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    In-home providers enhance learning

    In-home providers enhance learning

    Photo By Aleah Castrejon | FORT CARSON, Colo. — Jessica Hargrove-Griffin, left, provider for Family Child Care...... read more read more

    UNITED STATES

    05.07.2021

    Story by Aleah Castrejon 

    Fort Carson Public Affairs Office

    By Aleah M. Castrejon

    Mountaineer editor

    FORT CARSON, Colo. — When guests enter the home of one Fort Carson Family Child Care (FCC) provider, they can hear classical music playing in the background as they have their temperature checked and apply hand sanitizer. Jessica Hargrove-Griffin, FCC provider with Child Youth Services, is one of about 10 providers on post.


    What is FCC?


    The program is designed to allow the Soldiers’ spouses to be able to work from home and still accomplish their goals, said Catalina M. Cole, director, FCC, Parent Central Registration Services. They can easily take the necessary courses online while at home, and they can also care for their children, while bringing an income to the household.

    “They care for the other Soldiers’ children and our mission is, of course, to care for Soldiers and their Families,” Cole added.

    The FCC providers are independent contractors, she said, which means the providers must still educate and care for the children in the same way they would if they were in the Child Development Center (CDC). The providers must use lesson plans, abide by regulations and standard operating procedures, and the same contract is used for the CDCs and the FCC program. Some regulations include having a large enough vehicle for the number of children, and the providers cannot have aggressive dog breeds or have exotic pets. The providers must also go through classes and keep current with policies and education. CYS conducts background checks and ensures each provider goes through the necessary classes.

    However, there is one unique difference that bodes well in the favor of the Families.

    “(The providers) set their hours and some do weekends …; and some do overnights, extended care (and) mission-related care,” Cole said, unlike the CDCs which only care for children during normal work hours.

    Many spouses have a lack of faith when it comes to strangers caring for their children, but not many have a choice. And like many parents, Cole related to this, as a former military spouse.

    “That’s why I am in the program now, because I always wanted to be the one to make a difference for those people who really need to go to work, especially military,” she added.

    Cole said she believes in the FCC program and understands the hesitation, but also said providers are aware of individual needs of the children in education and growth; and encourage spouses to join the program.

    Cole said while many of the providers are very involved with the children, Hargrove-Griffin uses every chance she gets to teach the children something new.


    Hargrove-Griffin’s journey with FCC


    Hargrove-Griffin said her Family has moved to multiple military installations with her husband over eight years, but it wasn’t until she was at Fort Carson that she learned about the FCC.

    “The only way I could run this program is by the permission of my husband and his unit: the 438th Medical Detachment Veterinary Support, I couldn’t do it without them,” she said.

    Cole said it is important for the providers’ Families to understand the program as well, and some husbands help by running errands and simply supporting the program being run in their homes.

    “I think that husbands need to be recognized because they give up their freedom at home to come in and relax fully,” Cole said.

    Hargrove-Griffin said the Army has been very supportive, and her husband’s unit has been very helpful.

    Oftentimes, she sees many requests on a military spouse Facebook page requesting child care. However, as a parent, Hargrove-Griffin said it’s important for care providers to be licensed. And going through the FCC ensures both the provider and the children are protected. Additionally, she has received many resources to help create her school plans and provide a safe and healthy environment.

    Through the FCC program, providers learn CPR, proper ways to make food and incorporate proper nutrition, continued education and more. Hargrove-Griffin said the personalized setting allows for tailoring her lesson plans to each child, as well as giving the proper amount of attention to each child.

    “My focus for them is developing their social and emotional skills, as well as learning the cognitive skills,” Hargrove-Griffin said, as most of the children she cares for are age 3 and older.

    Because the kids are gearing up for kindergarten, Hargrove-Griffin said her home is run more like a pre-k program.

    “I don’t like the term day care, because I am more than that,” she added. “I feel like this is their second home.”

    And the children’s parents echoed those sentiments.

    Angelina Sampson, a Fort Carson military spouse, was looking for a CDC spot when she learned the only program available was the FCC. Having heard good news about the program through a friend, she decided to give it a try. After interviewing with Hargrove-Griffin, Sampson was ready for a tour of her in-home set up.

    “When she took us for the tour of her house, it was better than being inside of the actual day care facility,” Sampson said. “I really liked her from the beginning, she was just really honest and genuine.”

    Sampson said her son, Liam, has learned a lot through Hargrove-Griffin’s class. He has learned his numbers, colors, different cultures and so much more.

    “She is kind of like another Family member,” Sampson said. “She’s like ‘home-away-from-home.’”


    Consider the FCC program


    Hargrove-Griffin realizes one deterrent may be that Families think their privacy will go away through the program, but she said she appreciates that her house still feels like her home.

    “(To the) parents on the fence about FCC, I definitely think that it’s a very beneficial program, especially because it’s a smaller program, you build that rapport with another military Family,” Hargrove-Griffin said.

    Sampson agreed and while she understands the CDCs work a bit differently with more students, she prefers the FCC program.

    “I like the amount of kids-to-teacher ratio,” she said. “She sends me videos (and photos) of Liam learning … (especially) for parents, when we work, we miss out on those key things. I really enjoy her keeping me in the loop about how much he is growing and how much he is learning.”

    Sampson said having this resource was extremely important.

    “I didn’t know how I was going to go to school, how I was going to work and how I was going to do my internship,” she said. “It’s been very helpful, knowing I can go to school and work and … still have good care for my child. I’ve never met anyone as dedicated and as loving as she is with the kids.”

    Oftentimes, Liam doesn’t want to leave and cannot wait to go back to school.

    “You get quality care for your kids and they get a really good experience … I think everyone should at least try it,” Sampson said, for Families thinking about using the FCC providers.


    Education through adventure


    Cole said Hargrove-Griffin goes above and beyond when teaching the children, and she finds different aspects of various holidays and uses the theme of each international month to intertwine into her lesson plans.

    “For example, when they landed on Mars, she made a lesson plan on that and she talked to them about space and that was their theme for the whole week,” Cole said.

    In February, the children learned about African-American history, and May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. So, the children are learning about calligraphy, origami and various related arts.

    Cole said Hargrove-Griffin is creative when she comes up with her lesson plans. She helped the younger children learn how to communicate and even came up with ways for adults to better communicate with them. In other lessons, she replicated a fossilized dinosaur by freezing them in a balloon with water.

    Cole explained that in the CDCs, the teachers have a developmental plan where they use the month to learn a number, shape or color. But Hargrove-Griffin consistently adds to her lesson plans and ensures every moment is a teachable one.

    Hargrove-Griffin said she receives many of her ideas of what to teach from the children. If they see something or watch a show, they tell her they want to learn about it, whether it be volcanos, dinosaurs or space.

    “I say, ‘let’s learn about it,’” Hargrove-Griffin said. “I also like my program because its diversified, everybody is from a different background.”

    Hargrove-Griffin said children at these young ages can learn so much about the different cultures and can benefit from the knowledge.

    She thinks outside the box and chooses various careers for the children to learn about. Hargrove-Griffin brought in a news agency to teach journalism; firefighters to learn what to do in a fire; veterinarians to learn about animals and what to do if they encounter an aggressive dog; and she is currently looking to get a karate instructor to tie in with the themed month. She said it was important for the kids to learn about the community service workers and their important roles in the community.

    But she doesn’t just sit the children down and talk to them, she brings in real people, creates sensory bins and decorates to make the lessons more interactive.

    Many times, the providers receive unannounced visits from the programs’ leaders, nurses, nutritionist, as well as the garrison commander and more. This is no hinderance for Hargrove-Griffin, however, she uses these opportunities to teach the children even more.

    When her home was inspected for fire safety, she took the opportunity to invite the firefighters back to ensure positive exposure, while being able to look at the fire truck.

    And when Col. Nate Springer, commander, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Carson, read to the children, Hargrove-Griffin turned it in to a teachable moment. She said it was important they learn how to work with leaders as they grow. She also said it felt important that the garrison commander took interest in her program and keeps lines of communication open for future events.

    “I do it for the interactions for the kids, because if I see them growing and thriving, it just makes me happy,” Hargrove-Griffin said. “I’ve always had an excitement for learning and teaching kids.”

    Hargrove-Griffin said she has built a rapport with the parents and makes sure to send many photos and videos of their children learning, which is especially important with military Families, as they often deploy and go away on assignments.

    The parents are comfortable enough to bring their concerns to Hargrove-Griffin. She has worked on not lying with some children and how to share with others.

    In the future, Hargrove-Griffin hopes that FCC providers can get together to not only get adult interaction, but to share lessons and give each other advice. She also said its important to learn what other providers are doing so when a provider is unavailable, it will be an easy transition from one provider to another.

    Cole said permanent changes of station (PCS) happen so frequently that the program is constantly looking for providers.

    “I think it’s a great opportunity for you to be home and take care of your own children,” she said. “You are raising your own children, not somebody else.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 05.07.2021
    Date Posted: 06.04.2021 14:54
    Story ID: 398188
    Location: US

    Web Views: 28
    Downloads: 0

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