Family Childcare Provider Mentor Project

Purpose

The family childcare provider mentor project is to serve as directory to match up experienced family daycare providers with those just starting their daycare program. Running a child care program from your home can be an isolating experience. Even if you have had a strong educational background in child development or child care, chances are that you have not had much training or experience in running a business! This is an opportunity to interact and get one on one feedback from someone who has been a family daycare provider.

How it Works

Below are the profiles of providers that have volunteered to be mentors. You may contact a person directly through their website or email. If you would like to be a mentor please contact me via email, joni@childcarelounge.com. Mentors will receive periodic resources and information from me to help them. They will also have the opportunity to interact and support each other.

Additional Mentoring Services

Here are some local family daycare agencies that offer mentoring services as well:

• Lane Family Connections-Oregon
• California Early Childhood Mentor Program

Please note: Except in rare cases, I have not met either the mentors or the providers involved in the project. I will not take responsibility for your interactions once I have made your connection. Exercise appropriate care when divulging personal information or meeting people from the internet in person.

Available Child Care Mentors

Crystal, New Hampshire
My name is Crystal Skinner and I have owned and operated Crystal Skinner Child Care since 1981. Crystal Skinner Child Care is a fully licensed Family Child Care home that has been continually licensed by the State of NH Division of Health and Human Services Bureau of Child Care Standards and Licensing. I attended Plymouth State College and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health and Physical Education in 1971. I have five years experience in a public school setting, teaching Physical Education to students in grades K-12. I am a member of NAEYC, NHAEYC, and Early Learning New Hampshire. I have been a workshop presenter at both a NH Family Child Care Association Fall Conference and an Early Learning New Hampshire Fall Conference. I held the position of Recording Secretary on the Board of Directors of the New Hampshire Family Child Care Association for 5 years. I have mentored other child care providers online for the past 4 years. I have helped those who have been interested in owning and operating their own child care business. Please feel free to e-mail me at ship4_1949@yahoo.com and visit my child care website.

Deborah, Illinois
My name is Deborah and I own a home daycare. I live in Jerseyville Illinois. I have 2 children of my own and 2 Grandsons. When not doing work around our farm, my husband manages a popular store in town while I run our home. I am licensed to have 8 children in my home at one time. As of this date, I have been in the early childhood profession for over 12 years. In April 2005, I opened my home to daycare families, making life changes that will last forever in my heart and with the children who enter my home daycare. I am a CDA Advisor for other providers interested in earning a CDA (Child Development Associates). MY web pages are barnyardkidz.com for daycare. tools.

Pat Alexander (Miss Pat), California
PAT ALEXANDER (MISS PAT), CALIFORNIA
i am  a licensed family childcare provider in Sacramento, county,
California.  I have operated my childCare since 1970. My web site is
www.alexanderchildcare.webs.com   I have been accredited 3 times through
NAFCC.    Iam a Support Leader and Mentor with Solutions Child Care
Provider Network.  www..solutionsnetwork.webs.com  and childcare advice
network ( Facebook), i am  a former mentor with Child Action Mentor
(special needs)  project, as well as the former Vice President for Local
Association Fccp inc., I was president of SAC VALLEY AEYC ( 6 years)
currently past of SAC VALLEY AEYC,  I am currently a Peer Advocate &
mentor (united Child care Union) UDW/CCPU, former board member,
legislative committee for the California state association CAFCC,
current member of  CCAEYC & NAEYC, ( since 1995) and a member of the
California childcare law center task force.  I received my degree in
early childhood education in 2010 at the age of 60.  My specialities are
teaching  2-4 year olds, advocating for parents and providers.  I love
mentoring childcare providers especially new providers embarking into
this career.MISS PAT-www.alexanderchildcare.webs.com 

Eva, Florida
Hello to All the wonderful professional childcare providers in America. My name is Eva email me at kidsrusdaycare@yahoo.com, and I have been doing child care for 7 years. I am License with the state of Florida and am a large family childcare center, Florida Goal Seal and NAFCC accredited. I am married and we have 3 wonderful teenager children. I am also a Florida Voluntarily Preschool site and I love working with preschoolers. I also have my state Director’s Credential. I have my CDA, working on my bachelor in Early Childhood Education. I would like to help any provider that needs my assistance. I attend trainings on a monthly basis to maintain my professional growth in this profession. My goal as a mentor is to help new providers learn to be professionals, enhance their environments and most of all support and to help them to move on up the corporate ladder of success with their home daycare business.

Victoria Moore, Michigan 
My Name is Victoria Moore, Im Highly Organized, Extremely Energetic 22 Year Old. I have a 18 Month old daughter, she is my little ham ball. I have been working with children in a child care setting since 2001. Im the Lead Techer in the Infant Room at Humpty Dumpty Child care and Preschool, LLC. in Jackson, Michigan. I am also the Fundraiser Coordinator. I was a Breast Milk donor for 4 Months, I donated over 300 Ounces to Ill and Premature Babies through The National Milk Bank. I also Breast Fed my daughter til' she was 13 Months. Im learning sign language and so is my daughter, we are actually getting good at it! I will be participating in the March of Dimes March For Babies, it is a 6 mile walk here in Jackson. Please visit my personal page, http://www.marchforbabies.org/moore0385 Thank you in advance if you donate! I also have a passion for eBay, that is my other side job http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZmoore0385 If you would like to learn more about me and my family you can also check out my other personal page at http://www.myspace.com/vickimarknatlie or you can email me at v.2003@hotmail.com Thanks again and everybody keep up the good work with the children!

Jamie Thomas, Texas
My name is Jamie Thomas I live in Abilene Tx and have been teaching preschool at the Dyess AFB CDC for a year now. I currently have my CDA and my Level 1 certification in Early Childhood and should have my Level 2 this spring. I am hoping to graduate next Spring from Cisco College and I am currently on the Deans list. I have been working with children for 8 years now. Children are a passion of mine and I love working with them and learning all I can about them. I have 4 children my oldest is 12 who is a boy and then I have two girls 11 and 7 and my youngest he is 2.5. This year he has been diagnosed with severe SPD and PDD which is part of the ASD. This diagnosis has helped changed what my direction of working with children will be. I have noticed that those who didn't get the intervention from ECI and that can't get into head start or pre k often float in child care settings until they reach school age. Many teachers are not qualified to handle such special needs children and don't get enough or proper training. I am working with our bases exceptional family members program to help launch a few things. One is to help teachers get onsite hands on training to help those in their classroom who might have special needs. Help them use their lesson plans to target those who might need special to not segregate them but to use those activities to help the whole class as a sort of integration. I have also begun a parent support program and we are about to launch a FB page and blog. We will also be working with our exceptional family members plan coordinator to get more meetings and parents grouped launched here in the coming months. I am a member NAYCE and logged over 500 hours of training last year. I have worked with all ages but my focus is mainly preschool and older.

Jennifer Sturgeon, Colorado
I have worked with children the past 15 years. My husband is active duty army, and we have two boys. My undergraduate degree is in Hospitality Management and I have my Masters in Human Relations focusing on family and children. I completed an internship at an elementary school in Tucson, Arizona working with kindergartners and another at a child developmental center (NAEYC) on post in Germany. I have worked various positions in the early childhood field from New Parents Support, being a lead preschool teacher to owning my own licensed home day care to working for Child & Youth Services for the army (NAEYC). In Washington D.C. I was also a mentor and advisor for those working towards their CDA. In Kansas City, I was a mentor for children through Youth Friends and I taught parenting and life skills for those in Hillcrest transitional housing. I am passionate about children learning through play. I have taken a few post graduate classes in Human Services towards a Ph.D. As a parent I stay current on the “IEP” world and I believe parents are their children’s best advocate. Besides working with children, I am a professional organizer and I love to work on children’s spaces in the home and in the child care setting, especially for those with ADD/ADHD. A few years ago my husband and I were also licensed foster parents for the state of Kansas. For fun I have taught children zumbatomic dance, I love the fitness and healthy food world, enjoy hiking and the outdoors, and photography. I can be contacted at mjsturgeon00@gmail.com.

Marie Cassandra Demerville, Florida
My name is Marie Cassandra Demerville and I have owned and operated D & S
Christian family Day Care Home since 2011 in Miami, FL.  D & S has been
fully licensed by the State of Florida and is accredited by the National
Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC). D & S has been recognized as a
Gold Seal Quality Care Provider by the Department of Children and
Families (DCF). I am a certified school readiness provider, certified
voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) provider, and a school age child care
provider. I also hold a Director's credential. I am a member of NAFCC,
FFCCHA, & SFHCCA. I received the mentoring certificate. I am a Registered
Medical Assistant and a Certified Phlebotomist. I earned an Associates
degree in Health Sciences, a Bachelor degree in Psychology and now I am
completing my Master's in Professional Counseling/ Mental Health Therapy.
I am continuously attending trainings in an effort to maintain my
professional growth and development.

My objective as a Mentor is to help to empower childcare providers with
tools to maximize their potential, enhance the quality of their early
learning program, and fulfill their dreams.

I can be contacted via e-mail at demerville05@yahoo.com