Family Child Care Mentor Program
 The
Family Child Care Mentor Program is a project and curriculum created and
administered by the Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association. The
program serves a dual purpose, not only does it improve the quality of family
child care by Providing a resource and contact to providers who are new to the
profession, it also helps the providers who become mentors to learn more about
their profession and how to deal with people.
History
Definitions and Purpose
of a Mentor Program
It's a
Collaborative Effort!
Mentor Benefits
Characteristics
of an Effective Mentor
Program
Requirements
What's Next
History
The mentor program is an outgrowth of the
MLFCCA's mission statement. The focus of the Board was to propose a program that
would encourage retention in the family child care profession through a program
offering realistic support.
A first pilot project for the family child care
mentorship project was sponsored by a grant received by the Carver County Family
Child Care Association in 1995. At that time, the grant was from the Minnesota
Department of Human Services (DHS). The Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care
Association and the Wilder Family Child Care Network, who also had a similar
vision for family child care, worked together in researching mentor curriculums
across the nation. The Wilder Family Child Care Network was contracted to write
the original curriculum using resources from the Early Childhood Mentoring
Curriculum developed by the National Center for Early Childhood Workforce (NCECW),
Extension resources from across the nation, resources from other mentor program
in the nation, and input from family child care provider mentors.
Since the initial grant, the curriculum has
evolved to meet the needs of family child care mentors with the expansion of the
curriculum. The current program received funding from a grant from the
Department of Children, Families, and Learning through legislation passed in the
June 1997 session. MLFCCA was awarded $200,000 to implement the mentor project
statewide including a stipend for mentors. Through this process, MLFCCA hired
its first employee, Deloris Friske as the Grants Coordinator.
As of March 1, 1998, 104 family child care
providers had completed the Mentor Training and are certified to mentor.
Currently there are nearly 350 trained mentors in the State of Minnesota.
The program provided 12 hours of training for
the Mentors and a small stipend as they move through the mentoring process.
Mentees receive the expertise of these senior, trained mentors to help them down
the path of a successful child care experience.
Currently the MLFCCA Mentor Program is gaining
attention not only in Minnesota but across the nation as well. The program has
been presented several times in other states such as North Dakota and California
with many more expressing interest. If you are interested in learning more
about the Minnesota Mentor Program please
contact MLFCCA
.
Definitions and Purpose
Mentor: By Websters
definition, a mentor is a trusted counselor or guide. Others have defined
mentor as a caring friend, a trusted colleague, an advocate, someone who
believes in you, a knowledgeable person, a more experienced colleague and
someone you admire.
Mentee: A mentee is a person who is being
sponsored, encouraged, supported, or guided by the mentor.
Master Trainer: A trainer who is certified by
MLFCCA to teach the mentoring process.
Certified Mentor: A mentor who has successfully
completed the 12 hour course in mentoring, successfully completed the approval
process developed by mentors in the program, and successfully completed a
mentoring experience.
Mentoring is a learning process as well as a teaching process. The mentor/mentee
relationship is one of mutual empowerment. Mentor is synonymous with leadership.
And, philosophically, the following quote is appropriate:
The goal of most leaders is to get people to think highly of the
leader...But the goals of the exceptional leader is to get people to think
highly of themselves.
Anonymous.
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Purpose of a Mentor Program and
Benefits/Rewards
Preliminary Contact and
Letter of Understanding
The mentor discusses
realities and boundaries of the mentor program. The mentor and mentee talk
about what they intend to do together and make a commitment to that in the
form of a Letter of Understanding.
Process of Mentoring
Identify the
Issue/Concern/Problem--The mentor and mentee talk about the nature of the
issue, concern, or problem through the eyes of each "system" (provider,
mentor/mentee, parent, child, school, etc.)
Identify what the mentee
with the issue/concern/problem wants to happen--Through a process of
discernment, the mentee learns to narrow concerns and issues, set short and
long term goals, plan strategies to get to desired outcome, act on the
concern, and evaluate the process and choices made.
Explore, Investigate, and
Look at Opportunities. The mentor uses her/his expertise of experience in the
business combined with training and resources to suggest options to the new
provider to address the issue/concern/problem identified as the mentee goal.
The mentor assists the mentee in identifying the most crucial factors of the
issue/concern/problem suggesting specific resources using professional ethical
judgments and a solid base of knowledge about the profession of child care and
the operation of a small business.
Make a Plan of
Action--From the opportunities identified to address the issue(s), the mentee
chooses a plan of action to meet the goal set, choosing from alternatives
identified. The mentor guides the mentee considering outside forces which may
help or hinder the plan and assists in setting up a realistic time line in
which to accomplish the plan of action.
The Mentee carries out
the plan--The mentors role is to guide and encourage the mentee through the
process of carrying out the plan the mentee has chosen.
Evaluation and Assessment of the Goal and Process --Was
the purpose accomplished? If not, the mentee chooses another option from the
exploring, investigating, and looking at the opportunities the mentor and
mentee have identified.
THE FAMILY CHILD CARE MENTOR
PROGRAM IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT
The MLFCCA Family Child Care
Mentor Program is a joint effort of the following groups collaborating together:
-
New Provider (Mentee)--The focus
of the project with the key underlying concept of quality care for children.
-
Local Association, Neighborhood
Group, or Support Group--Instrumental in recruiting mentors, offering local
services to mentors and mentees. A key to the entire process as the delivery
of mentor training and working with the mentee is at the local level.
-
State Family Child Care
Association (MLFCCA)--Coordinates and updates the training, tracks mentors and
mentees for accountability of the state funding, keeps resources current for
mentors, communicates professional changes or potential changes to mentors.
Reimburses mentor until the grant funds are exhausted or June 30, 1999.
-
Licensors--Assists in recruiting
mentor and mentees; key source of information on any issues relating to Rule
II.
-
Child Care Resource & Referral
Agencies (CCR&Rs)--Communicates with mentors and mentees on a regular basis.
Instrumental in knowing names of mentees and in some cases linking mentees
with mentors. In some areas of the state, CCR&Rs host mentor support group
meetings and trainings on a quarterly basis.
Benefits of the Family Child Care Mentorship Program
For the New
Provider:
The
mentor-mentee program is a one-on-one program, customized to the needs of the
new provider. The mentoring process respects the knowledge base and
experiences the new provider brings to the profession and builds upon the
positives in the new providers past experiences.
To foster
the planning/problem solving approach to care and education of young children
and the child care business.
To increase
the provider's awareness of her/his own attitudes and practices related to
child development and child care (competencies) including how these attitudes
and practices impact the children in care.
To
introduce the new provider to resources available to the child care
professional.
For the
Experiences Provider/Mentor:
To support
the newly licensed family child care provider and reinforce the child care
operation of preferred practices in child care and business practices for
operating a small business.
To foster
the planning/problem solving approach to the care and education of young
children and the child care business.
To increase
the experienced provider's awareness of her/his own attitudes and practices
related to child development and child care including how these attitudes and
practices impact the children in care.
To keep the
experienced provider aware of industry changes in Minnesota and nationally.
To keep the
experienced provider aware of resources available to the child care
professional.
For the
Neighborhood Group, Association, or Support Group:
To offer
the mentor program as a benefit to new providers in your area.
One of the
most important benefits of this program is its ability to go to the provider
or provider community. Consequently, each group can tailor the program to best
suit the needs of their individual community, making this an unique training
vehicle as well as empowering providers and groups to have a direct
involvement in shaping the program to meet local needs including cultural
sensitivity to mentoring as well as incorporating current programs implemented
by local groups for their providers.
The goals
of the program are to train Master Trainers in all communities of color to
enhance the ability to tailor this tool to each individual community. This
tool will serve providers at all socio-economic levels, urban to suburban to
rural to small towns, being inclusive of all communities of color.
Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You dont have to
have a college degree to serve...You only need a heart full of grace, a
soul generated by love.
Martin Luther King
Jr.
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DO I HAVE THE CHARACTERISTICS FOR MENTORING?
1. Interest in sharing my profession with someone new to the
profession.
2. Time to devote to working one-on-one with a new provider.
3. Model professionalism by compliance to licensing
requirements and respecting confidentiality.
4. Commitment to participate in the mentor training.
5. Commitment to mentor by the process outlined in the
training.
6. Receptive to new ideas and changes in the profession.
7. Model and practice child development and child centered
best practices.
8. Culturally competent.
9. Respect for the abilities of others.
10. Flexible.
11. Self Confident--able to affirm others.
12. Positive attitude.
13. Dedication to lifelong learning.
MLFCCA FAMILY CHILD CARE
MENTORSHIP PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Completion of the following 16 hours of curriculum courses are
required for Certified Mentors in the MLFCCA Family Child Care Mentorship
Program. Each course is taught by Master Trainers who have been trained in the
curriculum. See list of trainers for this program.
Skills of
Being a Mentor--2 hours
Communications as a Mentorship Tool, Part I and II--Skills for Listening and
Communicating, Adult Learning Styles, and Mentoring Using Competencies as Goal
Setting--4 hours
Resources
for Mentoring--Develop Mentor Resource Manual--2 hours
The
Process of Mentoring and the Mechanics of Mentoring--Problem Solving Skills
and Program/Operation/Reimbursement/Reporting--1 hours
A
Mentorship Training Guide for Women Entrepreneurs--1 hours
Diversity & Mentoring--Diversity is in many
facets within mentoring experiences--2 hours
Special Needs Mentoring--Working with Special
Needs Providers and the ADA law--2 hours
Rights & Responsibilities of
Providers--Insurance, Allegations, Appeals, and Proactive steps to document--2
hours
Meet the state guidelines for experience in the field or
obtain a waiver.
A minimum of three years successful experience as a family
child care provider.
Current active family child care provider
No negative licensing action in process, probation, or
suspension/revocation of license. (Adherence to Rule II--State Licensing Law)
Ability to work with local association or group.
Ability to work with local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R).
Suggested Qualifications:
Membership in your state, local, and national association and professional
groups in your area.
Optional Qualifications:
Accreditation or formal training (to include, but not limited to, NAFCC
Accreditation, CDA, CBT, Certificate from Technical College, Early Childhood
degree, Windflower training)
I HAVE COMPLETED THE
MENTORING REQUIREMENTS. What's Next?
Linking of the mentor with the
mentee is a process that is agreed upon by the local family child care provider
group, the CCR&R, the licensors, and the State Association.
1. Linking with a mentee:
Linking is done by:
-
A local provider who volunteers to coordinate her/his group or
county.
-
The CCR&R agency.
-
The licensor
2. Mentor one person at a time.
3. Once linked the mentor is
responsible for the mentoring experience: Setting up times, Implementing the
planning/problem solving process, guiding the new provider and reporting
requirements.
Family Child Care Mentor
Program is currently offered through the Minnesota Licensed Family Child
Care Association.
If you would like more information about the MLFCCA Mentoring
program or need help in finding educational opportunities in your area, please
contact me.
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