Shara Chang, Champions Luncheon Co-Chair

Shara Chang, co-chair of our 2019 Child Care Champions Luncheon, hails from Canada and is an accomplished financial services, technology and privacy attorney. First introduced to Children’s Council last year at our annual luncheon, she now serves on our board of directors as Secretary.

When Shara relocated to the Bay Area, she was looking to get involved with an organization that supported women and families – in line with her past experiences mentoring young women and volunteering as a pro bono guardian ad litem for youth.

As a new mother who had just returned to the workforce after navigating the challenges of securing child care, she was moved by the people she met and learned about at our luncheon. The loving, multi-generational care showcased by Margie Stokes, our 2018 Child Care Provider Champion, was especially touching for her.

“Figuring out child care was the most stressful part of being a new mom,” she says, “How do you find someone you can entrust your child to for eight hours a day?”

Now, as a co-chair of one of Children’s Council’s most important events, Shara remains devoted to increasing accessibility to child care for all. She understands firsthand that child care is the lynchpin that keeps mothers in the workplace, helping them succeed as parents and employees. She wants to make sure that, at the societal level, families have the resources they need to thrive.

She says, “In Canada, families are provided up to 18 months of maternity leave. Contrast that with the U.S., where mothers so often have to make a choice between being a mom or continuing their career.”

Shara’s goal for her work with Children’s Council is to help families secure the same type of child care that she received, and with it, ensure that all children receive the quality early education they need to thrive.

Join us on Friday, May 10 2019 at the Four Seasons Hotel for our annual Child Care Champions Luncheon.