Child Care Provider Education

A phone survey of county daycare center directors and family day care centers in Lea County was conducted 6 weeks after providers attended the annual Child Caregivers Workshop. 50% of providers were still employed in the day care industry in Lea County.

392 home based and center based child care providers attended workshops in Bernalillo, Lea, and Otero counties and received 2-6 hours (depending on the county) of continuing education credits. Participants attended Regional Early Childcare and Education Conferences or individual workshops conducted by County Extension offices. At the completion of the workshops, 75- 98% of the participants (depending on the county) increased their knowledge level on a variety of subjects such as discipline, praise, or nutrition education.

Target Audience and Actions:
1. Center Based and family based child care providers;
2. Carino, VIDA Choices for Families, HELP; and PAN Child care provider participants.
3. Regional Early Childcare and Education Conference participants
4. Child care participants attend Bernalillo County Extension Achieving High Quality Child Care Program.

Short term Objectives:
80% of participants will increase their knowledge level on a variety of subjects which meet child care licensing regulations competencies, in nutrition education, child health and safety.

100% 421 home based and center based providers attended and received at least two to three hours of nutrition educator training via CES office classes (Spanish/English); Regional Early Childcare and Education Conference; VIDA group program; and Home Visits. And increased their knowledge level in nutrition education, child health and food safety. Several of these will continue with ICAN to graduate next program year.

189 (44%) graduated from I CAN (EFNEP/FSNEP) program receiving 6 contact hours and program certificate of completion. .

20 (100%) additional participants acquired six hours necessary to continue their child care license via CES Achieving High Quality Child Care program.
18 AHQCC program evaluations were completed by participants.
•83% stated program information was appropriate.
•61% stated program keep their interest.
•61% stated program was beneficial.
•44% stated program motivated them.
•38% stated program answered all their questions.
•88% stated program understood all the information provided.
• Most interesting program: 61% food safety; liked all the speakers 50%; and overall agreement on good thing to do with kids, nutrition required, health and safety, information on neglect or abuse of children.
•38% no part of program should be eliminated. 50% of participants did not respond.
•11% had not attended CES programs while 33% had attended CES programs.
56% did not respond.
•44% learn about the program via mail and 44% from other sources.
• Comments: It was very well explained; thank you; I really enjoyed it; kept the class interesting for all the people; it was good; very friendly.
• Group included: 18 Hispanics and 2 White females.

100 % (209) of participants program provider acquired necessary continuation of their child care license via 6 contact hours from I CAN program.

44% (141 EFNEP and 48 FSNEP grads = 189) graduated from I CAN EFNEP/FSNEP) program. All Achieving High Quality Child Care recieved 6 contact hours but did not graduate as they were not enrolled in the I CAN program. Program conducted by I CAN Home Economist.

No follow up evaluations was done with any provider.

Provided an educational workshop to forty-five child care providers at the Regional Early Care and Education Conference. The educational workshop assists providers in obtaining certificates to meet child care licensing and registration requirements. In addition, participants in the workshop have an interest in learning how new skills and knowledge will help children develop. Providers increased their knowledge in the areas of mental and physical development of children, encouraging creativity in young children, planning healthy snacks, and food safety. Ninety-eight percent of the providers indicated that they plan to use the techniques they learned in this workshop with the children they care for including how to be more creative with items that are already on hand in the home, allowing children to use their own ideas more to encourage their creativity, items for creativity can be simple and not expensive, and that a variety of materials can be used with children and adapted for different age groups. Providers also reported on the evaluation that they learned how children develop at different rates and not necessarily by age and they gained knowledge of techniques that can be used with children that develop at different levels. Several providers stated that they will now make sure creative activities are age appropriate for children.

According to a phone poll of county daycare center directors and family day care centers, 50% of those attending the annual Child Caregivers Workshop were still employed in the day care industry in Lea County.