The WELL Community for Women wins Gold WINGS Award for child care model

The San Diego nonprofit was honored at TOOTRiS' 2026 WINGS Summit for combining shared workspace, on-site child care and community support for mothers. The award spotlights a model now being licensed for expansion to other states as demand grows for flexible child care options.

Why it matters: - The WELL Community for Women is turning a local child care and workspace model into a template other communities can use. - The award highlights a growing push for child care options that fit working parents' schedules and keep families connected. - The new licensing business could help expand the model beyond San Diego and into more states.

What happened: - The WELL Community for Women earned the Gold WINGS Award at the 2026 TOOTRiS WINGS Summit in San Diego. - Founder Kara Lee accepted the award in front of about 300 child care leaders and industry partners. - The summit ran Sept. 14-16 at the Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa. - TOOTRiS said the event brought together leaders from more than 40 states and Washington, D.C.

The details: - The WELL Community for Women was founded in 2018 as a nonprofit for mothers who want to work while their children receive care nearby. - The San Diego site uses shared workspace, on-site child care and community support in one location. - Mothers can look into the baby room through a window, take breaks to nurse or rock their children, and share lunch with their children and other families. - Lee told attendees, “Proximity gives them the ability to do both things at the same time.” - The San Diego location operates with license-exempt child care under an exemption that applies when parents remain on site. - The WELL also offers classes, support groups and nonprofit partnerships that provide scholarships and resources. - Partner organizations serve families including military spouses, survivors of human trafficking and mothers of children with special needs. - The organization reports serving more than 500 families since opening and says parent satisfaction is 97%. - Lee and her husband have launched The WELL Communities, a separate business that will license the model for other operators. - Each licensed location will be independently operated and responsible for meeting its own state's child care rules, including whether it qualifies for an exemption or needs a facility license. - Licenses are not yet available in California, Illinois or New York. - Lee said, “We really believe these need to be in every city in America.” - Alessandra Lezama, CEO of TOOTRiS, said the award recognizes Kara and The WELL Communities for expanding choices for families. - TOOTRiS said the WINGS Awards recognized solutions already being put into practice. - Six finalists from nationwide applications each gave seven-minute presentations before attendees voted on the winners. - More than $10,000 in funding and support was distributed across the program.

Between the lines: - The award suggests child care is moving beyond traditional centers toward hybrid models tied to workspaces, community support and parent presence. - The licensing strategy points to a broader business opportunity if state-by-state rules can be navigated. - TOOTRiS framed the win as part of a wider effort to give families more than one child care path.

What's next: - The WELL Communities will try to license the model for expansion into additional cities and states. - The company will need to match the model to each state's child care requirements before new locations can open. - Interest may be strongest in states where licenses are not yet available, including California, Illinois and New York.

The bottom line: - The WELL Community for Women is being recognized not just for serving families in San Diego, but for packaging that approach into a model that could scale.