PDG Newsletter May 11, 2022 Business Child Care Advocates (BCCAs) in the Spotlight Business Child Care Advocates (BCCAs) are ready to assist! They work in regions across Wisconsin conducting outreach to businesses for Project Growth. BCCAs also connect businesses and regulated child care providers and provide technical assistance to businesses and providers participating in Partner Up! Learn more about BCCAs and who to contact on the Project Growth website. Spotlight: Laura Lash Child Care Partnership Counties/Tribes Served Barron, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Rusk, St. Croix, Sawyer, Trempealeau, Washburn, and Vernon counties, including the Ho-Chunk Nation Contact Information laura.lash@wdeoc.org | 715-495-5030 About I am co-owner of a hybrid coffee-bike shop in Eau Claire, Shift Cyclery & Coffee Bar, that has been open four years, after two years of research and development. I am a career-long independent contractor that spent 10 years producing commercials and music videos, followed by nine years as a yoga, meditation, and mindfulness teacher. I have navigated child care options and availability in both Chicago and Eau Claire as a parent of two children, currently ages 5 and 10. The Most Exciting Part of Being a BCCA My favorite part of being a BCCA is the relief I hear from employers that the conversation is progressing around child care. They are excited to do something for the hard-working parents of their workplace and wish they could do more to support them. Goal for the Next Year A good goal this year will be to listen well to the positive effects the grant has on workplaces, as well as record ideas that didn’t come to fruition, but may support the child care movement in the future. View Laura Lash’s spotlight. Spotlight: Robin H. Mainhardt Northwest Connection Family Resources Counties/Tribes Served Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Florence, Forest, Iron, Oneida, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Vilas, and Washburn counites, including the tribal communities of Bad River, Forest County Potawatomi, Lac Courte Oreilles, Lac du Flambeau, Red Cliff, Sokaogon, and St. Croix Contact Information robin.mainhardt@ncfrwi.net | 715-369-9255 About Early in my career, I worked as a store manager in Rhinelander giving me a sound background in business management. As I started my family, I transitioned to the child care field and later became a director of a corporate child care center, licensed for 90 children. The knowledge I gained in both of these occupations led me to work as the director of a child care resource and referral agency. My role included supporting child care providers around business practices, writing and administering grants for child care programs, and developing training specific to the child care community. This program merged with Northwest Connection Family Resources. During the past 13 years I have worked as a consultant for the YoungStar quality improvement program; conducted training on Pyramid Model, Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards, abusive head trauma and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome prevention, and Developmentally Appropriate Practice; became reliable in the ECERS and TIPTOS tools; provided resources to child care programs and community partners; and sat on the early childhood advisory committee for Nicolet College. The Most Exciting Part of Being a BCCA Interacting with community agencies and businesses has always been exciting for me. Networking is important to maintain relationships in a community, to help provide resources for businesses when opening (or closing), to maintain community growth, and in connecting businesses with others who may have similar interests or who may benefit from each other’s services. Knowledge of resources helps me to help connect people. Additionally, this position gives me the ability to talk with many people and use problem-solving skills in a positive manner. Goals for the Next Year A goal I have is to grow the Partner Up! program and develop the connections between child care programs and other businesses in communities. Another goal is to help our agency continue to serve as a leader in the field, providing community-based, quality programming for early childhood professionals. View Robin H. Mainhardt’s spotlight. Featured Community Innovation Grant Awardee: First 5 Fox Valley Community Innovation Grants (CIG) were awarded in early 2021 to support young children, ages birth to 5, and their families in our communities. Awardees used the funds for early care and education (ECE) programs/projects that address the issues of equity, workforce, access, affordability, quality, kindergarten readiness, and local collaboration. We’ll continue featuring one awardee and their grant activities over the coming newsletters. First 5 Fox Valley First 5 Fox Valley (F5FV) is a backbone organization that coordinates and cultivates community engagement to empower and support every family in building a solid foundation for children in their first five years. Strengthening early childhood systems in communities within Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago Counties is supported with data to advance policies while mobilizing referrals and resources that help children thrive. F5FV, a Help Me Grow affiliate, works to ensure families have equitable access to the services they need, when they need them, by connecting families to developmental services and screening for early intervention. Through a Community Innovation Grant, First 5 Fox Valley collaborated with counties in their area to support the newly organized Help Me Grow Fox Valley affiliate by: Reaching 940 infants and toddlers with development screening and completing 2,664 development screenings Entering 1,053 families into the Help Me Grow System Contracting with four part-time resource navigators Expanding the network of collaborative partners by: Engaging and informing 1,392 people through meetings, presentations, and events Adding 197 agencies to the resource directory Hosting two webinars focusing on parent engagement and advocacy Congratulations to First 5 Fox Valley for completing their grant activities in 2021 and best wishes in sustaining your important community work into the future! Reminder: 2022 Coupon for Free Wisconsin Registry Membership The Wisconsin Registry announced their free coupon for Wisconsin Registry membership in 2022. Over 13,000 individuals in the early care and education workforce were able to take advantage of this coupon in 2020, as well as in 2021. Learn more about how to take advantage of this coupon below. Who qualifies to use the coupon? All individuals who are currently employed at a regulated child care program in Wisconsin AND have their current employer listed on their Registry Profile, are eligible to use the coupon (see Step 3 on the guide for using the coupon code on the Wisconsin Registry website). How long will the coupon be available? The coupon will be available only as funding allows. We estimate funding for this coupon to last several months, depending on the number of individuals who use the coupon. To track the amount of funding that is available for this coupon, please go to the coupon page on the Wisconsin Registry website. The Wisconsin Registry will also send future communications regarding the amount of available funding. What do I need to do to use the coupon? Follow the steps on the guide for using the coupon code on the Wisconsin Registry website to use the PDG2022 coupon code and submit your membership application and supporting documentation. Please take your time to submit an accurate membership application.
