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 Teresa “Mama T” Jaynes

Playspace & Cafe Director

Teresa (Mama T as we all call her) has been with Seedlings to Sunflowers since October of 2018. She comes from a background in business with a degree in small business management, most recently overseeing the bookkeeping, ordering, and overall office operations for our schools. Teresa is beyond excited to be moving into her new role as Director of our Playspace & Cafe and is eager to share our beautiful space and Sunflower Community spirit with the public. In her free time, Teresa enjoys feeding people, being outside with her family, and anything involving music. She resides in Windham with her husband, Joe, her 2 sons, Sam & Rowan, and their dogs, Maggie Mae and Rigby.

Meet Isabella Jones

Playspace & Cafe Attendant

Isabella graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a degree in media production. She has been a radio DJ and a video editor, and is currently on her church’s audio video team. She’s new to the team and loves being apart of the playspace community!

Meet Caitlin Diggles

Development 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 Alicia Ross

Birthday Host & Cafe Attendant

Miss Alicia has been at Seedlings to Sunflowers since November 2019. She is the Assistant Director at our South Gorham Crossing Location and on Sundays, you will find her hosting birthday parties at Sunflower Community Playspace & Cafe. Alicia graduated from USM in 2009 with an English Degree. While she attended USM, Alicia took several education classes and volunteered in classrooms ranging from Head Start to 3rd grade. Working with children is Alicia’s passion and she always makes it a point to know every child in our school and be a set of ears if someone needs to talk and arms to help. On the weekends, Alicia likes to go on hikes around Maine and New Hampshire with her two sons, Noah and Ezra, and their puppy, Gracie.

Meet Lisa Heidel

Baker & Arts & Science Educator

Lisa is our resident baker extraordinaire by evening and our Arts & Science Teacher at Seedlings to Sunflowers by day. She has over 16 years of experience as a Special Education teacher and has been at Seedlings to Sunflowers since June 2020. She has her Behavior Health Professional and Ed. Tech Certifications. Lisa is very creative and loves doing fun and messy projects with her students. She has always enjoyed working with children and seeing their curiosity for everything. Lisa resides in Portland and in her spare time, she loves to travel, bake, cook, read, and spend time with her 3 kids.

Meet Emma Clark

Birthday Host & Cafe Attendant

I am a senior at the University of New England, where I will earn my bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in art therapy. I am also a worship leader at my local church. I love being a part of the Sunflower Community Playspace & Cafe because I work with such an awesome team, and I love learning how to make new drinks!

Thank you to our sponsor!