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Funds and training are scarce when the caregivers are friends and neighbors

2021-10-21T19:35:14.468Z


How to support informal providers who fill a critical gap in child care. By Jackie Mader - The Hechinger Report One Tuesday, shortly after 6 p.m., a dozen child care providers in Northern California connected via Zoom videoconference to educate themselves on developmental milestones. Children appeared on some screens. Others were still dark while Daisy Amezcua, the leader of the session, encouraged the group to introduce themselves and share why they were attending.


By Jackie Mader -

The Hechinger Report

One Tuesday, shortly after 6 p.m., a dozen child care providers in Northern California connected via Zoom videoconference to educate themselves on developmental milestones.

Children appeared on some screens.

Others were still dark while Daisy Amezcua, the leader of the session, encouraged the group to introduce themselves and share why they were attending.

One participant explained that she wanted to refresh her knowledge so that she could better prepare her 4-year-old grandson, whom she cares for during the week, for preschool. Another was looking to “get back on track” now that her older children are teenagers and during the week she takes care of her 17-month-old daughter, a nearly 2-year-old nephew and a 3-year-old niece. And a third participant wanted information for her nursery at home, where she takes care of six children of various ages every day.

Amezcua, director of the East Bay YMCA Early Childhood Center, covered many of the developmental milestones for children in her presentation, from infancy to kindergarten.

The expert explained how to ask for referrals for children who are not reaching developmental parameters, such as walking and talking, and detailed what caregivers can do to stimulate development, starting in infancy.

At that age, children are "able to imitate some movements and facial expressions," he said.

"If we laugh, they imitate us and they laugh too."

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Amezcua points out that, at 3 months, babies see well enough to

study the faces of their caregivers.

"Which reminds us how important face-to-face time is," she said, before moving on to the next slide, which featured a list of developmental warning signs in babies.

Informal caregivers, such as family, friends and neighbors, provide an essential service, but without the formal support and funding available to other child care providers.Kohei Hara / Getty Images

"If there is a roar ... and they do not startle, that may be an indication that there are hearing problems," added Amezcua.

"Then you have to pay attention to that," he said.

The meeting was part of a program offered by BANANAS, a California-based non-profit organization dedicated to supporting parents, family members, and other child care providers.

BANANAS has launched an initiative specifically designed to forge community ties and strengthen the education of family, friends and neighbors (FFN) who provide child care outside of a formal system.

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It is estimated that nationally, 7 million children, ages newborn to 5 years old, are in home care on a daily basis, making it the most common form of regular non-parental child care.

That number includes licensed programs and unlicensed providers such as friends, family, and neighbors.

FFN arrangements are especially common for younger children: more than 33% of infants and children under 2 years of age

are in paid or unpaid care that involves a friend, family member or neighbor.

FFN care offers unique benefits, such as more

flexibility

for parents, especially those who live in

rural areas

where there are few options for child care.

Parents often show a preference for family members, friends, or neighbors who share their language, race, or culture;

Almost a third of black children under the age of 6 and a quarter of Hispanic children in that group are in regular family care, according to 2016 data. At the same time, approximately a fifth of white children under the age of 6 they are under the care of a relative.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, such arrangements became even more common, experts say, especially when child care centers closed and many parents were forced to find solutions that could provide individual care or small groups of children.

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However, despite the popularity of FFN care, these providers are excluded from the public and private support systems that assist formal caregivers.

They also cannot access the same level of financial assistance as licensed providers.

While licensed family child care providers earn a median salary of $

29,377

,

informal caregivers earn an average of $ 7,420.

A survey found that during the pandemic, these providers needed financial assistance to pay for personal and work necessities such as food and cleaning supplies.

“Family members, friends and neighbors have been providing care to families for a long, long, long time,” said Kym Johnson, CEO and director of BANANAS.

"And it is also the group of providers that probably receives the least attention, recognition and support because

in many cases it is informal."

Unlike licensed providers, FFN providers do not need to be guided by state child care regulations or health and safety requirements, unless they receive state subsidies to care for a low-income child.

You also don't want them to undergo formal training regarding child development before they start caring for children.

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“They are not part of the system where we see grants or professional development

,

said Patricia Lozano, executive director of Early Edge California, a nonprofit that offers early learning programs, including some that support FFN providers.

"What we are trying to do is understand what they need and find a way to develop policies that can benefit them."

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In California,

several organizations are calling for more support for FFN caregivers,

including increased funding for home-based child care providers, culturally sensitive resources for caregivers, and more ways to connect them with community services for more support.

Experts say that programs targeting FFN providers are especially important in

preventing

caregiver

isolation

and providing education on early childhood issues.

Current programs supporting FFN providers have redoubled their efforts in recent years, and have sought to maintain momentum by moving their meetings online during the pandemic.

Vision and Commitment (VyC), a California-based nonprofit that focuses on the health and wellness of underserved communities, offers a five-week course for FFN providers that addresses topics such as brain development of the children, CPR, nutrition, emergency preparedness and communication with parents.

BANANAS, which is based in Oakland, provides additional support to FFN providers.

Through playgroups, the organization offers a space where children can interact with each other while a staff member offers caregivers guided conversations and training on first aid, health, safety and other concerns.

However, these providers are not always easy to reach.

Some don't understand the importance of their work, said Alejandra Reyes, VyC's director of regional programs.

"They think: I'm just someone who takes care of children, it's not a real job, but something I do at home," Reyes said.

"Others may think they are going to get into trouble for providing unlicensed child care or are concerned about their immigration status and fear attending events in public," he added.

While providing support to caregivers is important, experts involved in FFN programs also consider it crucial to give

children

who are cared for under these informal arrangements

opportunities to socialize.

FFN provider Anne Stephenson indicated that the opportunity for her grandson to socialize is what attracted her to the BANANAS events.

A former kindergarten teacher, Stephenson has extensive experience with early childhood, but still benefits from events, from recommendations for new books to read and activities with which she can capture the attention of her grandchild, whom she often cares for. .

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These programs, while helping providers, can also play an important role in preparing children for school, said Samuel Limón Jr., community relations specialist for Fresno Unified's early learning department, which runs the Helm Home Center.

The center, which is affiliated with the local school district, hosts a flexible hours learning and fun program for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years.

FFN caregivers can visit the center for structured play time.

Children can explore a playroom with their caregiver, participate in circle time, and work on a scheduled activity.

“One of our main goals is to offer a real structure to the children, so that when they reach preschool it is not so shocking or so difficult for them socially and emotionally,” said Limón.

The program also offers a kind of library that allows caregivers to borrow toys and books, and encourages providers to raise questions and concerns in sessions so they can receive guidance on child development and related topics.

Alejandra Muñoz began attending BANANAS workshops and trainings a year and a half ago and has found them “inspiring, important and helpful”.

Muñoz, mother of a 5-year-old boy and another 18-year-old who also cares for two boys aged 3 and 6, found the BANANAS workshops useful to identify their developmental stages and specific needs, while also learning techniques to help Children cope with their feelings when they are frustrated or express their emotions.

She also got a personal benefit:

strategies to relax when feeling overwhelmed.

And she has discovered ideas for fostering creativity in the children she cares for.

Muñoz believes that she now has

"more tools to be a better caregiver for children

and support them in a more effective way, even in their most difficult moments."

This article about

informal caregivers

was produced by

The Hechinger Report

, an independent nonprofit news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education.

Read his other articles

in Spanish

.

This article was translated by Nathalie Alonso.

Read in English

.

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2021-10-21

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