Childcaring to hold information session for child care provider startups

MOSINEE, Wis. (WSAW) - According to the child care resource and referral agency for central Wisconsin, Childcaring, its 10-county service area has lost roughly 3,000 child care spots due to providers closing their businesses; that does not account for staffing shortages at centers either.

That makes it challenging for families to find care for their children. While there is no simple solution for this issue, Childcaring is offering people an opportunity to see if they want to build their own business within the early childhood education field.

“It’s really an opportunity whether it is a parent that’s looking to perhaps stay home with their child or if it’s an individual who has been caring for some children and is interested in becoming a regulated childcare provider, somebody that’s looking for a change in their career,” Gayle Schiszik, a certifier and pre-licensing technical consultant at Childcaring explained.

Schiszik is hosting what she calls a child care startup information and resource session on Thursday from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. through an online forum. She said they will go over things like the benefits of becoming a regulated child care provider, different levels of regulation and what is required when, and what resources are available to providers. She said they leave a lot of time to answer attendees’ questions.

This is not the first round of information sessions Childcaring has held. For some, it is an opportunity to know that they definitely do not want to jump into the field. For others, like Jeannie Arndt, who was a certified nursing assistant who struggled with finding child care for her own kids, it helped her see a different path.

“I’m glad that I did the transition because I knew that there was such a need for it and I’m still caring for people just a little bit younger than what I was before.”

A few years ago she got her certification and started Little Racecar Daycare, named for her husband’s ice-drag racing activities.

“Certified was a little bit challenging to get started at first and then once it’s started, then I wanted to be licensed,” she explained she wanted to be able to help more families. Licensing allows family care providers to care for up to eight kids. She is in the middle of that process.

For her, becoming a child care provider was a good fit; she loves being able to watch kids grow and to connect with families.

“I have one little kiddo that has came (sic) ever since he was eight weeks old, and he’s been here and now he’s almost 4-years-old. So I told mom and dad both, I says ‘I don’t know who’s going to cry more, me or you when I get him on the bus to go to 4k this year.’”

To learn more about providing child care or to register for a free session contact, call 1-800-628-8534 or visit: www.childcaring.org for more information.

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