Pictured above are from (l to r) Sen. Lena Taylor, Kenneth Taylor of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, Wanda Montgomery, president of BCDI Milwaukee and Sen. Spencer Coggs.

On August 11, 2012, Milwaukee child care providers had the opportunity to learn more about the State of Wisconsin’s YoungStar program thanks to the Milwaukee affiliate of the National Black Child Development Institute (BCDI Milwaukee). The “Child Care Quality Improvement and YoungStar: What You Need to Know and Do” Forum shifted the focus of child care providers from the rating implications of YoungStar to quality, staff education, and other service aspects of the program.

Kristin Barnes of the National Black Child Development Institute in Washington, DC was on hand to open the day with greetings from the National office. Linda Hassan Anderson (Senior Director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children Academy) in Washington, DC and Lilly Irvin-Vitela (Executive Director of Supporting Families Together Association) offered presentations that included informal participation from attendees, inviting them to consider how they can identify aspects of quality in their child care group and family organizations. The Supporting Families Together Association presented an overview of YoungStar, including the tiered reimbursement system, and attendees entered break out sessions that covered three key YoungStar measurement areas: Education and Training, Learning Environment and Curriculum, and Professional and Business Practices. Attendees also had an opportunity to talk one-on-one with YoungStar Technical Consultants.

The Forum also included a Legislator Advocacy Panel with State Senators Spencer Coggs and Lena Taylor, moderated by Kenneth Taylor of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families. All three encouraged attendees to realize the value of their work, and encouraged them to advocate for the important service they provide to Milwaukee’s children.

The event was held at Caterpillar Global Mining, LLC and was sponsored by the National and Milwaukee affiliates of the Black Child Development Institute with support from the Birth to Five Policy Alliance, Next Door Foundation – Educare School of Milwaukee Brengel Forum, and Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners – Milwaukee Region.

This is the beginning of upcoming events that BCDI Milwaukee has began to collaborate to support child care providers in the City of Milwaukee.

For more information and membership, please visit our website at http://www.bcdi-milwaukee.org/ or call our office at 855-653-2234

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Popular Interests In This Article: BCDI Milwaukee, Child Care, Kenneth Taylor, Lena Taylor, Spencer Coggs, Wanda Montgomery, YoungStar