Florence Crittenton News — February, 2009In this issue: 
Maria Noriega"People who work in child care aren't doing it for the money," says Maria Noriega, site supervisor at Florence Crittenton Services' child development center in Hayes Valley. "We do it because we love it." And Maria, who started in child care as a volunteer 30 years ago, has a lot of love to give. Born and raised in Mexico City, Maria came to San Francisco as a teenager. She earned a high school diploma, got married and soon had two children. When she volunteered at her daughter's pre-school she discovered that she had a natural ability to work with other children. When her daughter phased out of the pre-school, Maria's supervisor told her, "Maria, you're really good at this. You should think about a career in childcare." Maria appreciated the compliment, but it would be many years before she came full circle to make that decision. Ten years into her marriage, Maria’s husband died and she found herself a single mother. She worked in a variety of jobs over the years. As a translator and as a bank clerk, among other things. She eventually went back to school. When considering her field of study, she remembered her earlier success and enjoyment working with children. She decided to pursue that field and obtained a degree in early childhood development. She began working at Florence Crittenton Services about five years ago as a part-time employee. Around that time she was also employed as a community organizer working with teenage girls at a housing development in San Francisco. When that job ended because of funding cuts, Maria began working full time at FCS. On a typical day, Maria can be seen in a constant state of movement: creating and supervising projects for the children, while at the same time supervising and supporting a staff of child development educators. “Having energy is a very important part of this job,” she says. “So is having patience and the ability to set boundaries with the children in a loving way.” She especially loves watching the children under her care develop. “Watching the children grow is such a pleasure,” she says. “Every day there’s something new to see.” When Maria holds a child in her arms, staying calm when the child is crying and being sensitive to its needs, her mother’s instincts come to the fore. “The best part of the job is knowing that you are part of the nurturing process,” she says. “Even though there’s little funding for childcare salaries, it’s an incredibly rewarding job.” For Maria, the hardest thing about her job is not having the time to accomplish all she needs during the course of the day. That day begins at 7:30 a.m. and often goes to till 7:30 at night when there are parent meetings at the center. That’s especially hard on her staff of young women — all of them go to night school in childhood development as well as work at the Hayes Valley site. The greatest challenge facing childcare these days?
Child Care ChallengesIn an economic crisis, the vulnerable suffer most. In San Francisco, low-income parents rely on subsidized child care so that they can go to work and support their families. But in these dire economic times, subsidized childcare is at risk. Despite the recent passage of the state budget, $147 million in CalWORKS grants may be lost if a federal threshold in President Obama's economic stimulus package isn't met. That could bring an end to critically-needed programs. Child care is a necessity for parents struggling to lift themselves and their families out of poverty, It's also an investment in the future. Numerous studies show that for every dollar spent on child care, there is a corresponding -- and greater -- benefit. "The investment in early childhood produces lower social spending on families, higher tax revenues to government and greater economic security," one study noted. Another study study found preschool participants enjoyed a 29% higher rate of high school graduation, a 33% lower rate of juvenile arrest, a 42% reduction in arrest for a violent offense, a 41% reduction in special education placement, a 40% reduction in the rate of grade retention, and a 41% reduction in special education placement. Clearly, child care benefits entire families. Each month, Crittenton Child Care provides $2,400 worth of service for every infant and toddler but receives only $1,600 in state funding. FCS supporters help us fill the margin of excellence between mediocre service and high-quality care.Touchpoints Comes to SFAfter travelling to Boston in early February, FCS staff are looking forward to introducing Touchpoints training at San Francisco's first training center in late-Spring. Originally developed by pioneering pediatrician T. B. Brazelton, Touchpoints is a way of understanding and participating in family development. This approach empowers parents to discover their effectiveness as parents, guiding them through their children's predictable crises (touchpoints) to support their children's self-esteem and readiness to take on the world. With the support of teachers, healthcare and social service providers like FCS, parents reaffirm their priorities and strengths, and make the most of the precious time they do have to give their children the best future they can. Since 1996, the Touchpoints Approach has been shared with more than 13,000 providers in 80 communities and positively influenced more than a million families. Program UpdateCrittenton Jobs: In early-February, students from Parent University started a new work readiness class. Three are also enrolled in GED classes. Two others are participating in the Green Janitorial Internship at the Visitacion Valley Community Development Corporation. The internship is designed to help community residents obtain a trade in bulding maintenance and leverage anticipated federal funding of Green Jobs initiatives.
|
