Kate MacCrimmon

Building Better Child Care With Inspiration From Denmark

I give presentations about the Danish system for family child care, and am available for one-on-one consulting, large or small group workshops, facilitation, research, speaking engagements, and more.

I am a former family child care provider with decades of experience in care work. I grew up in a family child care home, and learned from the start how to nurture and care for others. During graduate school, I studied the Danish language and conducted a year-long research project in Denmark with publicly supported family child care providers. I accomplished my goal of learning about and experiencing one of the most amazing family child care systems in the world, so now I want to share all that I have learned! I bring fresh ideas, international policy solutions, and perspectives to inspire better early childhood systems that enable everyone to thrive. 

Read more here: CV.

About Me

Kate smiling while seated on Danish sea dock.
Kate MacCrimmon childcare researcher working at her desk
Kate as child care provider in the past
Kate bicycling in Denmark

What I Aim For

I aim to help people, communities, towns, and cities build sustainable, accessible, and affordable child care systems with inspiration from Denmark through research, education, and advocacy.

What I Believe In

I believe the best solutions are reached collectively, and that when we support family child care providers, we strengthen children, families, and communities across urban, rural, and suburban areas.

Kate smiling with Danish childcare provider.
Childcare facility play area
Danish strollers with children in them lined up outside.
Kate MacCrimmon smiling with Danish childcare provider.
Kate MacCrimmon office in Denmark visit.
Kate MacCrimmon smiling with Denmark colleagues celebrating with chocolate cake.

  • “Working with Kate helped me feel more confident and clear at a time when I really needed grounding. She brings wisdom, warmth, and a rare kind of attentiveness.”

    Natalie
    Wisconsin family child care provider,
    One-to-one coaching client

  • “Kate worked together with dagplejerne [Danish family child care providers] to learn about our system and to bring these ideas to the U.S. Since Kate has done this work herself, she was respectful and demonstrated great commitment. I am delighted that she is sharing her learning with other dagplerer [family child care providers]."

    Merete
    Daglig Pædagogisk Leder [Director of Pedagogy],
    Danish research participant

  • "Kate came to study the Danish dagplejer [family child care providers] to learn how we built a system that works for everyone. Her research is more important than ever for those outside of Denmark to create systems that work for all children."

    Ole Henrik Hansen
    Professor at CHILD Research Unit, Jönköping University, Sweden,
    Research supervisor

Researcher

As a qualitative researcher, I have worked with a variety of nonprofits and conducted qualitative interviews with child care providers, parents, and community members in multiple contexts, including Denmark’s early childhood system, UW-Madison’s Co-Create, and Kids Forward. I hold a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My findings from my research in Denmark will be featured in my current book-monograph-in-progress. This book will highlight my story as a Wisconsin family child care provider, but will weave in the stories of other Wisconsin and U.S. providers, as well as Danish providers, to spark new innovations and excitement about a beautiful, but long undervalued profession.

Publications

eye glasses and pen on notebook
open book collage
notebook with pen and highlighter
Danish prams lined up

Educator

As an educator, I have coached and mentored family child care providers one-on-one and in large groups, supporting them to be the best they can be in their work. I provide thought partnership, strategic planning, goal setting, and ideas to improve business practices. I have created, facilitated, and implemented a wide variety of professional development opportunities for family child care providers. Providing reflective space to think critically about the important work they do is vital to providers’ growth. I also work with parents who are looking for child care, need advice on what to look for, and how to establish a positive working relationship with their provider.

Kate MacCrimmon hosting outing
Childcare open work space facility
Danish childcare facility cubby section
Children reading books

Advocate

I am a member of Wisconsin Early Childhood Action Needed (WECAN), a 100% grassroots group of mainly child care providers throughout Wisconsin. I attend organizer trainings and events and assist with rallies, protests, and strategy to advance the early childhood profession and system with Community Change, Child Care Changemakers, and other regular partners.

Children playing in a sandbox
Celebratory chocolate cake with Danish flag sticking in it
Children gathering pinata candy
Children chatting in the sun

Current Projects

  • Danish Knowledge Exchange Program

    Danish Knowledge Exchange Program

    I work in collaboration with Kathy Pomer at Gather Round and Natalie Bronosky of the International Knowledge Exchange. We will take a delegation of U.S. experts and providers to experience the Danish early childhood system in Spring 2026.

  • International Critical Childhood Policy Studies Journal

    Editorial team, International Critical Childhood Policy Studies Journal

    This special issue will be focused on current challenges, trends, and possibilities for the international early childhood field, with a tentative publication date for Fall 2026.

Book Me

Contact me if you want to collaborate, consult, or speak to your organization! Let me know how I can support you to reach your goals for yourself or for your community. I look forward to working with you!