Debbie and Elizabeth had a dream. Early Childhood Solutions is the creation of that dream. Together we have 60+ years of experience in the field of early childhood education. From infants to adults, we have worked with them all. Together we bring many skills to the table. Both are state-approved trainers in the Arkansas Professional Development Registry System. Both are past presidents of the Arkansas Early Childhood Association. Both of us have and are currently sitting on state task force initiatives. Both are verified Observers for the National Accreditation for Family Child Care’s National Accreditation Tool. Both are passionate about working with adults that work with children. Together they make for a dynamic, engaging, charismatic team of storytellers. Close your eyes take a deep breath, and sit with us awhile. Our hope is that we Inspire, Validate and Ignite Transformation in you.

Early Childhood Solutions offers traditional training and keynotes. What they are known for is a very distinctive kind of “Boutique Retreat Training” that starts a unique conversation with participants that will inspire them to be their authentic selves, validate who they are and where they are in that moment in their life, igniting transformation to be their best self on and off the job. We take an ordinary venue and turn it into an extraordinary space that, for the next 48 hours, sparks creativity and pushes us to be all we were created to be. At Early Childhood Solutions, we are bold and sometimes brazen but always ready to listen and support. When was the last time you truly felt part of a tribe... particularly a tribe of educators passionate about early childhood?

Till our paths cross and our journey begins,
Debbie and Elizabeth

Who We Are.

Meet the Team

  • Founder

    Debbie Mays is a former President of AECA and national keynote speaker. Debbie has been a family childcare provider for over thirty years and is currently the chairman of the Arkansas Early Childhood Commission. Debbie successfully manages an accreditation project through the University of Arkansas. Last year she helped nine family childcare providers obtain National Accreditation and is currently working with a cohort of ten new providers.

    Her latest endeavor is forming a company with Elizabeth Scudder and together they are helping providers find their identity in the classroom through boutique retreats and personalized training. “We can’t adequately meet the needs of children until our providers are more than surviving – we want them THRIVING! Let’s start with figuring out who we are. What is our teaching philosophy? How do our values drive our teaching philosophy? Early Childhood Solutions wants to help you do the hard work in a safe and beautiful setting.


  • Founder

    Elizabeth Scudder, M.Ed., is the co-founder of Early Childhood Solutions. An agency that works to provide both personal and professional development opportunities to early childhood providers, both in Arkansas and nationally.

    Elizabeth has extensive experience working with Family Child Care through her role as a Family Child Care Network Advisor. In that role, Elizabeth was responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating the impact of the Family Child Care Network across the state.

    Elizabeth has served in several capacities in the early childhood field from Infant Teacher to Preschool Master Teacher. Her administrative roles span from Site Director to Executive Director of a multi-site, multi-grant non-profit organization serving children Birth-5. Using her past experiences in administration, coaching, mentoring, training, teaching, supervising home visitors, classroom teaching staff, and working with family childcare providers in their homes, Elizabeth can understand the diverse needs in multiple settings. She has spent the past 30 years advocating for and serving the children and families of Arkansas.