| Surge Support Child Care Services
While hundreds of
families are welcoming home soldiers who recently returned from Iraq, there
are others who still wait anxiously for loved ones to come home. There is a
group is offering free child care for families with a parent in the
military. The Surge Support Child Care Project allows providers to find
families in need and offer their services.
There are 12,000
Minnesota children with a parent in the National Guard. The idea for the
program came after news of an extension was announced in January for the
National Guard. The project's goal is to allow parents to attend support
group meetings, to get some time alone or simply to run errands.
Nearly 500 child care
providers are participating by providing free ongoing, full-time child care
for deployed military families is already offered through Operation Child
Care. But the support program is meant to complement it with off-hour,
occasional and Saturday care. The project is an initiative of the Minnesota
Child Care Resource and Referral Network, the National Association of Child
Care Resource and Referral Agencies, Minnesota National Guard and Army
Reserve.
We understand that Minnesota's military families face
tremendous challenges, some of which involve child care. We are here to
help!
Family members of Minnesota's deployed Army National Guard
and Reserve are eligible to receive surge support child care services at no
cost. To learn more about the surge support child care services and request
referrals of participating child care providers,
use this map to find
your local Child Care Resource and Referral agency. Participating child care
providers are volunteering two to four hours of surge support child care.
In addition, child care centers are providing
Surge
Support Child Care services on Saturdays to family members of
Minnesota's deployed Army National Guard and Reserve. Participating child
care centers will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturdays of select
months.
Click here
to view the participating child care centers and available dates
The Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network is
proud to be partnering with the National Association of Child Care Resource
& Referral Agencies (NACCRRA)
and the U.S. Army to support families of Minnesota's deployed Army National
Guard and Reserve.
“ The fact that we could count on some help during such
a difficult time for our family and country was worth more than I can say.
It not only allowed me to have some time on my own to run errands or have
a good cry. It allowed my kids some time for fun with a non-stressed
adult. They used the time to finger-paint, play games, to be kids again.”
— Dina Blandshew, Parent, Participant Operation Child Care
For more information about the surge support child care
project, contact your local
CCR&R agency or Julie Wasiluk
at (651) 290-9704 ext. 119.
In addition, the project is also providing Surge
Support Child Care Trainings set up through your local CCR&R training
coordinator. This training is for caregivers who are working with
military families and the content is based on the Military Child Education
Coalition's Curriculum: Supporting the Children of the Guard and
Reserve, More information regarding the MCEC can be found at
www.nilitarychild.org.
This training will provide an overview of the Army
National Guard and Reserves in Minnesota, explain the stages of deployment,
and provide general information on the effects of deployment for children.
The training will also provide a variety of resources for the caregiver to
use in their own child care settings.
This is a training that is highly recommended for any
early care provider working with children from a military family.
SURGE Support Child Care Training is currently offered through the Child Care Resource and Referral
Office in your area as part of their Professional Development Opportunities for
Early Childhood and School-Age Programs.
Check for the child care resource and referral
office for your area.
If you would like more information about Surge training or for help in
finding educational opportunities in your area, please
contact me.
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