Bi-Monthly Newsletter - August 2022 |
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Moving Forward with Year 3--Bilingual Successes
Nebraska's Strategic Plan stresses as its first goal the access that children and their families should have to quality early childhood care, education, and services that support healthy development. While barriers to access occur for a variety of reasons, one of the most visible revolves around the language and cultural obstacles the state's Spanish-speaking populations must overcome to find access to the early childhood services they need.
Spanish-speaking early childhood professionals seek access to training that elevates quality of care, opens doors toward licensure, provides financial support, and creates broader communities that act as support systems. Spanish-speaking families need translated materials to access important information on quality care, bilingual communication systems to navigate support platforms, and greater emphasis on cultural inclusion and understanding within the early childhood system. Both groups benefit from personnel who can not only translate but who grasp the cultural differences that can create obstacles beyond language barriers.
Preschool Development Grant funds have made a difference in finding ways to offer Nebraska's Spanish-speaking population greater access to early childhood needs, whether from a professional or family perspective. Just a quick review of bilingual initiatives among the organizations working on PDG projects reveals:
- Important translated brochures, such as Child Care Essentials, Learning Begins at Birth, and the Workforce Commission's Career Advising Guide;
- Bilingual websites and translated materials available on these websites;
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Spanish-speaking employees working with providers and families in their language and advocating for their needs;
- Recruitment of Spanish-speaking parents to provide input on initiatives;
- Designated training sessions provided in Spanish.
This issue of the PDG eNewsletter looks at some of the recent successes in working with Spanish-speaking populations in Nebraska and how they increase access to early childhood systems, how they elevate quality care in the state, and how they build larger more connected communities that help better align the state system. |
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PDG Initiatives Make an Impact |
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How do you bridge a gap created by a language barrier, by differing cultural norms and expectations for childcare, by a system without the capacity needed for family demand and lacking at times in resources for Spanish-speaking providers? For 6 dedicated women working in Lexington, Nebraska, the answer may come in small acts of trust.
Patti Mahrt Roberts of Roberts Early Childhood Consulting describes the situation under which four Spanish-speaking early childhood professionals joined with Patti and interpreter Maria Salas to undertake Pyramid Model Training. Roberts explains, “these providers have to be very careful with money.” In fact, one of the women who joined training had been using three safe but broken cots because she had to make do. As part of the training, the four providers received small stipends, often as checks of about $25. When the women cashed these checks at local banks and stores, they were charged fees of sometimes half the amount or more. How then can they trust the system?
When Preschool Development Grant funds became available to provide coaching and training to these four providers, Roberts and Salas teamed up to start the process of connecting. In the beginning, Salas said the providers were reluctant. “Some didn’t want to join, didn’t know what to expect,” she said. She goes on to add, “we were strangers coming into their homes.” Roberts, too, said there was “definite mistrust in the beginning.” Read the full article. |
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Anyone who has translated documents before knows it’s not simply a matter of converting words from one language to another. The translator must understand the nuances of language, must have a handle on the idiomatic expressions of the language, must be able at times to comprehend the personality of the writer being translated, and also must grapple with the culture of the original material and how it impacts the text.
It was thus no small challenge when, over a year ago, the Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators (CHIME) initiative began the process not just of translating materials into Spanish, but of trying to translate a whole training program into another cultural context. But when Preschool Development Grant funds became available to fund the project, University of Nebraska-Extension educators reached out to specific Spanish-speaking providers across the state to build a pilot project of 7 participants who would begin CHIME training in Spanish.
Read the full article. |
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Expanding Bilingual Business Training |
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Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative (NECC) offers its Business Training Series, developed by All Our Kin (a Connecticut based non-profit). Training is offered in English and Spanish, but, thanks to a new partnership, training for Spanish-speaking providers is expanding.
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NECC, Wendy Knapp (Early Childhood Community Coordinator for the Hastings area), and Alexandra Dillon (Central Region Early Learning Connection Coordinator) teamed with Zyra Navarrete, who is a Bilingual Central Navigator for the area, to create a hybrid-style training for 11 Spanish-speaking providers in Hastings. Because the providers wanted to meet as a group in person, a hybrid format was developed, where Knapp, Navarette, and the 11 interested women are hosted at the United Way of South Central Nebraska, but the Spanish-speaking trainer, Claudia Zapata, presents via Zoom.
The group meets every Wednesday for the 10-week All Our Kin business training series, in which they “are taking a deep dive into the business side of running a childcare program,” as described by Brandee Lengel, NECC VP of Quality Child Care Partnerships. Both the training and all materials are provided completely in Spanish. The training looks closely at such topics as taxes, risk management, insurance, contracts, policies, and budgeting. Read the full article. |
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New PDG Website is Live The PDG website now offers content for systems staeholders, early childhood professionals, and families. Visit individual pages for all PDG-funded initiatives, learn more about community-based work, explore resources, and much more. |
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Social-Emotional Infrastructure, Part 1
Social-Emotional Infrastructure contains 3 parts for building both local and statewide systems to support young children’s social-emotional development. One of those parts includes 15 Spanish-speaking early childhood providers in South Omaha who began to implement the Pyramid Model in their programs in October 2021. These dedicated professionals committed to a 3-year implementation package that contains both training and coaching. This work is happening because of the collaboration of KidSquad, OneWorld Community Health Center, and Nebraska Children and Families Foundation. All of the coaches as well as the coordinator for the project are bilingual and the training has been translated into Spanish.
One provider commented: “I have had a lot of contact with my coach. I like when she comes to sit with me and we talk about my needs and what I would like in my daycare in the future. I don’t feel alone....She comes and visits me and is on the lookout for me. I feel that she is giving me priority and is valuing my work. This group that we have, they are making the effort to help us improve. Personally, I appreciate it because I feel that they are focusing on me so that I am better with the children who are the future” (Family Child Care Home Provider, South Omaha).
Be looking for part 2 of the Social-Emotional Infrastructure update this winter.
For more information on Social-Emotional Infrastructure, please contact Stacy Scholten. |
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Help Me Grow As Help Me Grow of Nebraska nears the end of its 3-year Lincoln/Lancaster County pilot phase, we can look back at the initiative’s successes and set goals for statewide expansion and program sustainability.
Year 1 saw the initiative launch its Centralized Access Point for caregiver referrals via the 2-1-1 call center and the helmegrownebraska.org website. Moving forward HMGNE has set the following goals toward statewide expansion and sustainability: Goal 1: Statewide Support of Families; Goal 2: Promote Sustainability and Growth of Help Me Grow Nebraska Statewide; Goal 3: Support Collection and Analysis of Data; Goal 4: Conduct Advocacy and Promotional Activities.
For more information on Help Me Grow, please contact Richard Helweg. |
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C4K--Bilingual
The Communities for Kids team continues to contract with 9 communities for the Spanish-Speaking/Bilingual Provider Support Initiative. Because of the infusion of PDG funding, more Spanish-speaking childcare providers are receiving trainings and supplies, and those who are eligible are seeing a pathway to licensure that has never before been opened to them so fully. One of the biggest successes is the sheer attention that has been brought to the lack of vital translated materials out there for Spanish-speaking childcare providers. The C4K team is proud of the self-advocacy that is being achieved by these 9 communities.
For more information on C4K-Bilingual initiative, please contact Marti Beard. |
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Needs Assessment
Since May 2022, the Needs Assessment team completed and presented the results of the Nebraska COVID-19 Early Care and Education Provider Survey III. The results from the 2022 family focus groups and the social network analysis were also presented at Nebraska Leadership Team meeting in June and July with reports for each available later this year. For more information about Needs Assessment, please contact Kathleen Gallagher. |
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2022 THRIVING CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES CONFERENCE Monday, Sept. 19
8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (CT)
"This year’s conference will bring together community leaders from across Nebraska and continue building momentum around quality early childhood education and its connection to economic development and community vitality. The conference is intended for community leaders and elected officials from education, economic development, child care, business, government, health care, higher education, philanthropy and more. Community members and experts will discuss challenges, share success stories, learn from each other, and highlight the importance of implementing high-quality birth to Grade 3 care and education."
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PDG has a new Facebook Page--Please be sure to follow us. |
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Mental Health Trainings Offered in Spanish |
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SPANISH Adult Mental Health First Aid September 20, 2022 Designed to provide key skills to help adults who are developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis and helps a layperson to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health illnesses and addictions |
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SPANISH Youth Mental Health First Aid December 6, 2022 Designed to provide key skills to help youths who are developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis and helps a layperson to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health illnesses and addictions. |
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SPANISH QPR Gatekeeper Training September 13, 2022 or
December 13, 2022 QPR is Question, Persuade, and Refer —3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. |
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What does QUALITY early care and education mean to you?
The Nebraska Early Childhood Strategic Plan defines quality early care and education in terms of each child’s experience and describes the conditions that need to be in place to promote a quality experience for each child. The strategic plan calls for using this definition of quality systematically across the early childhood system in Nebraska: in policies, in training and education of the workforce, in family education materials, in child assessments, and provider evaluation tools. Professional early childhood collaborators and families are reviewing this definition in diverse communities across the state.
System Partners’ Perspectives on Quality
Early childhood collaborators who work within and across organizations are invited to complete this Survey on the Definition of Quality Early Care and Education. (click the link to take the survey)
The questions in this survey are designed to be most meaningful to professionals working within and across organizations. This may include state and local agencies, organizations that administer early childhood programs, university personnel, professional organizations, opinion leaders and influencers, and other early childhood collaborators, particularly those who focus on equity issues. The survey will be open through the end of August 2022.
Families’ Perspectives on Quality
Special SPEAQ Up! Nebraska community-based meetings will be held with families, early childhood providers and professionals, and others to get feedback on their experience and expectations for quality care; they are not asked to complete this survey. The meetings will be targeted specifically for their needs.
We look forward to hearing about what quality early care and education mean to you! If you have questions about the survey or the meetings, please contact Sara Vetter (svetter@nebraska.edu). |
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| | Community Language Cooperative Training
Wednesday, September 7, 2022 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm CLC’s services allow organizations to remove language and cultural barriers as a standard component of important meetings, focus groups, and events that impact communities. |
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| Stay up-to-date on early childcare initiatives by subscribing to the PDG eNews. |
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Do You Have Questions? If you have questions about newsletter content, PDG-related activities, or partner organizations, fill out the form at the bottom of our "PDG Progress" page, and we'll find you answers. |
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PDG Partners
Nebraska’s PDG work is led by Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) under the authority of Governor Pete Ricketts, in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE), Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, the University of Nebraska system, and many other partners. |
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This project is made possible by funding received through Grant Number 90TP0079-03-00 , of the USDHHS-Administration for Children and Families, Office of Early Childhood; Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services; Nebraska Department of Education; and Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, following grant requirements of 70% federal funding with 30% match from state and private resources. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Office of Child Care, the Administration for Children and Families, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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