Our Dedicated Team
Meet Our Certified Staff
Sienna Bogart
Director
With over 10 years of experience and as a graduate of LBCC’s Children and Family Studies program, Sienna became the Director of The Children’s Place Childcare in 2018. She brings a deep commitment to the overall health and well-being of The Children's Place families and leads with care, compassion, and intention. Sienna is passionate about supporting and nurturing the children, families, and staff of TCP, fostering a space where everyone feels valued, supported, welcomed, and truly at home.
Erin Banuelos
Assistant Director
Erin has been working in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education since 2000. Her roles have included classroom teaching as well as serving as the director of a center she founded. She is passionate about creating a loving, nurturing environment where young children feel safe, supported, and encouraged as their brains grow and develop during these crucial early years. Dedicated to supporting children at all levels, she is deeply committed to helping them receive the tools they, and their families, need to thrive and be successful.
Julia Simonds
Lead Infant Teacher
Julia has over 7 years of experience working with children, with a special focus on infant care. She finds joy in helping children reach developmental milestones, creating a safe and loving environment, and watching their personalities blossom over time. Building trusting relationships with both children and their families is especially important to her, and she adores being a supportive part of each family's journey. Watching children grow, knowing she played a role in their early experience, is what makes this work meaningful to her.
Jadyn Bellis
Lead Wobbler 1 Teacher
Jadyn has had a passion for working with the youth for as long as she can remember. She brings 10 years of experience in a professional setting, along with in-home care as well. Understanding a child's personality and helping them show their truest potential is something that has always brought her joy. She loves to have fun and get minds exploring! She uses a hands-on nurturing type of teaching style, because she believes curiosity and play are one of the best ways to learn! Working directly with families and helping children with their successful growth and development is something she will always take pride in. Within her professional role, Jadyn understands her responsibility to a lifetime of growing and learning, as it is her duty to provide developmentally and culturally appropriate teaching strategies and techniques.
Taylor Bellis
Lead Wobbler Teacher
Born and raised here in Albany, Oregon, Taylor has a Bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Science and has been working in child development since 2014. She feels incredibly thankful for the opportunity to work with both children and their families, in supporting child growth, meeting individual needs, and helping them achieve important developmental milestones in a nurturing and safe environment.
Sheri Morris
Lead Toddler Teacher
Sheri ran her own in-home daycare for 15 years and has been teaching at UPC for the last 13 years. She is known for staying calm in busy, energetic classroom moments. She is passionate about speaking to children in a positive, respectful way and believes that consistency and follow-through help build trust. She strives to create a safe, nurturing environment that supports each child's growth and confidence.
Tarryn Scroggins
Lead Preschool Teacher
Tarryn came to the Children's Place with little experience in the field but once she started, she found herself in love with playing and engaging with the children. She quickly found that her calm collected demeanor was the perfect match for the preschool chaos. Her main focus is laying the foundation and support of the social emotional development of our preschool room. Fascinated by the way their little minds work, she continues with her own education and training to further her understanding of child development.
Lindsey Sonne
Lead Pre K Teacher
Lindsey is our Pre K teacher powered by coffee, creativity, and 80's music. She has had the privilege to be with The Children's Place since 2007. She loves helping little learners grow, especially in their social and emotional skills. When young children can name their feelings, calm their bodies, and work through problems, academics become so much more accessible. Self regulation is a superpower at any age! Lindsey believes she helps set the foundation for future learning. Her classroom runs on kindness, music, and at least one cup of coffee she forgot where she put.
Valerie Jones
Spanish Teacher
Ms Val holds a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education/Bilingual Education and a master's degree in Curriculum with an emphasis on multi-sensory learning. She taught K-2 classes in a dual immersion program in Colorado for 28 years and helped start the same type of program at South Shore Elementary, here in Albany. She has worked in a variety of preschool settings for the last 10 years, but The Children's Place is her favorite place to be. She loves introducing a second language to children and seeing them flourish! She uses literature, music, games, and art to present new vocabulary every month. She is now studying Italian, maybe that will be next!
Angie Nelson
Cook & Admin Support
Meet Angie, the kitchen wizard at The Children's Place. Angie has been whipping up magic in the kitchen since she was a young girl. She has spent the last 30 years exploring the food industry from restaurants to catering and cooking for friends of all ages.
Angie's super power?? Making sure every meal is cooked from scratch with lots of love.
Angie loves being part of TCP and can't wait to cook up your next meal!!