The Preschool Podcast

Teaching about race starts in child care. As a leader in ECE, you are in a unique position to be a resource for your staff, the parents that you support, and the children in your care. In this episode, we interview Re’Shaun Webb, Founder of Rainbow Institute of Childcare Education, about different strategies to educate all the stakeholders that are part of her center’s social ecosystem. She shares her tips and advice on how to create a safe and racially inclusive space for everyone to learn in. Resources:  R.I.C.E. Website Connect with Re'Shaun at RainbowChildcareLearning@gmail.com

COVID-19 has put a lot of independent child care owners in a problematic position. In this episode, we talk to Amanda Munday, CEO and Founder of The Workaround, a co-working space that also offers quality child care. She talks about the challenges she's facing with reopening her business and the financial reality of running a child care business during the pandemic. 

Teaching and parenting young children is the hardest and most important job in society. In this episode, we interview Richard Biegel, Founder of MindEDU about the free science-based course that is taught by researchers from top education institutions to support early childhood development even in a crisis.  Resources:  Parenting In A Crisis Course

The COVID-19 pandemic has created opportunity for family child care providers to pivot their businesses by offering smaller group care for parents looking for accessible care in their neighbourhood. In this episode, Jerletha McDonald, CEO of Arlington DFW Child Care Professionals and entrepreneur shares her experience and tips on how to build a high quality and sustainable child care business that will succeed in the ‘new normal’.

The early education workforce is key to providing a solid foundation for the youngest in our society. In this episode, we interview Marsha Basloe, President of the Child Care Services Association (CCSA) about the state of the workforce and learn more about the TEACH Early Childhood Scholarship program and WAGE$ program that supports educators in levelling up their own education as well as provides financial incentives for doing so.  Resources:  Child Care Services Website

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a huge challenge for child care providers. In this episode, we talk to Tirusha Dave, Owner & Director of Ellie’s Academy in New Jersey about her experience during the entire pandemic. She shares her experience with reduced enrollment, increased costs, and her journey since March from the start of lockdown to phase 2 of reopening. 

The COVID-19 pandemic puts forward a real challenge for play-based learning methods in childcare. In this episode, we chat with Tob Hobson (aka Teacher Tom) about his thoughts on how early educators can work together to face the challenges of reopening, while maintaining the engagement that children get from learning through play. We talk about the Play First Online Summit that he is hosting on July 20, which is a gathering of the brightest minds in play to figure out where to go from here.   Resources:  Sign up for The Play First Summit Teacher Tom’s Blog

Recruiting and retaining staff in child care has become even more challenging during the pandemic. In this episode, we interview Dr. Thomasa Bond, author, consultant and early childhood advocate, about the realities of staffing in childcare during this time. She offers strategies on how to collaborate with other centers in your local community and how to take a proactive approach towards building your professional network to find the right people to work with on an ongoing basis.  Resources:  Build Your Dream Team (book) Dr. Thomasa’s Website Connect with Dr. Thomasa on: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

Strong finances is key to providing quality care. In this episode, we interview Rachelle Calina, Managing Director of Honest Buck accounting services, on key things to pay attention to when managing your childcare finances, how to get creative about reducing costs through collaboration, and practical steps to take to be proactive about your finances during and beyond the pandemic. Resources: https://honestbuck.adorationllc.com/

Teaching young children to celebrate cultural differences is key to raising a racially conscious society. In this episode, we interview Sarah Farzam, CEO and Founder of Bilingual Birdies, a program that uses music, movement and puppetry to teach children a second language. We talk about how learning a new language can be a great first step to engaging with a new culture and why it is important to have age-appropriate conversations with young children about race.  Resources:  Bilingual Birdies Website Social media: Facebook | Instagram

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments all over the world to rethink how to reopen the labor force and economy and how childcare services fits into the picture. In this episode, we interview Morna Ballantyne, Executive Director of Child Care Now in Canada. We talk about how conversations around childcare have changed because of the crisis and how the field will be impacted as different governments plan on reopening non-essential businesses.   Resources:  Time For Childcare Website  Childcare For All Website Follow Child Care Now on Facebook & Twitter

In this episode, we interview child care veteran Dennis Vicars about what it would take for child care programs to survive through the changes that come with the pandemic. Tune in to learn more about how you can be proactive and get creative when taking on the challenges that will arise as we learn how to live with COVID-19.   Resources:  Connect with Dennis at dennis_vicars@yahoo.com  

In this episode, we interview Meghan Fitzgerald, Chief Education Officer of Tinkergarten, a program that supports parents and educators with play-based learning at home. We talk about how to set children up for success when returning to a post-quarantine life where social distancing is the norm, reframing the idea of developmental regression, as well as how to cope with the stressors of parenting and educating young children during this time. Resources:  Tinkergarten Website How To Prepare Your Kids And Yourself For Reopening Help Your Kids Make Friends With Masks

The COVID-19 crisis has had a devastating impact on child care. In this episode, we interview Lucy Recio, Senior Public Policy Analyst at NAEYC, about the state of childcare as a result of the pandemic, the relationship between childcare and the economy, and the importance of providers sharing their stories to advocate for support from legislators.   Resources:  NAEYC Website Follow NAEYC on Twitter and Facebook America For Early Ed Campaign

In this episode, we interview Yasmina Vinci, Executive Director of the National Head Start Association, about how Head Start programs are responding to the COVID-19 crisis. We chat about the dedication of educators serving their communities and the hidden opportunity behind the crisis. Tune in to hear how the NHSA is supporting educators in their programs. Connect with Yasmina on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The COVID-19 pandemic has really challenged the child care community. In this episode, we talk with Julie Wassom, child care marketing expert, about the opportunities that lie beneath the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. We cover areas where business owners can focus on rebranding and remarketing their services to families in order to hit the ground running when programs are ready to reopen again. Resources:  About Julie Wassom Julie’s Child Care Blog The Enrollment Excelerator  

Join us as we talk about how to build an actionable emergency preparedness plan with Andrew Roszak, Executive Director of the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. He shares his experience on the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic across the states and best practices on how to build out a plan that works in times of crisis. We also talk about steps to take if your center is also open as an essential service to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Resources:  Corona Virus Resource for Child Care Centers Childhood Preparedness Website Childhood Preparedness Books    Childhood Preparedness Facebook Page 

In this episode, Kindercare's Dr. Elanna Yalow shares how the childcare giant is navigating this unprecedented situation. We cover everything from safety procedures for centers that are still open at this time, to maintaining a connection with families, as well as what the “new normal” might look like for the industry after lockdown is lifted. Kindercare’s social media:  Facebook Page Instagram LinkedIn

Community is so important, now, more than ever as we face the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode, we chat with Michele Smith, Director of the West Valley Christian Academy Preschool about how her team has adapted to connecting remotely with their families during the crisis. She shares the different things her center is doing to keep connected with families, as well as her team's process of adapting to the changing situation.  Resources:  WVCA Preschool Website WVCA Preschool social media: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook

Keeping up with the energy of young children during the COVID-19 pandemic can challenging for parents. In this episode, we interview Shawn Brown, creator of the Super Fun Show and owner of Role Model Productions about his fun-loving attitude towards working with young children and how he translates that in his performances and professional development. He shares his philosophy on working with high-energy children and some advice on how to work with them.  Resources:  The Super Fun Show Role Model Professional Development