There are a million excuses out there—and not one that a parent is going to accept—when it comes to their child’s safety. The latest bad child care teacher story to hit the news includes video of a toddler teacher at a Plano child care facility throwing a child down on a nap mat, and then covering him up with a blanket.

Unacceptable.       

There are so many things we need to do better, and differently regarding early childhood education in Texas. However, we cannot wait for bills to be passed, and for policies to change or for systems to be implemented to make sure our children are safe. As a community, we all must be like the Momma Bear who will accept no excuses.

If you are a child care director, do ALL you can to take care of the teachers, the teachers are taking care of our children:

  • Make sure teachers get regular breaks during the day.
  • Provide high quality professional development, that includes how to cope with the emotional challenges of being an early education teacher.
  • Communicate proactively—this shows respect, and organization.
  • Have high expectations, and hold every single person accountable.
  • Create an environment where teachers can report classroom/peer concerns confidentially.

If you are a child care provider, do ALL you can to take care of the director. They are taking care of the teachers, who are taking care of our children:

  • Provide high quality professional development that teaches leadership and management skills, including how to hire the right team, and how to support them on a daily and long-term basis.
  • Say thank you. Trust me—children, their teachers and their Mammas and Daddy’s can add up to some challenging days.
  • Make sure they get a break, take them out to lunch, offer to “close” for them one day.

If you are a parent, you likely already do ALL you can to take care of your child – your child helps to make up “our children”. Here are a few above and beyond things you can do:

  • Ask what kind of professional development the center staff participate in.
    • Ask for details– What are the topics? How many hours each month/year? What is the foundational training that helps teachers of specific age groups understand child brain development, how to keep children physically and emotionally safe, and teach them in age-appropriate ways.
    • Where do they get their training? The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) recommends that professional development have a hands-on approach, include opportunities for application, reflection and feedback. Ideally, most professional development is offered in person, as opposed to “self-led” instruction (on-line, etc.). In addition, professional development must be viewed as on-going not as a one and done event.
    • How are new directors and teachers on-boarded – what support and orientation is offered during the first year?
  • Ask the director about her own family, her educational philosophy, her beliefs about leadership and more. Her style and beliefs will affect the culture of the center…and can be revealing.

Whether you are a parent or not, don’t take a back seat to a child’s safety. Speak up, say something, and demand nothing but the best. Our children today are the next generation of leaders, let’s treat them that way. There are a million excuses – don’t be one.

Organizational Note:

Camp Fire doesn’t offer excuses, we offer early childhood education courses for teachers & directors in our communities. If you want to make improvements in any of the areas discussed in this blog consider taking advantage of the following:

Conscious Discipline – Focuses on emotional regulation tools for both the teacher and child, and strengthening the emotional bonds between teacher and child. It is built on sound developmentally appropriate practices. (Parents, this is something we tailor for you, too! Call about our small group format.)

Early Childhood Management Institute (ECMI) – Covers a wide-range of topics that address staff support, building a culture of safety and more.

Infant/Toddler conference and classes – Specifically focused on building developmentally appropriate activities to keep the active toddler set engaged and learning. When strong curriculum is developed, and delivered, the environment of the classroom is transformed.

Lyn Lucas is the Chief Program Officer at Camp Fire First Texas. Lyn brings more than 20 years of experience working with children and youth. Her specialties include working with children in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors, managing school-age programs and NAEYC-accredited early childhood education programs. She has served as a Program Director, Child Development Coordinator, Child Care Center Director, Regional Director, a Master Registered Trainer in early care and education and has taught numerous classes and workshops throughout North Texas. Lyn holds a Master of Education in curriculum studies and serves on the Texas Youth and Child Care Worker Association board.