Know

You likely identify with many roles in your personal and professional life. Perhaps you are a parent, a sibling, a caretaker, a coworker, a supervisor, or a mentor. Take a moment to reflect on the roles with which you identify most. Consider what makes you successful in these roles. Are there certain ideas, visions, or practices that you have adopted to make things easier? How do you engage with others in this role in a positive way? If asked, how would the people you connect with in this role describe you?

As an FCC coordinator, you will wear multiple hats. Just as FCC providers take on the role of business owner and child care provider, you may also have dual roles and will need to adjust your role and responsibilities to individualize the level of support you provide to caregivers. The decisions you make, the systems you set up, the mentoring and support you provide, and the ways you model the value of FCC programming will help everyone feel respected, welcomed, and appreciated.

Throughout this course, we have discussed the importance and complexity of FCC programming and the critical role that FCC providers play in supporting military children and families. In order to create successful FCC businesses, however, the coordinators’ role is equally important. In this lesson, we will discuss the specific role of the FCC coordinator.

The Role of the Family Child Care Coordinator

As an FCC coordinator, your role involves both logistic organization and oversight, as well as the less tangible but equally important responsibilities of creating and sustaining a working environment and relationship that is welcoming and supportive. It is also your responsibility to ensure that providers are aware of and adhere to program policies and procedures, including inspection requirements. This means that your job is to create and sustain both the organizational systems and the culture of the FCC programs you support. While you may support families and children in both direct and indirect ways, you will also help ensure that FCC providers have the support they need to be successful business owners and provide a healthy and safe environment for children to play and learn. The level of support you offer will vary from home to home and should be individualized for each provider. As an FCC coordinator you will:

• Recruit new providers and offer assistance as they begin their business.
• Provide educational support including curriculum planning, environmental design, and family engagement opportunities.
• Ensure that health and safety protocols are being followed.
• Initiate inspections and evaluate and document any program violations.
• Create a network of providers, community resources, and supports for providers and their families.
• Assist with or offer support around practices related to running an FCC business.
• Provide feedback and coaching support.
• Provide professional development and trainings specific to FCC programming.
• Plan activities to connect providers’ families and build a strong support system for all involved in the FCC business.

You play a key role in leadership at all levels of FCC programming. You influence the quality of FCC programs by helping providers and families to connect with one another and providing support and assistance as they develop strong business and caregiving practices. You serve as a resource on a leadership and management level and have the capacity to directly impact the culture, practices, and overall quality of engagement and, therefore children’s development and learning.

Given this information, it is not only important to understand the various roles of a provider but also to engage in self-reflection regarding the balance of your own roles as a monitor for safety, health, and policy compliance versus as a supportive coach. Creating a balance of the two, understanding when each will appear in your work, and having the ability to explain the characteristics of each role and which role you are performing to providers is imperative. Take a moment to reflect on the differences in these roles. Some examples are listed below.

Relationship-Based Leadership

The relationships you build and sustain with the providers you support have a significant impact on the entire FCC program. Strong, positive relationships are critical to all areas of a successful program. Think back to some of the best professional experiences you have had. What made those experiences positive? Why did they leave an impact on you? As an FCC coordinator, you set the tone for the relationships you form with providers. The individual relationships you work to build between yourself and those in each program can support the satisfaction, motivation, and engagement of all. This, then, sets the tone of positivity and support that ripples through each of the FCC programs in your network. You are more likely to retain quality providers if they feel supported by leadership and see themselves as part of a collaborative team.

Once FCC providers have been recruited, the coordinator continues to play a key role in the success of their businesses. Consider for a moment a traditional child care center. Each has direct care staff that engage with the children and families and plan developmentally appropriate curricula. The teachers and caregivers are responsible for designing the layout of their classroom to meet the individual and developmental needs of the children they serve. They maintain health and safety protocols and collaborate with other staff and families on lesson planning, behavioral concerns, and the individual health and development of each child. While direct care staff members are knowledgeable about child development, rules, and regulations, they still need daily support from their peers and program leaders. This is the same with FCC providers. Your support is ongoing and the type of leadership you provide sets the stage for the success of their program.

It is important for a good leader to be relatable, approachable, and available. These values help set the stage for positive, productive relationships. Coordinators should work to build a strong foundation of care that is relationship-based, which will make supporting providers easier and model how they should interact with children and families. Just as providers should focus on children’s strengths and abilities, coordinators should focus on providers’ strengths and abilities. Doing so will help the coordinator work alongside providers to support areas in need of improvement. Relationship-based leadership involves an authentic investment in the personal and professional development of providers.

Nurturing and responsive relationships should be at the core of your practice. It is important to build relationships with each provider to promote trust. You build trust by taking the time to get to know each provider, celebrating and respecting their values and culture, and acknowledging their ideas within their home and program. The relationship between a coordinator and a provider can withstand difficult situations when there is an understanding that the relationship is professional and supportive. Using relationship-based leadership builds a strong sense of community within a program. Part of relationship-based leadership is knowing that different providers may need different kinds of support. Every FCC provider is on their own professional journey and may have different goals, ideas, and objectives. Strong coordinators meet providers where they are and support them to move forward.

Family child care providers who feel respected and supported by their leadership team will likely feel more confident seeking support when needed. This could be with training, coaching, or accessing resources. It is important to remember that there may be times when the level of support required or requested by a provider is higher or lower than is typical. Be sure to plan regular check-ins with individual providers to allow them to reflect and debrief. This will also help you gauge the level of support needed over time. In addition to scheduled check-ins, building a positive, relationship-based leadership style means communicating openness and flexibility. As able, have an open-door policy and encourage providers to call or email you to discuss their questions, concerns, wins, or needs outside of regularly scheduled times.

Systems and Structures for Coordinators

As an FCC coordinator, you are responsible for setting up and maintaining organizational systems that help to facilitate your role within the operations of each program you support. Efficient systems help to ensure a positive working relationship between you and your providers, which supports high-quality care. As we have previously discussed, individualizing the support you give to providers is an important aspect of leadership, however there are a few organizational systems and strategies that can be implemented and adjusted to meet specific needs of all providers. In addition to the systems summarized below, you should develop an agreement that outlines the aspects of your role that impact the provider, the expectations of each of your roles, and how you and the provider will relate to one another. By being transparent about things like the type and frequency of your visits, the observations and assessments you will conduct, and the expectations you will have for the programs you support, you will build rapport and trust, which are essential to the success of your relationships.

Visiting Schedules

As previously discussed, building positive and productive relationships with providers should be an ongoing process. When FCC coordinators make themselves available to providers, they demonstrate respect and build trust, which are aspects of strong relationship-based leadership.

Strong and supportive FCC coordinators should spend quality time in the homes of the providers they support regularly. Being present in the program means more than being physically in the space, observing, or evaluating. Be sure to communicate with providers the intent of each visit. While there are times that observation and evaluation are needed, when that is not the reason for the visit, communicate that and encourage the providers to share ways that you can be most supportive of their time and space. Normalize visits where you are present to simply be a helping hand. For instance, perhaps you plan a visit during lunchtime so that you can do the dishes while the provider spends time at the table with the children. By allowing the provider to have stress-free time to connect with the children and model appropriate mealtime practices, you’re supporting the culture and climate of the FCC home and its caregiving practices. Spending time engaging with not only the provider but also their family, the children, and the children’s families, can help FCC providers see you as a partner in their work rather than an evaluator of their work, which helps build rapport and trust.

Of course, there are times when you visit the home to monitor and inspect for compliance. You wear many hats in your role, so being transparent about the purpose of your visit helps the provider to know whether you are there from a place of compliance or coaching and support. When you are conducting a home inspection, you should be unintrusive to the schedule and routine of the program. The goal of the home inspection is to review all areas of the home while allowing the provider to care for the children as they typically would. Unless an immediate concern arises, rather than interrupting the provider or children, follow Service-specific guidelines for initiating a coaching or debrief session with the provider to give supportive and constructive feedback.

As you are forming relationships with providers, communicate the visiting and observation schedule requirements set by your Service, and explain how you interpret and engage in those policies. For example, describe the purpose for announced and unannounced visits, variations in timing of the visits, and how the frequency and duration of the visits may change over time as the provider becomes more experienced.

Files and Paperwork

As an FCC coordinator, you will be responsible for many aspects of the organization of the programs you support, such as policies, practices, procedures, and routines, and the documents that align with each of these. Your role also requires you to mentor providers on the organization of their files, documentation, and paperwork. Having a defined and coordinated system in place will demonstrate confidence and competence and will model appropriate skills for providers. Consider the tools and strategies you currently use and reflect on what is working and where you could improve. Once you’ve identified strategies that are working for you, communicate those with your providers. Examples to consider are:

• Using a filing cabinet with a section or drawer designated to each program.
• Creating orientation folders for new providers and new families ahead of time.
• Monthly and yearly calendar reminders to check for new resources and update existing ones.
• Visual cues such a dry erase board, color-coded sticky notes, or a wall calendar.
• Using technology and alarms for reminders.

When reflecting on the strategies that work for you, it may be helpful to consider the types of paperwork and files that providers maintain, including:

• Inspection documentation
• Required trainings and a record of completion and renewal dates
• Health records for themselves, their family members, and the children in their care (including immunizations)
• Insurance documentation (business and transportation)
• Children’s files (intake information, medical releases, permission to transport, etc.)
• Family intake information
• Attendance records
• The program curriculum or daily lesson plan examples
• Financial records and receipts for tax purposes
• CACFP and USDA receipts and records

It is important that these records are kept safe and confidential. Share with providers ways to organize and maintain this information and let them know who should be able to access it when needed.

Communication and Collaboration

Communicating regularly and often is key to building relationships and preventing confusion, misunderstandings, and disappointment. Communication is most effective when it is proactive, rather than reactive; regular, clear, transparent communication is needed in your partnership with providers. One of the first messages you should convey as an FCC coordinator is that you value everyone’s input, and that communication is collaborative—you will share information with them, and you are available to them when they have an idea, need some help, or just need to talk.

It is important to create a system for how you will share information and how and when your providers can communicate with you. Once those systems of communication are set up, consider individual communication styles, what is appropriate and necessary to communicate with one another, and listening and feedback skills. It is essential that you think about the specific needs of those you support. For example, it would not be beneficial to or supportive of FCC providers to only be available to talk between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. This is likely the time that most providers are caring for children and engaging with families. Consider offering time in the evening or over the weekend to connect with providers who serve families during the typical workday. To learn more about creative and supportive ways to communicate with providers, see Lesson Two of the Communication and Language Development course in the Training & Curriculum Specialist track.

Beyond your communication with providers, consider the collaborative relationship you have formed with installation supports that impact FCC providers’ ability to operate their businesses. These might include services that support or monitor health and safety, the housing office, background check personnel and other CYS managers, coaches, or coordinators. As you reflect on the ways you build strong relationships with the providers you support through your communication style, remember to apply the same clear, regular, and reciprocal systems to your partnerships with other installation proponents.

Tools to Assess the Needs of All

There are many tools available to assess and support the ongoing and evolving strengths and needs of children, families, and caregivers. Using data collected from environmental rating scales, inspection reports, competency reflections, self-assessments, surveys, and informal observations will allow you to provide individualized support to FCC providers and identify areas for improvement across FCC programs on your installation.

Creating a balance of the types of tools you implement in your practice is important for sustaining quality care. You may have developed some of your own informal tools to assess providers’ needs that work well for you. You are likely also familiar with more formal tools applicable to FCC programs, such as the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale (FCCERS), the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS), and the Family Child Care Program Quality Observation Tool. All quality rating tools should be used to identify the strengths of a program and areas for growth and should be shared with providers to aid in goal setting and mentorship. The information gathered from these tools should not be a summative assessment of the program, but rather an ongoing record of progress. As an FCC coordinator, you can use the information to support individual providers and understand patterns that occur across FCC programs, which can better inform the types of training and other supports you offer to the providers in your network.

Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale (FCCERS)—The FCCERS was originally developed to inform quality assessment and improvement within FCC programs. The scale is used to monitor, evaluate, and guide providers toward creating and maintaining high-quality programs for the children and families they serve. The subscales of the FCCERS include:

• Space and furnishings
• Personal care routines
• Language and books
• Activities
• Interactions
• Program structure

As an FCC coordinator, you may use this tool as a guide to support providers in understanding their current methods and to set goals for quality improvement. You can read more about using environmental rating scales to support continuous quality improvement in the Program Management course.

Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS)—Different from the FCCERS, the BAS is a tool used to measure and improve business and professional practices. The areas in which the tool provides guidance include:

• Professional development
• Income and benefits
• Work environment
• Fiscal management
• Record keeping
• Risk management
• Provider-family communication
• Family support and engagement
• Marketing and community relations
• Provider as employer

As you can see, this tool can be useful in coaching and mentoring FCC providers as business owners to enhance their practices and reduce risk in operating a small business. When the BAS and FCCERS are used in conjunction with each other, they provide a better picture of how the learning environment and business practices are supporting the whole program.

Family Child Care Program Quality Observation Tool—This observation tool, found within the Inspection Management System (IMS), helps FCC coordinators assess competency and document caregivers’ strengths and areas for growth by observing their caregiving practices. The Family Child Care Program Quality Observation Tool covers the many domains that make up a high-quality FCC environment, with a focus on learning activities and interactions and communication with families. While the skills and practices outlined in the tool align with the Office of the Secretary of Defense Inspection Criteria for FCC programs, the tool is meant to be a fluid observation guide that coordinators use throughout multiple visits and complete several times annually. This tool should be used in conjunction with the Family Child Care Provider Self-Reflection, which can be found in the Apply section of this lesson. The information gathered from these two tools can be used to support collaborative goal setting with the provider.

If you are responsible for providing coaching support in your role as FCC coordinator, you can individualize the level of assistance you offer providers by incorporating the tools mentioned above, as well as the Competency Reflections found within the VLS, to document professional growth. Ensuring that providers are aware of these assessment tools from the start will enable you to build upon their knowledge of quality practices. Discussing the ways and timeline with which you will assess providers, their practice, and their environments during orientation will allow you to engage them in ongoing learning and questioning. Communicate the importance of program evaluation as a source for determining what services provided to children and families are working well and what aspects of the program need improvement. Additionally, be sure to cover the ways others will be conducting ongoing assessments of their programs, such as inspections from multidisciplinary teams and higher headquarters, as well as the types of inspections providers can anticipate (monthly, comprehensive, etc.). When providers understand what to expect and the purpose of assessments and inspections, they can better work with you to analyze the data and make changes that will improve the overall quality of their program.

Beyond the standardized assessment tools often used in FCC homes, consider the ways that self-assessments and surveys can facilitate ongoing support of the providers in your network. The details included in these informal tools for assessment will likely look different for each coordinator based on a variety of factors such as geographic location, specific service requirements, number of families served, number of providers in the network, and personal preferences. You should, however, anticipate the tools, documents, and resources you will need to carry out these assessments. In the Explore section of this lesson, you will have the opportunity to brainstorm ideas for self-assessment and surveys that you can use with providers to help guide them in ongoing evaluation of their programs, policies, and practices. You can also create surveys based on the specific needs that you find are common within your programs. In these, consider ways to evaluate the needs of material goods, preferences for lending libraries, the timing of your visits, and needs for coaching and mentoring in individual homes, among other ideas. For more information on assessing and evaluating program needs, see the T&CS track of the Program Management course.

See

The relationships you build and sustain with the providers you support have a significant impact on the entire FCC program. Strong, positive relationships are critical to all areas of a successful program. Listen as FCC coordinators discuss the importance of open communication and collaboration as a way to build and foster positive relationships with providers.

Do

As an FCC coordinator, you set the tone for the relationships you form with providers. The individual relationships you work to build between yourself and those in each FCC home can support the satisfaction, motivation, and engagement of all. You can foster a strong relationship-based foundation of care by:

• Taking time to learn about providers’ and families’ cultures, beliefs about early childhood education, and background experiences.
• Varying your level of support based on providers’ needs.
• Being flexible with the times you are available to provide support.
• Demonstrating respect for all members in the family.
• Scheduling regular check-ins.
• Being positive but understanding of providers’ concerns.
• Creating and sharing an open-door policy and encouraging providers to call or email you to discuss their questions, concerns, wins, or needs.
• Demonstrating proactive communication.
• Being clear in your communication with providers and families.