Influential Woman · Daycare/Child Care
Kizzy JamesBeiard
Daycare Owner, --
Oklahoma City, OK
Her Story
About Kizzy
I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, where I ran a home daycare before Hurricane Katrina changed everything. In 2005, I relocated to Oklahoma due to the hurricane, and a year later, I started another home daycare in Norman. It was incredibly difficult at first because people didn't know me and were hesitant to trust an evacuee with their children. But I persevered and got my business out of the mud, building my reputation one family at a time. What sets me apart is that I specialize in accepting kids that other daycares do not accept, particularly children with special needs and those on the spectrum. I don't turn down any kids. In 26 years of doing daycare, I've only had to terminate one child, and that was for the safety of other children. Today, Surely Angels Daycare Center in Norman, Oklahoma is a 4-star facility that received the best reviews in Norman in 2025. We recently relocated to a new building that can accept up to 60 kids and features a specialized common area for children with spectrum needs where they can go if they're having a meltdown or just need time alone. I'm currently working on adding another spectrum space with features like rock climbing to maximize support for these children. My mission is to make every child feel wanted, loved, and accepted, and to show other daycares the negative effect they cause when they turn away children with special needs. Even while dealing with Stage 3 kidney disease and receiving infusion treatments twice a week, I continue to run my business with the help of additional teachers, because this work is my calling and I do it by God's grace.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kizzy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to God's grace first and foremost. When I came to Oklahoma from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, no one knew me and people weren't interested in knowing about me because we were called evacuees. They questioned why they would send their child to someone who was just homeless from a hurricane. But I got it out of the mud and put my name out there, letting them know without a doubt that I wasn't going to stop. I went after my dream and didn't let anyone stop me from my goals. I didn't worry about the competition or what I had in my bank account. I took my faith and maximized it. I'm a faith-based woman, and with faith, I was able to build what I have today. All I can say is it's amazing that God made it this way, because I do know how I can do what I do every day, and it's by His grace.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is to start and never give up. Maximize the moment. A lot of people will be looking at the competition, looking at other daycares on this corner or that house, but what I advise any young lady to do is to go after their goal, go after their dream. Let them know a dream without a deadline is just a dream, and a goal without a deadline is just a dream. Set the goal and maximize it. They can't always look at 'I don't have the finances to start this' or 'I don't have that to start that.' I am a faith-based woman, and with faith, they can do it. I came from a city and state, from New Orleans, Louisiana, to somewhere that no one knew anything about me, and when I got here, they wasn't interested in knowing about me because we was called evacuees. I got it out of the mud, put a name out there for myself, and let them know without a doubt that I'm not gonna stop. You have to go out there and don't let no one stop you from your dreams and goals. You're gonna have competition, but don't worry about the competition. Put your all into it and put your best foot forward, and the best is yet to come. You can't always look at what you have in your bank account. Take your faith and maximize it.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field right now is that other daycares don't realize the negative effect they cause when they tell parents with kids who have special needs that they can't accept their children because of this problem or that problem. Every kid that has a diagnosis is not a bad kid, and it's not a kid that cannot get the help they need with the love and attention and be successful kids. My goal in the next five years is to make sure other daycares realize this impact. The opportunity I see is in creating specialized spaces for children with spectrum needs. I'm working on adding another room with features like rock climbing to maximize the spectrum area, so these kids can feel wanted, loved, and accepted. We have to look at their actions because their actions tell us what they're thinking, and we need to provide environments where they won't feel like they're not accepted.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important values to me are acceptance, love, and making sure every child feels wanted. I believe that every kid deserves a chance, which is why I don't turn down any children, especially those with special needs that other daycares reject. Faith is central to everything I do. I'm a faith-based woman, and I do what I do by God's grace. Family is also incredibly important to me. I've been raising kids since I was young, and I have what I call my 'litters' of daughters. Even though only one is biologically mine, all five of my daughters are my kids, and I don't like to share which one is biological because they're all mine. Being a giver is part of who I am, though I'm learning to also accept help, especially now with my health challenges. I want to be that lifeline for the children in my care and show my daughters what a strong woman looks like. Another value is perseverance and never giving up, no matter how hard things get.
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