Child Care Provider Education (Otero County)

95-100% of participants (of counties reporting evaluation data) increased their knowledge level on behavior management, child development, ages and stages for infants & toddlers, developing baby’s senses, food allergies, financial assistance, healthy snacks, discipline, child abuse and neglect, working with parents, stress management, professionalism, early childhood classroom, play, and food safety. These topics met the 7 child care licensing regulation competencies. 318 providers from Lea, San Juan, and McKinley counties (including the Navajo Nation Child Care & Development Program) attended workshops at 5 individual centers and 2 Regional Child Care Conferences. They acquired 17 continuing education credits. A total of 5,406 continuing education hours were provided by Cooperative Extension.

Over the last three years 25% of the child care workshop participants have returned to the Lea County Extension Service for annual training credits toward maintaining their license.

Ten % of the Lea County providers have used the Penn State Better Kid Care training materials to provide additional training throughout the year for their employees.

Medium term objectives were met. One to three months after attending the annual Child Care Givers Workshop, providers have borrowed from the Lea County Extension Service the Glo-Germ Hand Washing Activity and the Animal Trackers Physical Activity Curriculum (which was presented at the workshop).

Providers reported to the Lea County Extension Service staff or the local licensing agency how techniques and/or procedures, which were learned at workshops, were implemented in their home-based or center-based business.

The licensing agency for Southeastern New Mexico reported an increase in job retention for center based child care providers.

Short term objectives were met. The Home Economist in Otero County reported that 93% of the 40 participants who attended the workshop on recognizing and managing stress scored higher on the post test when compared to the pretest (24% knowledge gain). Forty participants at the Otero County Regional Early Care and Education Conference acquired 2-5 (depending on the county) continuing education hours to keep their employment as child care providers.

The Home Economist in Lea County reported that staff from 14 of the 69 child care centers attended the annual Child Care Givers Workshop. Participants were from Roosevelt, Chaves, Eddy, and Lea Counties, as well as Gaines County, Texas. Evaluation forms from each of the workshops showed a knowledge gain by the majority of participants. Ninety-nine percent of those providers who completed the Penn State Better Kid Care training needed the necessary credit hours to keep their child care provider’s license. Twenty percent of those providers were new employees in the daycare and needed supplemental training prior to beginning their job.

Provided a video and PowerPoint presentation and conducted several hands-on activities for 40 participants on recognizing and managing stress. The presentation included causes of stress, signs of stress, ways to deal with or relieve stress, and why it is important to relieve stress. A comparison of pretest and posttest scores showed that 93% of the child care providers improved their knowledge scores. A comparison of pretest and posttest scores showed that 93% of participants improved their understanding of job stress by a 24% gain in understanding. Some of the participant comments included: “all of it was very good information”, “very well presented and most helpful”, and “she (Home Economist) was very good with all the information, very well done”.