Shilda Frost-Labule
~ The Queen of Compassionate Care ~
by Afiya J. Watkins
Copa Style Magazine
Lifestyle Correspondent
Copa Style Magazine
Lifestyle Correspondent
How Shilda Frost-Labule turned a calling into Second Family, Inc.—a network of homes where medically fragile children are given dignity, stability, and love.
A registered nurse with more than four decades of clinical experience, Shilda Frost-Labule has devoted her life to advocating for children whose complex medical needs once confined them to hospital wards and institutional care. As the founder of Second Family, Inc., she transformed a calling rooted in faith, compassion, and foster parenting into a pioneering model of family-centered care for medically fragile children and adults. What began in 1998 with a single home and three children has grown into a network of residences providing 24-hour nursing care, stability, and unwavering support to families. For her extraordinary commitment to service and humanity, COPA has dubbed Frost-Labule the “Queen of Compassionate Care.” In this conversation, she reflects on the experiences that shaped her mission, the challenges of building an organization from vision alone, and her belief that every child deserves the dignity of a loving home.
A registered nurse with more than four decades of clinical experience, Shilda Frost-Labule has devoted her life to advocating for children whose complex medical needs once confined them to hospital wards and institutional care. As the founder of Second Family, Inc., she transformed a calling rooted in faith, compassion, and foster parenting into a pioneering model of family-centered care for medically fragile children and adults. What began in 1998 with a single home and three children has grown into a network of residences providing 24-hour nursing care, stability, and unwavering support to families. For her extraordinary commitment to service and humanity, COPA has dubbed Frost-Labule the “Queen of Compassionate Care.” In this conversation, she reflects on the experiences that shaped her mission, the challenges of building an organization from vision alone, and her belief that every child deserves the dignity of a loving home.
Copa: You founded Second Family, Inc. after witnessing children living long-term in hospitals due to medical fragility. What moment made you realize you could not look away — that you had to build something?
Shilda: I worked in early childhood development with children with disabilities, including some in foster care who were being abused. When I suspected abuse by one foster parent, I reported it to protect the child. My employer initially fired me for reporting, but after reviewing the law, they realized I was legally required to make the report. That experience strengthened my commitment to advocating for vulnerable children. It ultimately motivated me to become a foster parent and recruit other professionals dedicated to providing safe, supportive homes.
Shilda: I worked in early childhood development with children with disabilities, including some in foster care who were being abused. When I suspected abuse by one foster parent, I reported it to protect the child. My employer initially fired me for reporting, but after reviewing the law, they realized I was legally required to make the report. That experience strengthened my commitment to advocating for vulnerable children. It ultimately motivated me to become a foster parent and recruit other professionals dedicated to providing safe, supportive homes.
Copa: As a Registered Nurse with more than 40 years of experience, how did your clinical background shape not just the care model, but the culture of SFI?
Shilda: My background covers many disciplines, including Hospice Care, Pediatrics, Intensive Care Unit, Nursery, the medical floor, and general surgery. My experience in those disciplines during my career has prepared me for Second Family.
Shilda: My background covers many disciplines, including Hospice Care, Pediatrics, Intensive Care Unit, Nursery, the medical floor, and general surgery. My experience in those disciplines during my career has prepared me for Second Family.
Copa: Before launching SFI, you served as a foster parent to medically fragile children and eventually adopted two. How did that experience redefine your understanding of what “home” should feel like?
Shilda: Working with children with special needs as a foster parent has been both challenging and rewarding. Through those experiences, I learned something very important: every child deserves a loving and caring home.When children are given patience, compassion, and consistent support, they begin to thrive. Love makes a difference. With the right care, children with special needs can grow, develop confidence, and live meaningful lives within their own abilities.
They may face limitations, but those limitations do not define their potential. What truly helps them succeed is having someone who believes in them and provides a stable and nurturing environment.
My experience has shown me that when children feel loved and supported, they can flourish just like any other child. Above all, we must remember
that every child deserves to be loved, valued, and given the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.
Shilda: Working with children with special needs as a foster parent has been both challenging and rewarding. Through those experiences, I learned something very important: every child deserves a loving and caring home.When children are given patience, compassion, and consistent support, they begin to thrive. Love makes a difference. With the right care, children with special needs can grow, develop confidence, and live meaningful lives within their own abilities.
They may face limitations, but those limitations do not define their potential. What truly helps them succeed is having someone who believes in them and provides a stable and nurturing environment.
My experience has shown me that when children feel loved and supported, they can flourish just like any other child. Above all, we must remember
that every child deserves to be loved, valued, and given the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.
Copa: The name Second Family suggests warmth and permanence. What does that phrase mean to you personally?
Shilda: My journey began as a foster parent, and as someone who worked with children who had multiple medical conditions, I saw how deeply families loved their children, but I also saw how overwhelming the responsibility could become. Parents were trying to balance work, caring for other children, managing hospital visits, and providing constant care for a medically fragile child. Through prayer and reflection, I realized that families did not need someone to replace them—they needed someone to stand beside them. That is why we created Second Family. We are not the first family in a child’s life; we are the Second Family that comes alongside them to provide nursing care, advocacy, support with medical systems, and assistance that allows children to stay in loving homes.
Our mission is simple: To strengthen families so children with special needs can thrive in the homes where they are loved the most.
Shilda: My journey began as a foster parent, and as someone who worked with children who had multiple medical conditions, I saw how deeply families loved their children, but I also saw how overwhelming the responsibility could become. Parents were trying to balance work, caring for other children, managing hospital visits, and providing constant care for a medically fragile child. Through prayer and reflection, I realized that families did not need someone to replace them—they needed someone to stand beside them. That is why we created Second Family. We are not the first family in a child’s life; we are the Second Family that comes alongside them to provide nursing care, advocacy, support with medical systems, and assistance that allows children to stay in loving homes.
Our mission is simple: To strengthen families so children with special needs can thrive in the homes where they are loved the most.
Copa: What were the earliest challenges in transforming vision into infrastructure? And how did you overcome them?
Shilda: When people ask me about the earliest challenges in turning my vision into reality, I always tell them the first challenge was after having the vision and the passion. I needed to figure out how to execute it. I had a lot of help. It really does take a village to overcome significant challenges while building the infrastructure of Second Family, Inc. I leaned on faith, perseverance, and a deep commitment to children and families who needed support. In the early stages, I faced limited funding, the complexities of navigating regulations in the child welfare system, and the emotional weight that comes with serving vulnerable children. Instead of allowing those obstacles to stop me, I built strong partnerships with social service agencies and families who believed in the mission. What truly helped me to overcome challenges was my belief that every child deserves a nurturing environment that feels like family. That conviction became the foundation for the structure, culture, and services of Second Family, Inc., My team and I turned obstacles into stepping stones toward building an organization rooted in compassion, accountability, and hope.
Shilda: When people ask me about the earliest challenges in turning my vision into reality, I always tell them the first challenge was after having the vision and the passion. I needed to figure out how to execute it. I had a lot of help. It really does take a village to overcome significant challenges while building the infrastructure of Second Family, Inc. I leaned on faith, perseverance, and a deep commitment to children and families who needed support. In the early stages, I faced limited funding, the complexities of navigating regulations in the child welfare system, and the emotional weight that comes with serving vulnerable children. Instead of allowing those obstacles to stop me, I built strong partnerships with social service agencies and families who believed in the mission. What truly helped me to overcome challenges was my belief that every child deserves a nurturing environment that feels like family. That conviction became the foundation for the structure, culture, and services of Second Family, Inc., My team and I turned obstacles into stepping stones toward building an organization rooted in compassion, accountability, and hope.
Copa: From one home and three children in 1998 to 20 homes across several campuses today — what moment felt like confirmation that the mission was sustainable?
Shilda: There was a moment when I looked around one of our homes and saw a child who had once been expected to live in a hospital laughing in the living room with caregivers who truly loved them. In that instant, I realized we weren’t just operating a program—we were building a family and a model of care that worked. When you see children thriving in a home environment, surrounded by consistency and compassion, it confirms that the mission is not only sustainable, but it is necessary.
Shilda: There was a moment when I looked around one of our homes and saw a child who had once been expected to live in a hospital laughing in the living room with caregivers who truly loved them. In that instant, I realized we weren’t just operating a program—we were building a family and a model of care that worked. When you see children thriving in a home environment, surrounded by consistency and compassion, it confirms that the mission is not only sustainable, but it is necessary.
Copa: Providing 24-hour, 365-day nursing care requires precision, endurance, and heart. How do you cultivate excellence within your team year after year?
Shilda: Excellence begins with reminding our team why this work matters. At Second Family, we hire skilled professionals, but we also nurture their compassion and remind them that every task—from administering medication to reading a bedtime story—has purpose. I cultivate excellence by investing in training, celebrating small victories, and building a culture where every caregiver understands that they are changing a life every
single day.
Shilda: Excellence begins with reminding our team why this work matters. At Second Family, we hire skilled professionals, but we also nurture their compassion and remind them that every task—from administering medication to reading a bedtime story—has purpose. I cultivate excellence by investing in training, celebrating small victories, and building a culture where every caregiver understands that they are changing a life every
single day.
Copa: Many of the children you serve were once expected to live most of their lives in institutional settings. How does SFI redefine what dignity and possibility look like for them?
Shilda: We redefine dignity by giving them what every person deserves—a home, a voice, and a chance to be seen beyond their diagnosis. At Second Family, these children are not defined by their medical charts; they are celebrated for who they are. They experience
birthdays, laughter, music, community, and love, and that changes what the world believes is possible for them.
Shilda: We redefine dignity by giving them what every person deserves—a home, a voice, and a chance to be seen beyond their diagnosis. At Second Family, these children are not defined by their medical charts; they are celebrated for who they are. They experience
birthdays, laughter, music, community, and love, and that changes what the world believes is possible for them.
Copa: Your caregiving journey began at 19 as a missionary serving in Haiti, South America, and Africa. How did those early experiences shape your leadership today?
Shida: Those years taught me humility and purpose. When you serve communities with very little yet witness tremendous faith and resilience, you learn that compassion is a universal language. That experience shaped the leader I am today because it taught me that service is not about recognition—it is about answering a calling and committing your life to it.
Shida: Those years taught me humility and purpose. When you serve communities with very little yet witness tremendous faith and resilience, you learn that compassion is a universal language. That experience shaped the leader I am today because it taught me that service is not about recognition—it is about answering a calling and committing your life to it.
Copa: Advocacy often extends beyond the bedside. What does systems-level advocacy look like in your world?
Shilda: Systems-level advocacy means speaking up for children and adults who cannot advocate for themselves. It involves working with policymakers, healthcare leaders, and community partners to ensure that medically fragile individuals receive the care and respect they deserve. My role often requires reminding systems that these are not statistics—these are lives, families, and futures that matter.
Shilda: Systems-level advocacy means speaking up for children and adults who cannot advocate for themselves. It involves working with policymakers, healthcare leaders, and community partners to ensure that medically fragile individuals receive the care and respect they deserve. My role often requires reminding systems that these are not statistics—these are lives, families, and futures that matter.
Copa: You are dubbed the “Queen of Compassionate Care,” a title that suggests both heart and authority. How do you balance tenderness with the strength required to lead an organization providing 24-hour medical care?
Shilda: Compassion is my foundation, but leadership requires courage and clarity. I lead with heart, but I also understand the responsibility of ensuring safety, quality, and sustainability for the people we serve. Tenderness allows me to connect deeply with families and caregivers, while strength ensures that the systems and standards supporting them remain strong.
Shilda: Compassion is my foundation, but leadership requires courage and clarity. I lead with heart, but I also understand the responsibility of ensuring safety, quality, and sustainability for the people we serve. Tenderness allows me to connect deeply with families and caregivers, while strength ensures that the systems and standards supporting them remain strong.
COPA: Caregiving is deeply personal work. How does your personal style — whether in scrubs, professional attire, or on a magazine cover — reflect the presence and confidence you bring to your mission?
Whether I’m wearing scrubs in one of our homes or professional attire in a boardroom, my goal is always the same—to represent the dignity of the work we do. My style reflects confidence, purpose, and pride in the mission. When people see me, I want them to see a leader who honors both the clinical excellence and the humanity at the heart of our organization.
COPA: Leadership of this magnitude can be demanding. What keeps you steady during seasons of pressure?
Faith keeps me steady. I remind myself that this mission was never about me—it was about the children and families who needed a place to belong. During challenging seasons, I reflect on the lives that have been transformed and the prayers that led us here. That perspective keeps me grounded and strengthens my resolve to keep going
COPA: Looking back to when the first home opened, what would you say to the woman who stepped out in faith?
That woman who stepped out on faith all those years ago is still who I am. I would say then and now that I could not do it alone. With God and family, I was able to walk on this journey. Each person brought me wisdom, support, and strength when I needed it most. But above all, I prayed to God. And in prayer, I heard clearly in my spirit: “I am your business partner. You have nothing to worry about. I already have your hand, and I
am walking beside you.That reassurance changed everything for me.
COPA: When your legacy is discussed decades from now, what do you hope is remembered most about your life and leadership?
I hope that what is most remembered about my life is that I believed and demonstrated that every life deserves family, care, and community—no matter the medical challenges .My work is rooted in a deep commitment to service and faith. Also, the most personal part of my legacy is the foundation I am laying for family leadership succession. From the beginning, my family has been involved in the organization’s mission and development, helping transform my dream into a network of homes and services. Ultimately, I believe the greatest measure of my legacy will not be buildings or budgets. It will be the thousands of children and adults who experienced love, safety, and dignity because my team.
About the Author
Afiya J. Watkins serves as a Community Developer and commissioner in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and is a contributor to COPA Style. A Washington, D.C. native, she brings both industry insight and a regional perspective to conversations about civic engagement, housing, and community leadership shaping the future of the DMV.
