Our Story

Our Executive Director, Meghann Carrasco, co-founded our umbrella nonprofit, Seedlings to Sunflowers Nonprofit Childcare & Family Center, in June 2018 with the belief that every child presented with the opportunity to belong, develop independence, cultivate generosity and master skills will develop a healthy sense of self, which will enhance their ability to succeed academically and socially. And with a vision to nurture and support children and the whole family, and thus our community. Five and half years later, and with a lot of love, hard work, and support, we opened a new, second school location at 3 Gorham Industrial Parkway and a few months after that, the adjacent Sunflower Community Playspace & Cafe! This space is an extension of our efforts to cultivate community, as we believe it truly does take a village when raising children.

Our mission is to provide a welcoming and engaging space for families, children, and community members of all backgrounds to come together and support each other during the early childhood phase of life.

Our focus is on childhood development, parent support, and education for children, the community and early childhood educators. We hope everyone can use this space as a soft place to land. We welcome you all with open arms…and coffee (or tea!).

Meet Meghann Carrasco

Executive Director

Meghann is the Executive Director and oversees both Seedlings to Sunflowers Nonprofit Childcare & Family Center and nonprofit Sunflower Community Playspace & Cafe. She was a leader in developing the Public Pre-K Toolkit for programs across the State of Maine and one of the first Public Pre-K partners for the town of Gorham. Meghann was named as one of 20 Outstanding Early Childhood Leaders, Advocates, and Change Makers in the State of Maine by the MaineAEYC in 2024. She sits on the MaineAEYC’s Public Policy Committee and regularly testifies on legislative bills that affect early childhood learners, families, and teachers. She’s dedicated to working with the State and Department of Education to move public access to Pre-K forward. Meghann shares a home in Westbrook, Maine with her husband, Donny, their two boys, Isa & Luca and their dog, Oskar.

Meet Alicia Ross

Playspace & Cafe Manager

My name is Alicia and I’m thrilled to be the manager of Sunflower Community Playspace & Cafe! I’ve been with the Seedlings to Sunflowers Organization since November 2018 as a teacher, and I watched my youngest son go from Nursery 1 all the way to a Pre-K graduate, and now he’s in 2nd grade! Working as the Playspace & Cafe Manager combines my love of children and watching them learn and grow, with my love of parties and event planning. I really get to tap into my creativity, which I absolutely love! When I’m not working I enjoy spending time with my two boys Noah and Ezra, and we like hiking with our chocolate lab, Gracie. Follow us to learn about all the new and exciting events we’ll be hosting at the playpace!

Meet Shantanu Mayfield

Playspace & Cafe Attendant

Hi, I’m Shantanu. I joined the playspace because I enjoy the lively environment and helping create a welcoming spot for families. You’ll usually find me running the café and making sure everyone has something good to eat or drink while the kids burn off their endless energy. Outside of work, I enjoy learning new things, watching a good movie, or going down the occasional rabbit hole that started with one simple question. I’m always up for trying different foods, especially anything flavorful and well-spiced.

Meet Lauren Jacobs

Playspace & Cafe Attendant

My name is Lauren Jacobs, I am a sophomore in High School. I have been working around children for a while now, my mom has worked in daycare since I was 1 years old! I was lucky enough to be in the same school as my mom until I went to Kindergarten! Having spent a lot of time around kids since a young age, it has brought me so much joy, and I couldn’t have been more excited to join the Sunflower Playspace Cafe team!
When I am not at work or school I love to spend time hiking, camping and exploring nature in our state. In school I am super passionate about learning history and science programming. Next year, I will attend WRVC for medical programming, and I couldn’t be more excited. My goal is to become a nurse when I complete school.

Meet Caitlin Diggles

Marketing Coordinator

Caitlin is the Development Coordinator for Seedlings to Sunflowers and Sunflower Community Playspace & Cafe. She has an extensive background in online marketing from account management, brand and media consulting, website and graphic design, and social media marketing. She also has editorial experience with online magazines, photo shoot design and styling.

Caitlin creates & manages Seedlings to Sunflowers’ and Sunflower Community Playspace & Cafe’s social media presence, newsletters, website, and marketing materials. She also oversees fundraising, grant efforts, and assists with special projects. Her role has filled her bucket as it has married her marketing skills with her passion for giving back.

Being a part of a non-profit dedicated to cultivating a lifelong commitment to positive educational experiences for children, is an amazing honor. She is thrilled to work alongside caring, creative, intelligent and passionate individuals whose mission is to help carry out the vision of this wonderful, innovative school. Caitlin has been with our organization since opening in 2018 and is overjoyed to have her daughter and son attending a school where they thrive and where her family feels supported by their loving community!

Meet Sara Bernardo

Playspace & Cafe Attendant

I grew up in south eastern Massachusetts where I spent most of my time working at coffee and smoothie shops until I had my daughter. We traveled around in a tiny house with her father for about 3-4 years until we settled where we are now in southern Maine. Since then I’ve mostly worked on farms. I am now a parent to two children and it has been the most impactful and evolutionary journey I’ve gotten the pleasure to experience. This is my first time working in childcare but I am a seasoned café employee and am loving both positions. I get to fill in as a Floating Teacher at Seedlings to Sunflowers and enjoy my Playspace and Cafe Attendant position here at the Playspace!  I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to work with and be a part of this amazing and devoted team an organization and I look forward to all the ventures to come.