In the news:

• A Bittersweet Fairwell
• Center Spotlight: Region 4
• Board Business: Graduation and Evaluation

Congratulations to the following center for achieving NAEYC re-accreditation:

• White Oak Winners, Silver Spring, MD

REMINDER

A new background investigation process for child care applicants will launch on July, 1 2017.

If you weren't able to attend a training, please talk to your Regional Child Care Coordinator about the new process and changes.

FIREWORKS SAFETY 

It's time for those Red, White and Blue celebrations!  The Fourth of July is a time to celebrate with family, friends and everyone's favorite FIREWORKS!  To ensure a safe holiday the remember the Red Cross recommends the following when shooting off those sparklers:

• Stay at least 500 feet away from the show
•  Never give fireworks to small children.
• Keep a supply of water close by as a precaution.
• Make sure the person lighting fireworks always wears eye protection.
• Light only one firework at a time and never attempt to relight "a dud."
• Store fireworks in a cool, dry place away from children and pets.
• Never throw or point a firework toward people, animals, vehicles, structures or flammable materials.

For more information about sun safety, click here.  

Quote of the Month:

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

Find out more about GSA Child Care:

Tell us what you think?

Contributions and comments on Child Care Now are welcome and encouraged.

Consumer Products Information

Would you like to learn more about consumer product recalls? Sign up for alerts by clicking the Consumer Product Safety Commission logo.

A Bittersweet Fairwell

The Child Care Center of Expertise said a sad farewell to a great leader this month. With 35 years of public service, Liz Themelis, Director of GSA Child Care, retired to permanent recess. Liz was one of the original Regional Child Care Coordinators when the program began over 30 years ago. Liz remarked “GSA gave me a good life, a great job to be able to create something new and meaningful.” Through those years, her work reached thousands upon thousands children and their families.  

The team appreciates Liz’s unwavering dedication to the GSA Child Care Program. Her leadership and commitment to delivering quality services to families and customer agencies will be sincerely missed.  We wish her all the best for a happy, healthy retirement. Leo Bonner, Zonal Manager, is currently acting in the Director position. Leo has been leading GSA’s National Capital Region 11 child care program since 2003 and brings with him a wealth of experience in early childhood programs.

Center Spotlight: Region 4

Georgia’s First Lady, Sandra Deal, visits Little Flyers Development Center

The children and staff at Federal Aviation Administration’s Little Flyers Development Center,  College Park, GA, were treated to a visit from Georgia’s First Lady, Sandra Deal.  The children were enjoyed story time and beamed with excitement when they recognized the main character (a caterpillar that turned into a butterfly- you may know the story, too). Mrs. Deal, a former public school language arts teacher, engaged the children with questions about the caterpillar’s adventures and all the food he ate.  The children loved the interaction and truly enjoyed the First Lady Deal’s visit. Also included in the event were Child Care Executive Board President, Donna Wesley; Ms. Teresa Flowers, FAA Facility Management; and Michelle Hill and Robert Hill, KiDazzle owners.

Board Business: Graduation and Evaluation

June is the month to celebrate graduation and to look forward to new beginnings.  As you do so, it is important to reflect on what you learned from past experiences to make the future more productive and successful.  

In the world of child care, this means performing an annual program evaluation to inform strategic planning and improvement for the next year.  NAEYC requires centers report on this evaluation as part of their annual report each year. Board participation is an important element of this process.

NAEYC suggests Providers start this process each year with the NAEYC family and teaching staff surveys.  A compilation of results should be shared with the Board, families, and staff. All of these stakeholders should collaborate on an action plan for improvement in the area(s) with lower scores.  The emphasis should be on continuous improvement and innovation. Research shows that shared decision-making builds trust and enthusiasm, which is necessary to make evaluation and action planning successful.

Boards should be aware of the NAEYC criteria about goal setting & monitoring, evaluation, and shared decision-making. They are referenced in the NAEYC Annual Report requires the Center Director to report on these four criteria, and they should be part of the center’s annual evaluation process. For more information on these criteria, click on the links below:

NAEYC Early Learning Standards and Accreditation Criteria & Guidance for Assessment Revised April 1, 2017 can be found here.

NAEYC 10.F.02 , NAEYC 10.F.03,

NAEYC 10.F.04, NAEYC 10.F.05