Educator/Provider Fact Sheets

EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS

As part of your childcare regulations, you are required to have a plan for emergency evacuations. Taking into consideration the age and number of children you care for, your plan must work for your program. In creating your plan here are some things to take into consideration:

• The location of your home. Are you on a main street where you can get help quickly, or do you live out in the country?

• Are you in a designated flood prone area?

• Does your neighborhood often experience power outages?

DIRECT GUIDANCE SKILLS

There are two ways to guide children’s behavior- direct and indirect. This fact sheet will discuss direct guidance.

What is direct guidance? Direct guidance involves actions that are verbal and those that are nonverbal. Forms of verbal actions are when we use our words to direct children. Forms of nonverbal actions involves our facial expressions and body language.

DEVELOPMENTAL EXPECTATION – SOCIALIZATION

As a family childcare provider, you have a main role of facilitating appropriate social skills in the children in your program. A key objective of your program should be to assist the children in their social development. Therefore, what you should expect at each age and how you can facilitate good socialization are two questions that we will discuss in this fact sheet.

THREE -YEAR -OLD CHILDREN

DEATH- WHEN A CHILD NEEDS HELP

After a death in a child’s family, it is important to monitor how the child is feeling. All children grieve and some of these symptoms may be normal reactions, however when they last a long time or seem to be getting worse, it is time to encourage parents to seek medical health. The pediatrician can recommend a trained therapist or counselor to help the child.

As a provider, it is a good idea to document your observations. It is often easier for a parent to accept written documentation than what they may perceive as your opinion.

DEATH – RESPONDING TO THE CHILD

DEATH- HOW CHILDREN PROCESS

Young children understand death in progressive stages. There is no easy way to help a child deal with death. No child exhibits the same reaction. Some children may grieve for a longer period of time than others. There is an adjustment period they must go through and there is no set timetable for that to happen. Also depending on the child’s developmental age, they may have different understanding of death.

Here are some ways a child may understand death:

UNDER 5 YEARS OF AGE

• They cannot understand the causes of death

CRAWLING A DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONE

As a childcare provider you know the importance of appropriate physical development. Often because you spend more waking hours with your participating children than almost any other adult, parents depend on you to keep them informed of any new developmental milestones their children have mastered while in your care. Parents are often concerned that their child is not doing what other children are doing at a certain age.

COVID-19: HELPING CHILDREN DEAL EMOTIONALLY

CONTRACTS

COMPLAINT PROCESS- EVALUATION

Evaluation is a very important part of resolution when a complaint has been made. Once you have resolved the allegations filed against you, by correction, or successful challenge, or entering into some type of interim agreement. You should determine what comes next. As difficult as the complaint process is, it can also provide a valuable learning experience and an opportunity to evaluate your program and the complaint process. Here are some questions you should ask yourself:

COMPLAINT PROCESS –INVESTIGATION REPORT

Once you have received the report in the mail, open it immediately. Never ignore written correspondence from your licensing authority it may contain time sensitive information.

COMPLAINT PROCESS – FOLLOW-UP

What you do prior to a complaint investigation and how you conduct yourself during the complaint investigation are both very important. However, often what occurs after a complaint investigation takes place can have the greatest impact on whether or not you continue to operate your business.

COMPASSIONATE CHILDREN

As a family childcare provider, you are in a position to facilitate the children’s social and emotional development. One of the developmental benchmarks is a child’s ability to feel compassion. Compassion is defined as a feeling of empathy which makes one want to help or show mercy. Compassion in young children is the process which allows them to begin to think about other people’s feelings and not just their own. Teaching compassion to children is more relevant now than ever before.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS-SCHOOL-AGE

School age children (6 to 12 years) talk in full sentences and have a good understanding of language. They ask many questions and are curious about the world around them. They can recount experiences and amaze you with the details they remember. They are beginning to understand how their actions affect others. They can see things from different perspectives. With help from adults, they can begin to set goals and to learn how to solve problems. They also enjoy playing with their friends.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS – TODDLERS 12 TO 36 MONTHS

Toddlers are just beginning to learn language. They may use gestures and sounds to get their message across. As they grow, they begin to use two word sentences. They express both positive and negative emotional expressions and body movements. “No” is often a favorite word for toddlers.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS - INFANTS

How you communicate with the children in your care will have an impact on how they develop their self-esteem, language, socialization, healthy relationships and perception of the world around them. One of the most important things you can do is talk to the children and listen to them. Have lots of positive communication and interaction on a regular basis.

BULLYING

WHAT IS BULLYING?

Bullying is the intentional tormenting in physical, verbal, or psychological ways. It can range from hitting, shoving, name calling, threats, and mocking to extorting money or possessions. Some children bully by shunning others or spreading rumors. Older child can use technology to harass other children. The effects of bullying can be serious and affect children’s self-worth and future relationships.

WHY DO CHILDREN BULLY?

As a Childcare Provider you know how wonderful it is when you smile at an infant and they smile back. Smiling at an infant is one of the first things you can do to build the child’s self-esteem. Building a good self-esteem is essential for a child to be able to cope with challenges that arise as they learn to socialize with others and as they grow and learn new skills. Learning what they are capable of and how to interact with others helps them to develop a positive self-concept.

BENEFITS OF FAMILY CHILD CARE

When you choose to become a family childcare provider, you may encounter people who look at you as just a ‘babysitter’. As you have learned you are a professional and a teacher. Your job is so important and the work you do is vital to the heathy growth and development of the children you care for.

BENEFIT FROM HOME VISITS

As a family childcare provider and business owner, you are subject to a variety of agencies that oversee the operation of your business. This can include individuals who may conduct announced or unannounced visits. You may be visited for a number of reasons:

 Inspection
 Monitoring
 Evaluation
 Support
 Accountability
 Technical assistance
 Investigation
 Assessment of your services