Author: Cindy Lehnhoff

Cindy Lehnhoff has been a leader in the child care industry for nearly 40 years, with extensive experience in early childhood education, accreditation, and advocacy. She began her career in 1980 as a Preschool Teacher for La Petite Academy (LPA) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Over the next 36 years, she advanced through multiple leadership roles, including Center Director, District Manager, Division Director, and ultimately Division Vice President for Learning Care Group (LCG), overseeing operations across 12 states. She retired from LCG in 2016 as Division Vice President for Georgia, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, and Oklahoma. Cindy has a deep passion for improving the quality of early care and education. She played a key role in guiding numerous child care centers through state Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) and national accreditation processes. Under her leadership, over 100 centers achieved accreditation from the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA). Her commitment to advocacy and policy is evident through her long-standing involvement with several national and state organizations. She has served on the boards of: Oklahoma Child Care Association (1995-2009) Governor's Advisory Board in Oklahoma (2000-2009) National Child Care Association (NCCA) (1995-2000; 2019-present) National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) (2001-present) Frog Street's Early Childhood Curriculum Advisory Board (2022-present) The Compliance Alliance Advisory Board (2024-2025) Since August 2019, Cindy has served as the Director of the National Child Care Association, where she has been instrumental in revitalizing its advocacy efforts on behalf of child care owners, providers, and educators. Additionally, she continues to serve as a Policy Advisor for NECPA, furthering her mission to elevate early childhood education standards nationwide.