Note: This site is for reviewing legacy plan of work data from 2007-2011. If you are looking for the current plan of work interface, visit pow.nmsu.edu.
Child Care Provider Education (Otero County)
This county-level plan is managed by Kelly R. Knight. Print this page to create a Plan of Work signature page.
Plan Goal
Deliver educational workshops which provide continuing education credits and increase the knowledge level for child care providers in Otero County in collaboration with Early Childhood Training & Technical Assistance Center and Regional Early Care Educati
Situation Statement
Child care providers in New Mexico need assistance in acquiring continuing education credits in order to keep their jobs and to insure the likelihood that they can provide quality care. Child care licensing regulations in New Mexico stipulate that providers need 6-24 hours of continuing education annually depending upon the type of center or family day care home in which they work (New Mexico Kids, 2006).
There are 8, 794 licensed small family child care homes in New Mexico; this number includes voluntary registered homes. In addition, there are 8,986 large family child care homes, which care for 7-12 children, and there are 630 licensed child care centers (Family Child Care Center Licensing Study, 2004). In Otero County, there are thirty-five licensed child care centers.
By calculating that each family day care home has at least one provider and that child care centers have 2 or more providers, it is estimated that there are about 19,000 to 25,000 child care providers working in New Mexico. In addition, staff turnover is high, thus there is a need for continual staff training for new providers. There are large number of child care providers who need continuing education but too few training opportunities exist, especially in a provider’s home town.
Otero County Extension can help fill this educational gap by providing local educational workshops. Otero County Extension can deliver educational workshops in collaboration with Regional Early Care Education Conferences (RECEC) and New Mexico’s Early Childhood Training & Technical Assistance Center. The RECEC are a collaboration between state agencies and community organizations that provide an education venue for adult learners to improve child development practices and increase compliance with state and federal program regulations and policies. They strive to improve the quality of care, overall health and safety of the child care environment and to empower communities to educate and support New Mexico’s childcare providers.
Continuing education for child care providers is not only required for continued employment, but it also increases the likelihood that child care workers will provide quality care for young children. Studies show that children in quality care are better adjusted emotionally and have higher level cognitive functioning than children who experience poor quality care. Quality care indicators are: educational and sensitivity level of provider, number of children in group, teacher-child ratio, and quality of the environment (NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 2002; NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 2003).
Target Audience and Actions
Otero County child care providers who will earn continuing education hours and increase their knowledge level by attending educational workshops. Educational workshops focus on a variety of subjects such as nutrition education, child development and guidance, and child health and safety.
Short-Term Objectives
80% of participants will increase their knowledge level on a variety of subjects which meet child care licensing regulation competencies, such as nutrition education, child care and guidance, or child health and safety.
80% of participants will acquire necessary continuing education hours to keep their employment as child care providers.
Medium-Term Objectives
Six weeks after attending workshops, 60% of providers will be using techniques learned, with children in their care.
Six weeks after attending workshops, 60% of providers have kept their jobs as a result of earning continuing education credits.
Long-Term Objectives
Six months after attending workshops, 40% of providers will be using techniques learned with children in their care.
Six months after attending workshops, 40% of providers will have kept their jobs as a result of earning continuing education credits.
Evaluation Plan
Provider knowledge surveys will be used to determine level of knowledge gained or lost from educational workshops.
The number of providers who keep their jobs as a result of earning continuing education credit, the number of hours of continuing education credits earned, and behavior adoption will be documented from surveys of providers or center administrators 6 weeks and 6 months after initial workshop.
Observation of providers participating in educational workshops.