Early Childhood Positions in Northeast Wisconsin

We are trying something new and posting local jobs for early childhood professionals. We hope it helps professionals find positions and helps centers find staff to provide quality early childhood experiences. To add a posting e-mail it to outreach@fcrnew.org. All employers will be responsible to provide their accurate and up to date listings for each posting. Prospective employees will contact employer directly to learn more about opportunities and will be responsible to make sure the employer is a fit for their career in early childhood. Tell them you where you heard about the positions so we know if this free listing is working!

Cuddle Care

Full time teaching position
Immediate opening
Can call 920-494-1156 or stop in to apply

TenderHeart Learning Center

We are looking for people that are excited to teach children and work as a team with other teachers. You would work with another teacher caring for and teaching children ages 4 weeks to 13 years old. Teachers needed with both full and part time hours available at both the Suamico (3508 Veterans Ave) and the Luxemburg (120 Commerce Drive) locations. Prefer you E-mail resume to info@tenderheartlearningcenter.com or stop in and fill out an application.

Encompass Early Education and Care, Inc.

For Positions Contact Encompass Human Resources 469-1236 or Contact Center Directly

Rosebush Center 1275 University Ave. 920-436-7549
3 Year-Olds 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Kitchen Food Server 6:30 am – 12:30 pm

Children’s Learning Center 2787 W. Mason St. 920-405-9083
Across from NWTC
4K/Preschool 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Float 11:00 am – 6:00 pm

Cornerstone Center 345 N. Broadway 920-436-7554
Two Year-Olds 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Float Teacher Full-time with varied hours

Arlene B. Walter Center 338 Hartung St. 920-468-9235
Guaranteed (30-40 Hours/Week) Substitute for various locations; flexible scheduling
Substitutes-As needed for various locations; flexible scheduling

Bellin Health Center 1823 S. Webster Ave. 920-436-7540
Preschool 8:15 am – 5:15 pm
Kitchen Food Server 6:30 am – 12:30 pm

De Pere Center 2000 Lawrence Drive, De Pere 920-336-1541
Toddlers (2) 8:15 am – 5:15 pm & 7:15 am – 4:15 pm

Kidz in Motion

We are looking for an individual who is caring, energetic, and organized to join our team at Kidz In Motion.
Please apply in person and bring in any certificates, proof of classes, etc. or portfolio for qualifications.
Position is part/ full-time. Apply at 2861 S. Ridge Rd. Green Bay, WI 54304 or call for more info at (920)405-9754.
Please ask for Karen or Sally.

WI Identified in Top Ten Least Affordable for Families with 4-year-olds in Childcare Centers
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For the eighth year in a row childcare is found to be unaffordable for working families including those in Wisconsin according to Child Care Aware of America’s Parents and the High Cost of Childcare Report. Wisconsin was ranked in the top ten for least affordable states for a 4-year-old in a group based center based on a percentage of state median income for a two-parent family.

“While we know early education is critical for setting a strong course for healthy child development, the high cost of child care affects a parent’s ability to choose the child care arrangement and the quality of care they want for their children,” says Paula Breese, Executive Director of Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. “Some families can’t afford the cost of quality childcare so many working families must choose care based on cost rather than what is best for their children.”

The average cost of care for a 4-year-old in a group based center is $9,302 in Wisconsin. This is 11.3% of the median income of a married couple and 38.8% of the median income of a single mother in our state. For a Wisconsin family with two children in center based childcare, the cost of childcare exceeds all other average household expenses like housing, food, transportation and college tuition.

There are many overhead costs to childcare businesses including wages, rent, food, insurance, continuing education, toys and safety materials. “With average childcare wages in Northeast Wisconsin already under $10 an hour there is no room to cut costs there leaving no wiggle room for centers to make it more affordable for families,” says Breese.

Quality childcare options are important for employers and businesses too. Parents whose children are in safe, quality environments leads to higher productivity and children in unstable care environments leads to higher employee absences. According to Child Care Aware of America, “29% of employed parents experienced some kind of childcare breakdown in the past three months which were associated with absenteeism, tardiness and reduced concentration at work.”

“Because of our work with childcare providers and parents we know that some of the difficulties in finding and providing quality childcare don’t have easy answers,” says Breese. “As a community we can raise awareness to the obstacles faced by parents and early childhood professionals so we can work toward policies to make sure all children have access to high quality early childhood settings.”

Exploring Nature through Miniature Gardens- By Sharon Brauer, Training Coordinator

Family & Childcare Resources recently did a class on having miniature gardens in childcare classrooms. It was so much fun and educational! The gardens turned out really great. Here are a couple examples of what your garden could look like.

“Most young children are curious about and fascinated by the natural world around them. To learn to understand their surroundings, they use their senses – hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch. They need many safe hands-on opportunities to explore and experiment within the natural world. (All About the ECERS-R, pp.253)”. Having miniature gardens in a childcare classroom could meet some of the Environmental Rating Scales criteria as well as being a beautiful addition to a room. Here are some of the reasons why.

There are 4 categories under the Nature/Science section of ECERS-R: Collections of natural objects, Living things, Nature/science books, games, or toys, and Nature/science activities.

Collections of natural objects – having the children collect items such as rocks, sticks, acorn caps, dirt, etc. to add to your classroom garden meets this section.

Living things – having your classroom garden accessible at all times to the children and having the children care for the plants in your garden with discussions around it meets this section.

Nature/science books, games, or toys – if you have realistic looking animals/figurines as part of your garden that will meet this. Also adding a book with real pictures talking about gardens and/or the growth of plants will be good as well.

Nature/science activities – if you have magnifying glasses next to your garden so that the children can look closely at all the items in the garden that is an excellent activity. Also, if you have a small pond in your garden you can have tiny boats to let the children experiment with the concept of sinking and floating.

Low Pay For Northeast WI Childcare Teachers

A recent survey of group childcare centers in Northeast Wisconsin shows the pay rate of childcare teachers is just under the national average. Despite the important role they play in early childhood development and school readiness, childcare workers are some of the lowest paid workers in the United States.

“Parents can’t afford the real cost of childcare, which then results in low wages for the childcare teachers,” says Paula Breese, Executive Director of Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. “Due to low wages, staff turnover can be high, which can affect the quality of care.”

Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. collects data from area childcare providers to help connect families to regulated care and to advocate for childcare needs in Northeast Wisconsin. The recent survey showed the average wage in seven northeast Wisconsin counties to be $9.55 an hour just under the national average identified by Child Care Aware as $10.25 an hour.

Quality of childcare is greatly improved when teachers have continued education, which in most fields results in higher wages. In area childcare centers, many teachers have or are working towards an Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree and all teachers in regulated programs have some yearly continued education.

“Because of our work with childcare providers, we know they aren’t doing it for the pay or benefits but because of their passion for improving early childhood experiences,” says Breese. “As a community we can raise awareness to the importance of the work being done by childcare teachers so that we can be sure we are showing appreciation for the teachers and by advocating for programs that support them.”

A New Early Childhood Consultant Joins the Staff!

Family and Childcare Resources of N.E.W. welcomes Diana Zorn to the staff as an Early Childhood Consultant. She is part of a team of consultants who support child care providers in the Youngstar Quality Rating and Improvement System. YoungStar is a program of the Department of Children and Families created to improve the quality of child care for Wisconsin children.

Diana is a Packer’s fan and loves camping. She is familiar with Northeast Wisconsin having grown up in Stockbridge, WI. She attended college at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where she received her Bachelors Degree. She later received her Masters Degree in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood.

Before coming to Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W., Diana worked as a Formal Rater with YoungStar at Wisconsin’s Department of Children and Families. “I loved the position, but working as a remote employee, I did not have a lot of contact with people,” says Diana. “When the position of Early Childhood Consultant, the other half of YoungStar, became available I knew it was time to get back to an office setting where I would have more contact with people.”

Diana will now be bring her experience to work with childcare providers in our seven county delivery area to improve quality through trainings and consultations to prepare for formal ratings.

Diana can easily answer what she is most proud of, “My children! They are great kids with fun personalities (Daughter, Maya, 15 years old and Son, Kyle, 12 years old). I have enjoyed watching them grow into caring, funny, and smart teens.” Diana is a great addition to our team bringing her knowledge of early childhood and dedication to nurturing growing personalities.

During the first five years 90% of brain development occurs, and we can set children on a healthy course for development, which will be needed for school and beyond. Our efforts focus on those first five years while supporting parents to make a big impact on the lives of children in our community. We do this through a variety of programs including home visitation, workshops, playgroups, parenting classes and more. You can help us make a big impact.

Join us for our new Parent Advisory Committee Thursday, November 13th from 5:30-6:30 pm at Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. (201 W. Walnut St.) We will discuss ways to improve the Parents As Teachers home visiting program including ideas for future Group Connections, fundraising options, needs drives, building future leaders, and more. If you are interested please contact Franchesca at franchesca@fcrnew.org call at 432-8899 x7017.

Recently our agency went to tour other agencies in the community to learn about resources available for those in need. As a family resource center, we refer to many community organizations as a network of support. We wanted to get a feel and insight to what happens after we refer our clients to these organizations. One of the agencies we visited that has left an imprint in my mind was Paul’s Pantry.

As an Early Childhood Consultant working mainly with childcare providers, I’m not as connected with what’s available in the community and the referral side of things. I was unaware how our agency is so connected to the community and how much we help those in need. As a referral agency we refer out to anything the client may need assistance with. One of a number of resources we refer clients, who are in need, to is to Paul’s pantry.

Paul’s Pantry was started as a result of a need to care for hungry people in the community who are unable to purchase enough food for their family as a result of their meager or no incomes. Paul’s Pantry is more than just an emergency food pantry. Its goal is to provide a family with enough food every week, for as long as needed, so that they may use their food dollars for shelter, utilities and other necessities to avoid becoming homeless.

The pantry receives no federal, state or local tax revenue it relies entirely on the community, a three way partnership made up of volunteers, food suppliers, and donors. Paul’s Pantry has a volunteer board of directors, overseeing its operation. The pantry was founded in 1984 by the late Leo Frigo.

I moved to the green bay area so I was unaware who Leo Frigo was and how much an impact he had been on the community. Leo Frigo devoted his life to helping others. After he retired as the President of Frigo Cheese, he took it upon himself to start a food pantry in Green Bay.

Leo realized that the amount of food being thrown away by business was shameful and that the unsaleable but edible food could be used to benefit the needy in our local community. He visited all the local grocery stores begging for their surplus unsaleable food, even going as far as jumping into the dumpsters to retrieve food when it was denied.

Leo Frigo obtained the space in a corner of the former St. Vincent de Paul store on Webster Court, (now renamed Leo Frigo Way), Leo organized meetings of volunteers through the churches of all denominations. They have come together in rescuing over 5 million pounds of food from the marketplace each year, all inedible food is given to local livestock farmers, nothing is wasted.

“Waste not, want not,” is the philosophy at Paul’s Pantry.

This philosophy is also part of their distribution. Everyone is allowed to shop for his or her own groceries. People are not just given food they don’t like, but are allowed to choose, and take only what they will use. Again, nothing is wasted.

This also ties in with the most important component of Paul’s Pantry. To restore the hope, pride and dignity of those they serve. While this is done first by allowing a person to shop for his or her own groceries, it is also done by giving an individual the option of volunteering. Paul’s Pantry’s recipients have become valued members of our local community. Leo Frigo has truly made an impact in our community.

When we visited Paul’s pantry we learned the history, how the food is distributed, sorted, and the intake system of clients. All of this is done by volunteers. I was truly amazed how our community comes together to help one another out. I couldn’t believe the amount of volunteering that was going on from all different age ranges. I truly am proud to live in a community that comes together and appreciate everything our community does.

Finding Support for Parenting: Jessica

Jessica pictured with family and friends at the Group Connections activity at Bay Beach. One of the fun activities Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. offers to encourage families to get together and have fun.

“I have no family here. It’s just me and my kids with no support team or anyone to talk to,” says Jessica. She did find support when referred to Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. and started meeting with Parent Educator, Tera Webb.

A little over a year ago, Jessica got a call from the school saying she needed to come pick up her children because there had been a shooting at the school and someone had been shot 17 times. She picked up her kids and went back to her mother’s home in Chicago where her and the 3 children were living in one bedroom. She packed up their belongings and moved away from what she knew was an unsafe and unhappy environment.

She also left behind a past filled with difficulties including death of a baby, pregnancy loss and her own childhood traumas. “What happened back then is past tense,” says Jessica. “I have been through a lot in my lifetime but I don’t let that affect what I give my kids.”

She did still face some difficulties with continued mental illness, failed birth control, concerns with parenting her children and memories of the past. The death of the baby and mental illness led to a temporary separation from the children which took a toll on Jessica and the children.

With them all together and in a safe place, she tried to make every day together good. “I was loose with the discipline,” she says. “I was trying to make sure they were happy and trying to mend what was broke.”

She had increased parenting concerns. She found help with her parent educator, Tera, who provided home visitation through the supernanny program which is a short-term, goal-driven program to help families address a parenting concern and give them the tools to handle future concerns.

Failed birth control led to an unexpected pregnancy, and Jessica had to stop taking her medication, which led to extra stress and more difficulties. Her son Zaheim, 8, who having problems in school and displaying physical aggressiveness towards his sisters at home. Jessica was working with the school and doctors to improve his experiences but felt like others weren’t listening to her.

Tera worked as an advocate for Jessica and the family with others while helping to address discipline issues at home. Tera made sure Zaheim’s mental health concerns were addressed and worked with school officials to make sure the needs of the family were met and they didn’t fall through the cracks. Tera provided information and resources to help Jessica improve discipline and help with parenting methods.

Jessica says Tera is there to talk to her about anything she has questions about. “She gets resources and information and we come up with a plan,” she says. “She provides structure for me too not just my kids.”

A visit from Tera is one of the highlights of the week with the children rushing towards Tera when she enters the door. “She’s here every week. She knows us,” says Jessica.

Tera has been a support for Jessica but has also helped Jessica be a better support for her children. “My mother wasn’t the support team like I want to be for my kids,” says Jessica.

When baby Roderick came so came increased fears of losing another baby and concerns for Roderick’s health. Jessica began participating in the Parents-as-Teachers program, which is more long term and focuses on many aspects of child development and positive parent/child interactions.

Because of Jessica’s concerns, visits were twice a week at first and Tera brought in support from others including a Public Health Nurse to alleviate Jessica’s concerns. As Jessica gained more confidence as a parent the visits became weekly. Tera’s visits include information about developmental milestones, activities for between viosits, activities for children in the community and parenting resources. Jessica also participates in programs like Group Connect at Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. to network with other parents and families.

Tera sees the family on a long path of improved successes. “I’m proud of the relationship we have built together and how Jessica always puts her children first. She has shown so much improvement in happiness and mental health. She shares what she has learned help others with their children.”

Jessica says she tells everyone about the great programming and, of course, Tera at Family and Childcare Resources of N.E.W. She says she can see the better parent she has become after being in this program and hopeful for her children while being their support team. “I want them to experience all the aspects of life I didn’t get to experience.”

Craigslist and Other Websites Don’t Guarantee Regulated Care

Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. has seen an increase in the number of families using their resources to assist them in finding quality care that meets their needs but many families still use websites that do not ensure a regulated provider. The agency is the only unbiased resource who can offer a list of providers that meet minimum state requirements and other sources might not be giving parents the information they want or need.

“Not knowing where to turn, parents often go to the internet but as we know not all online resources are reliable,” says Paula Breese, Executive Director of Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. “With regulated care parents can be assured that minimum state standards regarding background checks and safety are met.”

Parents can also receive resources and information on how to look for quality childcare. They can also learn about how to use and understand the Youngstar Childcare Rating and Quality Improvement System. The Youngstar Rating System allows parents to compare the quality of childcare with a measurable standard.

Parents can receive personalized childcare referrals through an online database found on their website at www.fcrnew.org or by calling the agency at 1-800-738-8899. The referral will help parents find regulated childcare options that meet the needs of the family.

“Knowing their child is safe and taken care of makes it easier for parents to work leading to increased productivity,” says Breese. “Using a variety of tools to make an informed childcare decision will make it easier for parents and their children.”

Active Early – By Cassy DeBauche, Early Childhood Consultant

Through the Active Early and Healthy Bites programs, Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. is working to increase healthy habits and reduce obesity in our community. This work is part of a statewide effort initiated by Wisconsin Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative and Supporting Families Together Association.

Active Early & Healthy Bites have been developed as companion, Wisconsin-based resources for improving childhood physical activity and nutrition. Active Early aims to increase the amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity for young children, while Healthy Bites aims to support environments, practices and policies that promote nutrition

Active Early 2.0 was a three year long pilot program where our Early Childhood Technical Consultants worked with both a group center and family providers to increase the amount of physical activity and healthy meals served in their program. The goal of Active Early is for children to have 120 minutes of physical activity per day, 60 minutes of that being teacher led activities.

There are many long term benefits to starting healthy habits in early childhood including healthier adulthood with lowered risk of disease and reducing obesity. Childcare providers have found the short term benefits to increased activity are that the children are more focused and need less redirection.

The two programs which participated in the three year long project were Encompass-The Cornerstone Center (Group) and Erika Gutierrez (Family). Both participants have made huge strides in improving physical activity. Cassy DeBauche, Gina Linssen, and Jamie Tramte Brassfield were the technical consultants who worked with these programs through the project. They have shared both programs progress and focuses throughout the project. Both participants received a grant to purchase physical activity equipment and nutrition education materials to assist with the projects goals.

Encompass has made improvements in regards to staff wellness, incorporating more physical activity in the classroom through transitions, group time activities, outdoor play etc. They have also incorporated nutrition activities, healthy cooking projects and meals. Encompass also provided information to their parents about less screen time, healthier meals and food items, reading food labels, and activities to do with their children to improve physical activity. This center also is working on a garden project and hopes to incorporate vegetables from their garden into a nutritious family meal at harvest time.

Erika Gutierrez has made huge strides to incorporate 120 minutes of physical activity, incorporating teacher lead physical activities, serving healthy meals, teaching the children about nutrition, and less screen time. There were huge improvements made to the play space for the children with increased play equipment purchased through the grant.

We at Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. want to showcase the hard work and dedication made by Erika Gutierrez. She has put in a lot of time and effort in completing Active Early 2.0. Her hard work and dedication has made a real difference for the children and families in her program.

Check out the photos of the last technical visit so you can see for yourself the benefit of Active Early 2.0. The strategies learned are beneficial to the children, parents, teachers, directors, providers and technical consultants for years to come.

If you are interested in learning about physical activity or nutrition please contact Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. by e-mail fcrnew@fcrnew.org or 920-432-8899.

Funding for this project was provided by the UW School of Medicine and Public Health from the Wisconsin Partnership Program.

The Wisconsin Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative (WECOPI) has spear-headed Active Early & Healthy Bites by conducting needs assessments, securing funds and designing, implementing and evaluating effective prevention strategies. WECOPI is composed of three Wisconsin State Departments: Health Services, Children and Families and Public Instructions, as well as other public and private partners.

Supporting Families Together Association (SFTA) is a non-profit organization funded by public and private entities to support and implement a variety of early childhood focused programs and services. As Wisconsin’s statewide member association for organizations and individuals committed to making every early childhood a great one, we envision an environment in which all children have the opportunity to reach their highest potential and all adults understand their role and responsibilities to children. Learn more about SFTA, our members, and our partners at www.supportingfamiliestogether.org.

Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W is a 501 c3 non-profit organization dedicated to supporting healthy child development by providing high quality education, support and programs to families and early childhood professionals. This organization is located in Green Bay WI at 201 W Walnut St, Suite 100, zip 54303. Their phone is 920-432-8899 with email address of fcrnew@fcrnew.org. learn more about Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. at www.fcrnew.org .

Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. Newsletter

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