How KIN Came To Be
“When I had my son on April 4, 2020, we were in the thick of the lockdown, and I was placed on furlough by my employer. It turned out to be an unexpected blessing—I was able to stay home with him for his entire first year. When I was called back to work just after his first birthday, I felt overwhelmed by the idea of going back and finding full-time childcare.
Despite my years of experience as a nanny and working in childcare centers since I was 15, the decision to find the right care for my own child felt monumental. I started doing what many parents do—researching childcare centers and looking into nannies. But as I navigated this, I realized just how isolating and difficult this process could be, especially for postpartum parents on a tight timeline to return to work. It was eye-opening to see how every new mom is essentially reinventing the wheel on her own, trying to figure this out.
While I dream of better system-wide support for parents in the U.S., I knew I wanted to help where I could. I discovered that I loved interviewing caregivers and found I brought something unique to the process, having been on both sides of it. Even more, I realized that I was far more passionate about supporting other new moms than about my day job.
That’s what led me to start KIN. My hope is to use my experience to support families as they navigate the challenges of postpartum care and childcare. I’ve been there, and I want to help make that transition a little easier for other families.”
- Amy Dansker, Founder
Our Team
Amy Dansker - Founder
Amy was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and has called Santa Cruz home for over 15 years. From a young age, she was drawn to caregiving, working in childcare centers and as an in-home caregiver from the age of 15 through her early twenties. Now, as a full-time working mother to a wonderful four-year-old, Amy fully embraces the joys and challenges of parenthood.
Her passion for supporting postpartum parents stems from her own experiences. Having faced the complex and emotional journey of returning to the workforce and finding quality childcare, Amy is dedicated to helping other parents navigate this transition with care and confidence. She believes that finding childcare should feel like finding an extension of your family.
In her free time, Amy loves spending time with her husband, James, and their son, Otis, soaking up all the special moments that come with family life in Santa Cruz.
Camille Poritzky - Marketing & Business Development Consultant
Camille was raised in Santa Cruz and has always felt a deep connection to working with children ever since becoming a big sister which led to her first job as a babysitter. From there, she transitioned into long-term nanny roles, building relationships with families over months and years.
Camille pursued this passion at the University of Oregon, where she majored in Psychology with a focus on childhood development. During her undergraduate years, she gained hands-on experience through practicum and research, working with children aged 0-5 and their parents. After graduation, Camille worked at a women’s health and fertility center as a patient coordinator, where she helped provide care ranging from hormone consulting to fertility treatments and postpartum support. She also took on marketing responsibilities, creating valuable resources for the community and organizing informational events.
Currently, Camille is completing her master's degree in Marriage and Family Clinical Counseling and plans to pursue licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, getting outside, and spending time with friends and family, balancing her life between school, work, and internships.