2021 Family Helper of the Year
Maria Tosto
Maria was born and raised in Colombia and has lived in the U.S. for over 30 years. She has an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts and a Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science.
Shortly after her arrival in the U.S. Maria began working at a Montessori school. She was naturally drawn to working with children and considered becoming an elementary school teacher. However, she decided working one-on-one with a child was her passion and began the transition to becoming a private nanny.
Maria enjoys working as a professional nanny and hopes to continue this path for many more years to come. She understands the importance of educating and nurturing children, as well as looking out for their well-being and safety, and recognizing and encouraging their natural capabilities. At the same time, she provides a balance of fun and joy for a child. She also understands the importance of accommodating busy parents who are juggling work schedules and parenthood, and provides flexibility and support to them.
Maria feels extremely fortunate to have worked for wonderful families throughout the years. Families who made her feel like she was an extended family member, and she has fond memories of them all. She enjoys watching children grow and accomplish their developmental milestones. Maria finds her profession very rewarding. She also has a love for animals and helping to care for a family pet is a perk for her.
Mrs. J., Maria’s current employer, describes her as “fantastic and a critical part of our family. She is incredibly warm, caring and patient. She consistently goes above and beyond to make sure that our son is happy and continuously learning and developing.”
“Maria is always willing to help us problem solve and think through ways to care for our son as he grows, and his personality develops. One of the best traits about Maria is how knowledgeable she is with child development. She is always thinking outside of the box and comes up with amazing activities for our son. She is very accommodating with her schedule and our very demanding jobs. Maria is always willing to be flexible if needed. She is such a fixture in our family unit, and we are so lucky to have her.”
“Maria is so considerate, thoughtful, and creative with meals for our son who has experienced some food allergies. She helped with transitioning our son from sitting up, to crawling, and pulling himself up to stand. She is so patient with him and always comes up with fun activities to help him stay engaged while working on important developmental steps. We can’t fathom not having her in our son’s life!”