Providers receive state recognition

Childcare providers in Sisters Country take their job of providing quality, enriching experiences for children seriously. Two of them - Sisters Christian Academy Preschool & Childcare and Tend'ur Blessings Childcare & Preschool - decided to embark on a rigorous quality enhancement program offered through the State of Oregon.

The hard work involved paid off, and now the programs' principals have earned state recognition for their efforts.

Valerie Perry and Barby Martin of Sisters Christian Academy Childcare & Preschool, and Tammie Birkeland of Tend'ur Blessings Childcare & Preschool have received an award from the governor in recognition of their outstanding quality.

The programs participated in Oregon's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) - a program to raise the quality and consistency of childcare across the state. They completed a rigorous portfolio process to receive a quality rating, which means that these programs meet or exceed standards for quality in the areas of learning and development, health and safety, personnel qualifications, family partnerships, and administration and business practices.

The programs participating in the QRIS process have worked closely with NeighborImpact Childcare Resources to receive increased training, observation, and consultation to ensure programs meet quality improvement goals.

Birkeland told The Nugget that she decided to participate in the program because she simply wants to provide the best program she can in her home-based business.

"My hope is in 15-20 years these people (her current kids) return and say, 'thank you for making a difference in my life,'" she said.

Birkeland witnessed from an early age how big an impact a good childcare provider can have. She grew up with her grandma, who was a provider.

"She made impacts, and that's who I want to be," Birkeland said. "She was kind of my role model."

Birkeland says that the QRIS program "gave me a sense of professionalism. Everything you're doing with intention. It gave me a business plan for 'this is what successful looks like.'"

Birkeland is certified to provide preschool and childcare services for kids from the age of six weeks all the way up to 12 years. She cares for a total of 10 children at her home adjacent to the Timber Creek subdivision in Sisters. There are a lot of outdoor activities, and the older kids lead the younger kids in play - to the benefit of both.

"There's a lot of nurturing that happens," she said. "It's fun to watch them encourage and nurture and love. The dynamic of it actually kind of turns into a large family unit."

The 5-year-old Tend'ur Blessings will soon have openings as a couple of families leave the area. Openings tend to fill fast.

"Sisters has been good to me," Birkeland said. "I've never had a problem with openings."

Sisters Christian Academy offers preschool and childcare for about 30 kids ages 3 to 5 on the school campus at the west end of town. Valerie Perry is the head teacher, and Barby Martin is the school principal.

The program taps some of the teachers at the school to provide music, crafts, stories, writing, art and PE.

"There's quite a bit of free play and guided play," Martin said. "They play restaurant a lot. There's a lot of dramatic play; we have costumes..."

Martin says that the QRIS program provided positive impetus toward maximizing quality - from classroom layout to curriculum.

"I was afraid there was going to be a lot of busy work," Martin admitted. That proved not to be the case. Instead the program focused on practical means to apply best practices. "It's all about making the good better," she said.

QRIS provides an analysis of the whole program, top to bottom.

"It's so rigorous," Martin said.

Both Birkeland and Martin note that many parents are not looking for full-time childcare. Often they are looking for enrichment and social interaction in a good environment. Martin emphasizes that nothing about the academy's program is designed to "replace" parenting.

"My philosophical bent is actually the opposite of that," she said. "The parent is the child's first teacher and the most important one."

Birkeland notes that her childcare program has ranked in the top 15 in the state.

Both programs will continue to apply and enhance the practices developed through participation in QRIS. They know the stakes are high. Research shows that children in high-quality care have higher levels of success when they enter school, continue to do well in school, and have higher earning potential as adults. High-quality settings demonstrate better development of language skills, cognitive functioning, social skills, and emotional well-being.

For more information, contact Martin at Sisters Christian Academy Preschool & Childcare at 541-549-4133, http://www.sisters

christianacademy.com or Tend'ur Blessings Childcare & Preschool, Tammie Birkeland, 541-550-0888. Parents interested in finding additional QRIS designated and quality childcare programs can contact NeighborImpact Childcare Resource and Referral at 541-323-6513.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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