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First Steps Spartanburg and Quality Early Care and Education

Early child care educators in Spartanburg County in South Carolina are to be commended for their dedication and commitment to improving their programs. WHLLG was recently privileged to provide technical assistance and training for First Steps.

The Mary Black Foundation in Spartanburg, South Carolina, has been working with Spartanburg County's First Steps program to improve the quality of early care and education in the area. Vicki Stoecklin, Education Director at WHLLG,  joined the First Steps staff in March 2008 to provide training and technical assistance to early care and education providers.

Vicki Stoecklin, Education Director, meets with Spartanburg First Steps

On-site technical assistance regarding the outdoor environment was provided to child care centers and Early Head Start programs throughout the county. Vicki worked closely with the First Steps staff to provide technical assistance to programs in a group of providers  working on National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation.The First Steps staff provides direct training, on-site visits and consultation to child care centers in their program. Directors prepared with Vicki for the on-site visit by completing a survey with their staff on using the outdoor environment and also attended a one-day training session on how to design and renovate outdoor space. A safety checklist was completed on the outdoor environment, and each center received an outdoor improvement plan, on which the First Steps staff will follow up.

Additional training was provided to teachers on using outdoor space during the 2007 Spotlight On Quality Conference hosted by the First Steps program. The city of Spartanburg was in full bloom in March and the outdoor environments visited ran the spectrum of those that served a small number of families to those serving hundreds. It was fun being chauffeured across the county to see the diversity and commitment that South Carolina directors have made to improve their child care centers. There was one center, however, that rang a special note of enthusiasm and encouragement for me. The Miss Eddie Child Development Center is a smaller facility, owned and operated by Edna Smith. Ms. Smith has made a commitment to serve low income families by keeping rates low enough for all families to attend. In addition to a vibrant and varied indoor space, her outdoor space is a testimonial to what can happen with just a little bit of money and a whole lot of creativity. Miss Eddie's rented outdoor space is on a site full of sand and erosion, but thanks to Ms. Smith's imagination and enthusiasm, the children and staff enjoy an outdoor space full of choices, lots of shade and plenty of play area. Click here to meet Ms. Smith and see her creative outdoor ideas.

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