We are seeing early childhood centers reopening across the United States. Parents and guardians are faced with tough questions regarding possible health risks with placing their children in early childhood centers.
Some parents are having to decide if they can go back to work at all and what choices they have for their children. A recent Washington Post article highlighted the struggle of a nurse in Texas who couldn’t find child care for her two children. “I had no choice but to quit. I want to work, but because of everything that happened with schools and daycares closed, I wasn’t able to,” said Eliza Navarro, 33. “I’ve been working since I was 17. I love working. I love my patients and my job.”
Some 40% of the country’s child care providers that existed pre-pandemic expect to close permanently unless they receive additional public assistance, according to a National Association for the Education of Young Children survey of more than 5,000 childcare providers.
If parents/guardians have the option of sending their child to an early childhood center, there are important considerations they must think through. It is important that parents/guardians assess their own level of comfort when considering sending their children to centers.
The Council, in coordination with its newly created Advisory Committee, has created this set of questions to ask the director and/or educators at early childhood centers:
1. What are the new protocols and procedures that centers will be following now in the classroom?
Centers should be consulting the recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as their state and local government health departments.These guidelines should be checked regularly; they should be complying with all COVID-19 state and local regulations.
2. Is the center conducting health checks on its early childhood educators and other staff members to make sure they are healthy? What are the specific health checks being used for staff?
During these times, health check questions are the new normal. We also recommend consulting the Council’s Advisory Committee’s set of insights, perspectives and best practices, including drop-off procedures, guidance on the check in process and more.
3. How is the center keeping health-care practices updated, and how will parents know about the updates as they happen?
Again, centers should follow the guidelines provided by the CDC and state and local officials.
Educators and center directors are encouraged to build even stronger partnerships with families. These family engagements are based on ongoing, reciprocal communication. Depending on how the center communicates with families, the center may decide to send a daily or weekly communication via email or text. Parents can speak with the director to better understand the expectation for the frequency of communication.
4. What can a parent or guardian do to prepare a child as they reenter the center? What changes should a parent/guardian prepare a child for? Where are additional resources available?
Many children are seeing more and more adults and other children with masks on; however, it is difficult for young children to read facial expressions through a mask. So, adults should talk to children about why it is important that the child’s teacher wear a mask. Parents/guardians should discuss why the teacher will no longer be able to give them hugs and hold their hand. It is suggested that children keep personal items at home such as toys, games, and water bottles. Additional resources can be found on our website.
5. What type of training have the educators gone through? How do they know what to do in the classroom?
There are many pathways for staff to successfully work in a center. This time calls for even more patience and understanding on everyone’s part.
The Council is proud to say educators who have earned their Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential understand how to best work with children during uncertain times. At the direction of the center director, the educators will be provided the information to best serve the children.
The Council will continue to monitor developments as it relates to child care centers and will share resources when appropriate.
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Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
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Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
Vice President of People and Culture
Janie Payne is the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Janie is responsible for driving organizational excellence through strategic talent practices, orchestrating workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management as well as a myriad of other Human Resources Programs. She is accountable for driving effectiveness by shaping organizational structure for optimal efficiency. Janie oversees strategies that foster a healthy culture to include embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization.
In Janie’s prior role, she was the Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing Equal Justice Works Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy focused on attracting diverse, mission-oriented talent and creating an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. With more than fifteen years of private, federal, and not-for-profit experience, Janie is known for her intuitive skill in administration management, human resources management, designing and leading complex system change, diversity and inclusion, and social justice reform efforts.
Before joining Equal Justice Works, Janie was the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for Global Communities, where she was responsible for the design, implementation, and management of integrated HR and diversity strategies. Her work impacted employees in over twenty-two countries. She was responsible for the effective management of different cultural, legal, regulatory, and economic systems for both domestic and international employees. Prior to Global Communities, Janie enjoyed a ten-year career with the federal government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she held key strategic human resources positions with multiple cabinet-level agencies and served as an advisor and senior coach to leaders across the federal sector. In these roles, she received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the creation and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce.
Janie began her career with Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic), where she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility, where she directed a diversity program that resulted in significant improvement in diversity profile measures. Janie was also a faculty member for the company’s Black Managers Workshop, a training program designed to provide managers of color with the skills needed to overcome barriers to their success that were encountered because of race. She initiated a company-wide effort to establish team-based systems and structures to impact corporate bottom line results which was recognized by the Department of Labor. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine.
Janie received her M.A. in Organization Development from American University. She holds numerous professional development certificates in Human Capital Management and Change Management, including a Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resources certificate from Cornell University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and Certified Professional Coach. She is a graduate of Leadership America, former board chair of the NTL Institute and currently co-steward of the organization’s social justice community of practice, and a member of The Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Janie is the Board Chairperson for the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council for Prince Georges County where she is active in developing partnerships that facilitate discussion between parents, families, educators, community leaders, and the PG County school administration to enhance services for students with disabilities which is her passion. She and her husband Randolph reside in Fort Washington Maryland.
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