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Tribal Child Care Technical Assistance Center (TriTAC)
Effective Program Strategies
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| Family Child Care Home Network (Provider Compensation/ Recruitment) Delaware Tribe |
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Demographic
Information:
The
Delaware Tribe's service area covers a portion of northeastern Oklahoma encompassing
4 ½ most rural counties. All of our Family Child Care Homes are located
in very small communities and the surrounding areas.
Type of Program:
The Delaware Tribe Child Development program offers a Certificate program
for families, operates an extended hour child development center for children
from birth through 12 years of age, operates four school-age care programs
and maintains a resource center.
In addition, the Delaware Tribe Child Development Program operates two Family Child Care Home Networks. The network provides a Child Care Specialist to recruit providers that are willing to establish a Family Child Care business in their homes. The Child Care Specialist offers assistance in obtaining the state license, a small start-up grant, monthly training meetings, and mentoring.
The homes sign an agreement stating they will provide child care slots for hard to fill areas such as infants and toddlers, odd hour care, special needs care, or mildly ill children. The Child Care Specialist provides information on child development, training opportunities, business of child care, food program and nutrition, and curriculum kits. Currently, each network has 19 Family Child Care Homes enrolled in the program. The homes provide slots for 161 children.
Effective Program Strategy:The Network provides an opportunity for providers to meet with other Family Child Care Home providers and share information. The Network offers providers access to a library and resource center to borrow theme-oriented learning kits as well as books. Monthly in-home visits allow time for the Child Care Specialist to talk with the provider about goals, activities, problems with parents, business issues and other related topics.
Monthly network meetings give providers time to "network" with each other. This is one of the most beneficial parts of the program. Providers share ideas and make friends with other persons in their field of work. This has resulted in people carpooling, doing field trips together, and referring children to each other.
The Resource Library offers providers materials related to their work with children which they may not have been able to afford. The providers can request materials or be taken materials when a need is identified. Toy Lending Kits are checked out on a monthly basis. Most providers copy the contents and keep it for later reference.
Resources:
The Family Child Care Home Network project is funded under a state contract
with the state of Oklahoma. The Delaware Tribe Child Development program uses
CCDF quality funding to contribute to the programs. The Tribe also contributes
to the program.
Results:
Twenty-one Network members attended training in January 2000; twenty-five
members attended in February; and, sixteen members attended the monthly training
in March 2000. Participation rate is high for the meetings and this demonstrates
a need for this type of service among family child care home providers.
Lessons Learned:
Offer
child care and food to attract attendance at the monthly meetings. Some providers
offer evening and non-traditional hour care and without child care being provided
they would be unable to attend. Offering food for 6:30 PM meetings is necessary
and helps providers relax and enjoy the meeting. Door prizes are also given.
Providers have many different goals. Group together those who have similar interests and objectives. Participation in the meetings is a vital component to the success of the Network. Providers take information back to their programs to increase the quality of care for children. They are more aware of health and safety issues, nutrition, developmentally appropriate practices, policies of the program, working with parents and much more. Most importantly, they have a support network to contact when issues arise.
Contact Information:
Sherry
Rackliff, Child Care Director
Address:
220 NW Virginia Avenue
Bartlesville, OK 74003
Phone: 918/336-7657
Fax: 918/336-7480
Email: srackliff@delawaretribe.org
| NOTE: If you have information about an Effective Program Strategy in your Tribal community that you would like to share, please contact the Tribal Child Care Technical Assistance Center (TriTAC) at TriTAC2@aol.com |
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