effective, according to Leverett. “We saw the difference it made in the community. Employment was one of the key needs.”
Currently, Safia is focused on improving her English skills and searching for an affordable program that will help her obtain a license to open her own childcare facility. “I like children, I’m patient with children,” she expressed. “I really want to improve in this field and work with children.”
As Safia continues her journey, her story highlights the broader challenges and opportunities faced by Afghan refugees in the United States, particularly in the context of the ongoing childcare crisis.
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