Owner & Operator of The Nest
Aidn’s extremely fortunate life path led him from Hampshire College, where he planned to study educational philosophy, into a classroom at the Hampshire College Early Learning Center working with infants. They never looked back. After graduating from Hampshire in 2019 with a BA in Early Childhood Education and from Concordia University-Portland the following year with an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction: ECE, he spent four years working in a mixed-age group of infants and toddlers before being offered the opportunity to open an infant classroom within an existing preschool. Because of the instability of funding in the early childhood field, he found himself without a job within two years and desperate to keep helping families and their children.
That’s when the idea was born- The Nest, a small business that would provide critical and gap-filling care for the families of young children. The goal is, and has always been, to offer knowledge and support for families (especially those with access barriers to care, respite, and the ability to thrive) in preparing for a child to enter their life, advocating for themselves and their children through the birth or adoption process, and through those critical first years where sleep and alone time are lacking. Though The Nest is beginning primarily with daytime care and in-home overnights with young infants, we hope to eventually expand to providing full spectrum doula services, sleep consulting, and babywearing training.
As a biracial, queer/trans, and disabled educator of an age group that is often overlooked, Aidn prioritizes creating welcoming spaces that foster honest conversation and providing help, care, and community to the families of young children. Working with infants is often as much about taking care of babies as it is about taking care of families, and this is a core tenet of the work Aidn does. As an auDHD adult, he also prioritizes operating in a way that is supportive to all neurotypes and levels of functioning. They have many years of experience working with autistic children and adults, as well as those with developmental delays, learning disabilities, or other medical issues. This kind of care cannot be separated from its political context- especially in the face of an administration that actively pushes for separation, genocide, and defunding of critical programs, providing care that centers a family’s lived experience (including race, culture, gender, sexuality, family history, family composition, income level, disability status, and so much more) is an act of resistance.
Outside The Nest, Aidn is a reptile and dog lover and owner, an avid cyclist, a Full Spectrum Doula in Training with Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings, and a person who can’t see a baby without squealing. He has worked closely with Teach Plus Massachusetts, as a Policy Fellow in 2021-22, as a Senior Fellow in 2022-25, and as a member of the Teach Plus CEO Teacher Cabinet in 2023-24. He now runs The Nest, co-facilitates the Defending the Early Years Massachusetts Working Group, and continues solo advocacy efforts for issues impacting children and families across the country. It is critical for them to not only be the best teacher and community member possible for the people they work directly with, but also to become a powerhouse in making policy changes and working in advocacy for children and families in Massachusetts and nationwide.
To contact Aidn, please email aidn.nestcare@gmail.com or text (608) 772-3157.
The Nest 