Child Care Provider Education (San Juan 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.

In 2010, after attending a child care provider train-the-trainer training at the Bernalillo County Extension Office, the agent began working with Kidz First child care center in Farmington to plan and implement the child care provider training to the providers at Kidz First. Five training workshops were scheduled between the fall of 2010 and the spring of 2011. In September 2010, ten child care providers attended an educational workshop planned and presented by the agent consisting of two lessons; one on behavior management and one on child development. Information was presented by the agent through the use of handouts, videos, and discussion of child care topics. A comparison of pretests and post test scores showed that 100% of child care providers improved their knowledge of these two topics. Two continuing education credits have been earned by each participant. Interest in these trainings has been shown by many other child care centers home centers throughout San Juan County that need will be addressed in the coming year.

Laura Pace has signed on to support Child Care Provider Education within San Juan County.

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.