Stephanie Tudor

Helping People Meet Their Needs

Many of the skills Stephanie Tudor honed over 12 years as a geriatric nurse transferred easily to her new life as owner of Rays of Sunshine Licensed Childcare. Both occupations involve keeping things on schedule and nurturing others - young or old.

In 2006, with five years' experience as a small-business owner, Tudor will expand the services she offers to families when she opens her preschool-curriculum daycare. "It's amazing how the Lord uses you if you let Him," she says.

It began with the birth of her second child and her need to be a full-time mother. Unwilling to sacrifice her family's standard of living, she needed a way to stay home with her child and generate income at the same time. "Let your needs be known and the Lord provides," says Tudor.

Starting small, with the children of fellow church members, friends and family, Tudor's business grew through word of mouth until, in the fall of 2003, she moved it to its current location next door to her church, Bethany Missionary Baptist Church. "This is more of a ministry," she says. "It's a business, but it's more about helping people meet their needs." With one part-time and two full-time employees, Rays of Sunshine cares for 16 children during the day and five to six children from 6 p.m. to midnight.

Tudor feels her special mission is to help teen mothers and has contracted with Indianapolis Public Schools to provide childcare for their Teen Mom program. It works well with her "wholistic" philosophy, that by working with "whole families," you can build a foundation for "whole lives," she says.

BOI came into her life in answer to her need for help with the business end of her venture. "It helped me identify my weaknesses - such as bookkeeping - and to target my population," Tudor says. A graduate of BOI's Business Beginnings course, Tudor also found help in developing her business plan.

Currently working to complete her Associate's degree in Early Childhood Development at Ivy Tech, Tudor aims to nurture young minds. "All children can shine," Tudor says. She wants her little rays of sunshine to be prepared both to succeed in school - academically and socially, and to seek their purpose in life. "Everyone's life has a purpose," she says, "and it's not to be in bondage to history."