Millie Carbajal
Safe, high-quality childcare in the Bronx that supports a child's development while giving parents the flexibility and support they need to move forward in their own lives.
The Spark
Millie Carbajal founded M&M 24-Hr Daycare in the Bronx in 2010 with a belief that continues to guide her work today: families deserve access to safe, high-quality childcare that supports a child's development while giving parents the flexibility and support they need to move forward in their own lives.
Millie recognized early on that traditional childcare hours did not reflect the realities of many Bronx families. Parents working evenings, overnight shifts, weekends, or unpredictable schedules needed dependable care for their children. But the need extended far beyond work schedules. For some parents, flexible childcare means being able to return to school, pursue a degree or certification, accept a promotion, work additional hours, or take advantage of an opportunity that might otherwise be out of reach. For others, it can mean something equally important: an additional hour to decompress after work, take care of a personal responsibility, or simply reset before transitioning back into the demands of home and parenting.
Millie believes supporting children also means recognizing the needs of the people raising them. When children have a safe, nurturing environment where they can learn and thrive, parents can have the confidence, flexibility, and breathing room they need to care for themselves, pursue their goals, and strengthen their families.
“The early years are the foundation for lifelong success.”
The Daycare
More than 15 years later, that understanding continues to shape Millie's work in early childhood education, entrepreneurship, community service, and advocacy. She has expanded her work beyond the original M&M 24-Hr Daycare program: her early childhood leadership includes M&M 2nd Edition, M&M Preparatory, and collaborative partnerships with other childcare programs, including M&M Academy through Scholars Path.
Through Scholars Path, Millie works alongside childcare providers and entrepreneurs, sharing the operational knowledge and experience she has developed over more than 15 years in the field. Her goal is not simply to grow her own programs, but to contribute to a stronger and more sustainable childcare ecosystem throughout the Bronx.
Forged in Challenge
When the pandemic hit, a 24-hour daycare could not simply close. Many of M&M's parents were essential workers, and Millie kept their children cared for through the hardest stretch of 2020. Then she went further: that same year she purchased her first building, giving M&M a permanent home and room to keep expanding on its own terms.
She is candid about not doing it alone. "Mentoring is the most valuable resource I have received," she has said of the nonprofit loan fund WEALF, which backed her early expansion into evening care.
The Vision Ahead
Most recently, Millie has expanded her civic and educational leadership through her appointment to Bronx Community Board 4, her service on the Board of AECI, and her role as a Director of CEA. For Millie, having a seat at these tables is about more than leadership: it is about representation. Her continued mission is to advocate for access to high-quality childcare and education while ensuring that the realities of families and early childhood providers are considered when educational and community decisions are being made in the Bronx.
As President of Cultivate, a Bronx-based nonprofit, Millie helps advance initiatives centered on community connection, empowerment, wellness, leadership development, education, and economic opportunity, from community food and pantry initiatives to family-centered programming and wellness and public-health partnerships.
Across each of these roles, the common thread in Millie's work is access, rooted in the belief that people should not have to give up opportunities because the support system they need does not exist.