Child Care Provider Education (Lea County)

Conducted on-site trainings for Childcare providers in Lea County. A total of 14 providers were trained in the following areas: Ages and Stages of Infants & Toddlers, Developing Baby’s Senses.

The 2010 annual workshop provided 12 presentations for Childcare Givers in the area. Speakers were recruited to teach participants about food allergies, financial assistance for child care facilities, healthy snack preparation, discipline techniques, recognizing child abuse and neglect, and working with parents. The participants received training hours in five competency areas. A drop in participation was seen this year with only 65 participants registering for the workshop compared to 2009 with 114 participants. Although there was a lot of center-based providers, the drop in the home-based providers was not as high as in 2009.

A major drop was seen in the Spanish Only participants. Although 10% of the participants were Spanish speaking, alternative arrangements were made for translations, versus a Spanish only track as in previous years.

Evaluation forms were compiled from the participants and the speakers. The evaluations showed that 95% of the participants increased their knowledge of the sessions that they attended.

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.

Over the last three (3) years 25% of the participants have returned to the Lea County Extension Service for annual training credits towards their license.

Due to the Penn State Self Paced Trainings, 10% of the Lea County providers have gained additional training throughout the year for their employees.