Ray Welch (Papa Ray) is the owner of Children's Cottage. While enrolled in the School of Business at the University of Connecticut, Ray took a course in Children’s Literature and became interested in the early care and education of young children. Ray became a Teacher's Assistant for the class professor and had the opportunity to meet P. L. Travers, the author of the Mary Poppins books. Ray made the Dean’s List and was inspired. He moved to California and got married. Then Ray and his wife Mary had un-diagnosed twin girls who were born at home! This was followed by a son born at home 3 years later. In 1993 Ray and Mary started Children's Cottage Child Care in Napa. In 2019 Ray was a delegate to the World Forum on Early Childhood Education. Over 70 countries attended this global event in Macau, China.
