Today we’d like to introduce you to Arielle Clopein.
Hi Arielle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story begins with personal experiences that have shaped who I am today. I am a person in long-term recovery. I say that first because none of the things I have in my life would have been possible without my recovery, so I make sure I stay very active in it. There was definitely a time where I lost that hope and really did not know what I wanted for my future or what I was going to do. However, from putting in the work on myself I have been able to build a beautiful life and find my purpose.
I started my career as a Baltimore City Public School teacher with a background in Elementary and Special Education. I have always had a passion for working with children – not just with teaching based on a curriculum but really building meaningful relationships with the kids and their families. I quickly realized just how important a child’s environment is, at home and at school, for them to be successful and happy. I thought that I would end up doing this work forever, but then I heard about this nonprofit, Evolve KidsCare, being created to support families in recovery from substance use disorder by providing free childcare. I knew immediately that I wanted to find a way to be involved. I began as Program Director part-time while still teaching full-time, but the more I worked in it, the more I realized it wasn’t just something I cared about — it was my passion. I left the school system in June of 2024 and began my role as the Executive Director at Evolve KidsCare.
Leaving the stability of my teaching career to start a whole new one in the nonprofit sector was a huge leap of faith. It required trust in myself and in the mission. But I knew this was the work I was meant to do.
The same year I came on full-time to Evolve KidsCare, I also became a mother. It changed me more than I could’ve expected and it made everything even more personal. I can now relate to how vulnerable parenting can be and how important it is to have support.
All of these experiences have shaped me to who I am today and helped me realize that I want to make an impact beyond just the classroom. This mission, supporting families in recovery and their children, is deeply personal to me. Being able to bring my lived experience and my professional experience together in one role feels like all the pieces of the puzzle coming together.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road. The biggest challenge for me is balance. As I mentioned before, my recovery comes first and it takes work. For me, I know that I need to continuously be involved in it and be intentional to be the best version of myself in all areas of my life. At the same time, I’m a wife, a new mom, working on my master’s degree, and working full-time. All of these things can demand a lot at once.
Becoming a mother was one of the greatest joys in my life, but it has also been a huge adjustment for me. Navigating postpartum struggles while still showing up in the other areas of my life made me learn how to give myself grace and realize how important it is to be supported. That is why this work, to support other families, means so much to me.
Stepping into this leadership role has its challenges too. We are a newer nonprofit with limited staffing, and it takes a lot of work to become sustainable long-term. We are growing rapidly, while trying to build stability too. However, the impact it has had on the families we serve is my “why” and my drive to keep going.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned through the challenges is that balance doesn’t mean perfection.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m the Executive Director of Evolve KidsCare, a nonprofit that supports families in recovery by providing free childcare so parents can attend meetings and work on their recovery while their children have a fun, safe place to be.
We specialize in removing a critical barrier to families — childcare. As I said before, recovery takes work and consistency matters. However, many families face challenges when it comes to consistency because of the lack of reliable, affordable childcare. Our model partners directly with the community to provide safe, reliable care where it’s needed most, and we’re expanding toward licensed drop-in services.
We have faced obstacles with this because nothing like us exists. But that is also what I am most proud of – creating something that never existed in this way before. What sets us apart is that we support families not just in treatment, but in all stages of their recovery to help them sustain it long-term. There are also several programs that serve mothers and children, but we make sure fathers have that support too.
Funding is definitely the biggest obstacle for us, as it is to many younger nonprofits. We have been able to secure grant funds through the county and state, as well as through some private foundations. But it really is our donors and sponsors that continue to support us and make sure our services stay free for all families.
At the core, we are committed to building something sustainable that changes outcomes for families long-term.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I’ve learned that mentorship doesn’t always mean that there is one specific person that guides you through everything. It certainly can be and there are a couple people I go to consistently for guidance, but sometimes it’s a collection of people who guide you in different ways.
For me, what’s worked best is asking many questions, being able to say that I don’t know sometimes, and being open to feedback. When I stepped into this leadership role, I learned quickly that I cannot do it alone and I do not have all the answers. Sara, our founder and president of our board, has always been my go-to person and has supported me, as well as all the other board members and the different experience and knowledge they bring to the organization. I have reached out to other nonprofit leaders and community leaders that have given me perspectives and guidance I never would have gotten on my own.
I also believe mentorship is built on genuineness. Networking isn’t just about giving people my business card – it’s about building relationships.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to finding mentors who align with my values, not just my goals on paper. Teaching and guiding someone who has a personal connection to what you do adds another layer on how meaningful those relationships are.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.evolvekidscare.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_evolvekidscare/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EvolveKidsCare/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/evolve-kidscare/
