INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Childcare Resources of Indian River County has received an Early Educator Professional Development grant from the Indian River Community Foundation. The grant is funding two seminars for early educators and ongoing assistance to help participating childcare centers implement the strategies they learn.
The $27,308 award is part of Indian River Community Foundation’s commitment to the community’s Moonshot Moment goal to have 90 percent of all third graders reading on grade level by 2018. Board Chairman Bob Puff said the grant is a testimony to collaborative work support literacy.
“Indian River is becoming a national model for public-private partnerships aimed at supporting professional development of literacy teachers,” Puff said. “It’s time to begin expanding those partnerships into the early childhood system, to help children at their most formative stages build the foundation they need to become successful readers.”
Shannon Bowman, executive director of Childcare Resources of Indian River County, said that next to the family environment, the child care setting is where early childhood development unfolds, starting in infancy for most Indian River County children. The quality of the child care setting and the relationships between children and early childhood professionals play a critical role in language and literacy development.
“Despite research showing the link between literacy and quality early childhood programs, there aren’t enough opportunities to help early educators learn how they can be more effective in their jobs,” Bowman said. “We want to change the perception these professionals are glorified babysitters and honor them for the important role they play in the success of children in our community.”
Childcare Resources held its first seminar on Oct. 18, at the Richardson Center on the Mueller Campus of Indian River State College. More than 150 early educators participated in a workshop on Emergent Literacy led by national expert Vanessa Levin. A second seminar is scheduled for April 18, and will focus on Conscious Discipline, an evidence-based program that combines social-emotional learning with discipline and guidance.
Patti Carter, Director of First Baptist Church Preschool, attended the Emergent Literacy seminar and applauded Childcare Resources for filling what she calls a long-emptied niche in Indian River County. She said the seminar gave her staff many practical ideas to boost their children’s experiences with emergent literacy and gather information about newest literature on the topic.
“The quantity of early childhood educators is huge in our area, yet as professionals, we must leave our county to attend quality workshops or endure monotone, online instruction,” Carter said. “We are thirsty for this knowledge and I thank Childcare Resources for providing us the opportunity to learn.”
As part of the grant requirement, Childcare Resources is committed to measuring the effectiveness of the trainings and the ongoing technical support through pre- and post-testing and evaluation by participants. The long-term goal is to increase the reading readiness of children moving from preschool into kindergarten as reported by kindergarten readiness scores.
“With more than 50 childcare centers, and even more family daycare services, there are hundreds of early childcare educators who can benefit from these workshops,” Puff said. “We are excited to partner with Childcare Resources to offer this professional development and will closely monitor the impact on the future literacy success of children in our community.”
Since 1994, Childcare Resources of Indian River County has been committed to ensuring opportunities for school success for at-risk children in Indian River County. The organization has helped more than 1,300 children start kindergarten ready to learn by providing their income-eligible parents, who are working or attending school, the financial support they need to enroll their children in stimulating, developmentally appropriate early education. More information on Childcare Resources can be found at www.childcareresourcesir.org.
Indian River Community Foundation began operating in 2006 with a mission to improve the quality of life in Indian River County through donor driven philanthropy. The organization has grown to manage $30 million in assets restricted for charitable purposes, the majority of which are held in donor advised funds, and has facilitated an additional $22 million in grants on behalf of its fund holders. Last year, the Board of Directors committed over $200,000 in grants to support grade-level reading initiatives throughout Indian River County. For more information visit www.ircommunityfoundation.com.
