Children have issues growing up. That’s normal. Parents don’t get manuals, which is also normal. That doesn’t mean it is easy. In fact, though we are living in a post-COVID world, we (parents, teachers and anyone who interacts with youth) are continuing to deal with the impacts the isolation has rendered along with every other concern. The Child Care Action Council (CCAC) is intimately aware of the struggles and challenges that face families in our communities. The organization works actively with families, students, and teachers to find solutions to difficult behaviors and strife.
Early Achievers Supports Teachers/Daycare Providers of Youngest Children
Child Care Action Council offers free quality preschool that tailors programs to the diverse needs of families. Parents are considered a child’s first and most important teacher. These early learning centers have locations in Lacey and in Shelton.
“We bring in professionals and work directly with the teaching staff. The Early Achievers program offers consultations and coaching. We find what support the child needs and work mostly with the teaching staff,” explains Sabrina Williams, ECEAP (Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program) administrator for Thurston and Mason counties. “Everyone needs support. We are human beings,” she says plainly.
“There is a stigma about mental health. People don’t want to talk about it or deal with it,” says Sabrina. Consequently, things go undealt with. However, it’s hard to ignore certain behaviors. “We see hitting, crying and biting,” she notes. Children have limited options for dealing with feelings and are just learning about healthy outlets. Young children can’t take themselves out of the environment. They resort to what they can do to express anger, disappointment, shame or sadness.
Teachers are coming to understand the challenges these youngsters face because they were born during COVID. Kids didn’t have the usual trips to the grocery store or regular play groups. There were limited chances for getting out of the house, socializing and going to public events. Now they are thrust into situations with others.
The ECEAP teaching staff get coached on ways to support their students. They are encouraged to test out new things and explore ways everyone can feel heard, valued and respected. It doesn’t happen overnight. Teachers learn to model behaviors that can replace impulsive outbursts with skills that help everyone to be successful at school and into the rest of life.
“ECEAP provides parent education programs, family nights, and other ways to get involved. Parents are also connected to community resources. They are encouraged to volunteer in the classroom,” says Sabrina. Parents develop greater understanding of their child’s developmental growing and along the way build their own self confidence and skill levels. With a foot in the door, some parents continue their education and embark on a career in early childhood development. “It is fun to see this happen,” Sabrina adds.
All early childhood education teachers can go to the Child Care Action Council website to learn more about Early Achievers and about their Enhanced STARS Training, which is in-person or live online and self-paced classes. CCAC offers Washington State required trainings like Child Care Basics in both English and Spanish versions.
Child Care Action Council Offers Behavior Support with Early Learning Centers for Youngsters
Beverly Barker is an IECHM (Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health) Consultant. “Neuroscience has taught us so much more about how the brains works and develops. We are appreciating the benefits of neuro-divergence,” she says. Beverly works with families to see these benefits when their child seems to not fit the norm. She chooses to look at children through a lens that searches for benefits rather than defects. “How can this benefit the child/family for future paths?” is the question she poses.
Children are all different in many ways. IECMH consultants look at the individual child and that child’s environment to work with behaviors and social/emotional development. It is about learning to cope with the world at all ages.
Beverly notes the value of adults learning to recognize their own triggers, which are those things that cause a reaction. She teaches people to stop, ask and observe. Where can we find more compassion? As adults learn replacement skills and behaviors, they find more effective ways to deal with the child who is expressing issues by screaming or biting.
Building Relationships Through Child Care Action Council Opportunities
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides free, high quality, age-appropriate books to children from birth to five years of age. It’s free to families, regardless of income. Parents are encouraged to read to children from the first days as part of a daily routine. This simple activity is a powerful tool to build vocabulary and mental acuity in a setting that nurtures the parent/child relationship.
Other events put on by Child Care Action Council are Building through Play, Great Olympia Bike Rodeo, Mobile Traffic Garden and more that are usually at no cost to participants. CCAC places high value on the first 1,000 days of life. That’s the first three years. So much happens with social/emotional and brain development it’s critical to be a skilled parent or caretaker. The organization sees the challenges that our world is now facing. It deals head on with the betterment of mental health for students, parents and teachers, thus improving our whole community now and into the future. “The beauty of all these programs is that a side benefit is that they help build relationships,” says Beverly. You are encouraged to use the services offered through CCAC. You can look at the many resources through the Child Care Action Council website.
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