WEBVTT
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Hi, I'm Juliet Stapech, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Workforce Board, and welcome to our Workforce Solutions podcast.
00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:23.199
Today we're excited to share information about early childhood education, and we're joined by our Dr.
00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:29.440
Sharon Spilman, who is over our Early Education Quality Initiatives.
00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:30.320
Sharon?
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Thank you.
00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:36.880
So when we talk about child care assistance, affordability gets a lot of attention.
00:00:37.119 --> 00:00:39.359
Why is quality just as important?
00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:45.920
Affordability is important because parents need access to affordable child care, but quality matters.
00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:57.280
During those critical years of development of young children, they need nurturing, loving environments that help develop their social, emotional, their academic skills to help them be ready for school.
00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:04.719
I've heard that there are more neurons in a baby's brain right in the first couple of months than in any other point of life, correct?
00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:05.200
Exactly.
00:01:05.359 --> 00:01:09.680
95% of a child's brain is formed by the age of five.
00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:10.480
Wow.
00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:15.359
So what does quality child care look like for a child and for a parent?
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For a child, it looks like a safe, nurturing environment where they can grow and develop.
00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:29.760
For a parent, it's a place where they feel confident that children is going to be well cared for and they can go to work and focus on work or school.
00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:30.400
Wow.
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So tell us a little bit more about the Texas Rising Star.
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What is it?
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What does it mean when a child care provider participates in this program?
00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:44.799
Texas Rising Star is a statewide child care quality improvement system for child care centers.
00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:49.840
It rates those programs on quality standards higher than licensing standards.
00:01:50.159 --> 00:02:01.920
Centers can earn a two, three, or four-star rating based on quality measures like teacher qualification, classroom environments, developmentally appropriate curriculum, family engagement.
00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:04.799
And it's important that all of those things are measured.
00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:06.719
Those are aspects of quality.
00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:14.159
Wow, so what role does workforce solutions play in helping child care providers improve and maintain quality?
00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:17.680
Workforce Solutions plays a role through our mentoring services.
00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:18.879
We provide support.
00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:29.520
We have a team of mentors that go out to the programs, they work with the teachers and the directors to help them improve the quality, to help them improve or maintain their Texas Rising Star status.
00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:35.039
Wow, so what kind of support do providers receive through that particular work?
00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:49.120
A variety of support, professional development, they also receive financial incentives like wage supplementation to help with teacher retention, they receive classroom materials, curriculum to help improve the learning environments for young children.
00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:56.639
Wow, so for a working parent, what difference does it make to know their childs in a setting that they can trust and depend on?
00:02:56.879 --> 00:03:02.159
I mean it gives them that confidence that they can go to work and that their children are well cared for.
00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:10.400
So why should employers and the broader community think about quality childcare as part of the workforce conversation?
00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:11.919
That's a great question.
00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:21.199
I think for the broader community and the employers is important because quality childcare helps to stabilize the workforce, the current workforce.
00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:30.319
It also helps to ensure that our future workforce has the skills that they need to be successful that ultimately impacts our local economy.
00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:36.400
So if folks want to learn more about child care and the Texas Rising Star system, where can they find that information?
00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:41.199
On our website, we have information about Texas Rising Star under Early Education.
00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:44.560
It's a drop-down there and they can go in and find out about quality care.
00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:45.120
Well, Dr.
00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:52.319
Spillman, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing this wonderful information about early childhood education and the importance of quality.
00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:54.719
We thank you for your leadership and your service.
00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:55.439
Thank you.
00:03:55.680 --> 00:04:04.319
All right, well, for those of you that are interested in learning more information about childcare, visit our website wwwrksolutions.com.
00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:09.120
We look forward to seeing you on our next podcast to learn more about workforce solutions.
00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:10.400
Thanks so much.
00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:14.800
Hi, I'm Juliet Stapech, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Workforce Board, and welcome to our Workforce Solutions podcast.
00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:23.199
Today we're excited to share information about early childhood education, and we're joined by our Dr.
00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:29.440
Sharon Spilman, who is over our Early Education Quality Initiatives.
00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:30.320
Sharon?
00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:31.440
Thank you.
00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:36.880
So when we talk about child care assistance, affordability gets a lot of attention.
00:00:37.119 --> 00:00:39.359
Why is quality just as important?
00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:45.920
Affordability is important because parents need access to affordable child care, but quality matters.
00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:57.280
During those critical years of development of young children, they need nurturing, loving environments that help develop their social, emotional, their academic skills to help them be ready for school.
00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:04.719
I've heard that there are more neurons in a baby's brain right in the first couple of months than in any other point of life, correct?
00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:05.200
Exactly.
00:01:05.359 --> 00:01:09.680
95% of a child's brain is formed by the age of five.
00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:10.480
Wow.
00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:15.359
So what does quality child care look like for a child and for a parent?
00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:20.480
For a child, it looks like a safe, nurturing environment where they can grow and develop.
00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:29.760
For a parent, it's a place where they feel confident that children is going to be well cared for and they can go to work and focus on work or school.
00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:30.400
Wow.
00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:34.079
So tell us a little bit more about the Texas Rising Star.
00:01:34.400 --> 00:01:35.120
What is it?
00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:38.719
What does it mean when a child care provider participates in this program?
00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:44.799
Texas Rising Star is a statewide child care quality improvement system for child care centers.
00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:49.840
It rates those programs on quality standards higher than licensing standards.
00:01:50.159 --> 00:02:01.920
Centers can earn a two, three, or four-star rating based on quality measures like teacher qualification, classroom environments, developmentally appropriate curriculum, family engagement.
00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:04.799
And it's important that all of those things are measured.
00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:06.719
Those are aspects of quality.
00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:14.159
Wow, so what role does workforce solutions play in helping child care providers improve and maintain quality?
00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:17.680
Workforce Solutions plays a role through our mentoring services.
00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:18.879
We provide support.
00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:29.520
We have a team of mentors that go out to the programs, they work with the teachers and the directors to help them improve the quality, to help them improve or maintain their Texas Rising Star status.
00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:35.039
Wow, so what kind of support do providers receive through that particular work?
00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:49.120
A variety of support, professional development, they also receive financial incentives like wage supplementation to help with teacher retention, they receive classroom materials, curriculum to help improve the learning environments for young children.
00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:56.639
Wow, so for a working parent, what difference does it make to know their childs in a setting that they can trust and depend on?
00:02:56.879 --> 00:03:02.159
I mean it gives them that confidence that they can go to work and that their children are well cared for.
00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:10.400
So why should employers and the broader community think about quality childcare as part of the workforce conversation?
00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:11.919
That's a great question.
00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:21.199
I think for the broader community and the employers is important because quality childcare helps to stabilize the workforce, the current workforce.
00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:30.319
It also helps to ensure that our future workforce has the skills that they need to be successful that ultimately impacts our local economy.
00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:36.400
So if folks want to learn more about child care and the Texas Rising Star system, where can they find that information?
00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:41.199
On our website, we have information about Texas Rising Star under Early Education.
00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:44.560
It's a drop-down there and they can go in and find out about quality care.
00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:45.120
Well, Dr.
00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:52.319
Spillman, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing this wonderful information about early childhood education and the importance of quality.
00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:54.719
We thank you for your leadership and your service.
00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:55.439
Thank you.
00:03:55.680 --> 00:04:04.319
All right, well, for those of you that are interested in learning more information about childcare, visit our website wwwrksolutions.com.
00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:09.120
We look forward to seeing you on our next podcast to learn more about workforce solutions.
00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:10.400
Thanks so much.
