Coaching Family Child Care Providers- The Secret Ingredient Barbara Sawyer, MA NHSA – Chicago, il CATS, Inc. April 9, 2017

Agenda Introductions/getting acquainted The unique business that is family child care Challenges of working with family child care providers What does it take to be a great coach/mentor Picture a great coach/provider relationship Q & A Wrap-up

If your favorite ice cream flavor is Chocolate Go to Corner #1 Strawberry Go to Corner #2 Vanilla Go to Corner #3 None of the above or you don’t like ice cream Go to Corner #4

In your corner Introduce yourself – if there are more than 8 people in your corner introduce yourself to one other person. Answer the following in your introduction Why you chose this session Your favorite thing about being a coach Your least favorite thing about being a coach

One more time If you’ve been coaching (or mentoring) Less than one year Corner #1 1-2 years Corner #2 2-3 years Corner #3 More than 3 years Corner #4

When you get to the corner Introduce yourself. If there are more than 8 people in your corner introduce yourself to just one. Use the following information in your introduction: How long you’ve worked with family child care providers Your favorite thing about family child care Your least favorite thing about family child care

The unique business of family child care Providers typically have small groups of children of mixed-ages Family child care is usually regulated by state or county agencies Family child care is almost always provided in a home environment where the provider – and often other family members – reside Family child care programs allow siblings to be cared for in the same environment Family child care programs often become extended families to the clients with whom they work

Challenges of coaching in family child care programs Providers are often hesitant to work with unknowns – people or programs Many providers find it difficult to be away from their programs if required When there is only one provider, it can be difficult to schedule coach or mentor visits There may be more interruptions in your visit than happen in other environments Coaches often say that family child care providers are easily distracted during coaching or mentoring visits

What are the challenges Take 60 seconds and think about the family child care providers and programs you’re familiar with. What are the challenges YOU face in working with them? Identify a recorder at your table Make a list of the challenges you face working with family child care providers Don’t look for solutions to the challenges – even if you have one save it for later Make sure that each person has time to share at least one challenge

Round Robin Pass your list to the table to your right – each table should have a new list Read the new list – how similar is it to the one your table created? Choose a new recorder Pick one challenge from the new list – try to choose a challenge that wasn’t on the list you created As a group come up with as many suggestions as you can to resolve the issue you created

Good coaches have Open minds Good listening skills Respect for the people they coach An ability to build trust with the protégé Willingness to coach from a strengths based perspective Knowledge of what they’re coaching for or to Sensitivity to the environment

Changing the lens Do those skills change if we look through the lens of a provider? What might look different? What other skills does a good family child care coach need? What should a good family child care coach know that might differ from what a good coach in a center based program knows?

What providers want coaches to know Flexibility from a coach is critical Knowledge about family child care as a part of the early childhood system is important The work really is all about them – it is personal, includes their homes and families, and touches every aspect of their lives Providers enter the field for a variety of reasons, including being with their own children They stay in family child care because they fall in love with it For family child care providers, relationships are the foundation for everything – this includes relationships with coaches

The Secret Ingredient RESPECT is key to working successfully with family child care Respect for the field itself Respect for the individual provider Respect for the choices they make Respect for the work they do every day

What makes a good family child care provider/coach relationship? Draw a picture, write a poem, create a word picture of what this looks like. Everyone’s page should be different when you finish – just like your relationships with each family child care provider, this should have meaning to you.

Pulling it all together Lingering questions??? Comments?? Final thoughts?