Improving Child Care Quality

Problem:
Iowa State University Extension specialists have been actively involved in assessing child care quality in Iowa, using nationally recognized, standardized testing instruments.  Results of these assessments provide information about training needs of child care providers.
 
In these research projects, the category of learning activities consistently scores lower than other sections.  ISUE in southeast Iowa has offered training sessions on a number of the learning activity areas, including math, science, literacy and diversity. ISU Extension has the staff, curricula and organizational skills to offer training which improves the child care quality for learning activities.  Empowerment grants provide resources to pay for staff time, materials for providers and other expenses for child care training.
 
Response:
Empowerment funds provided resources for Extension staff to offer child care training workshops focused on helping providers improve the quality of their dramatic play/pretend play learning activities.  This addressed an indicator of child care quality that has received low ratings in the Midwest Child Care Research Project conducted in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas by Iowa State University.  The workshop was planned and taught by Mary Crooks, Family Life Specialist for ISU Extension.    
 
The child care dramatic play workshops were held October 20 in Wapello and October 28 at the Des Moines County Extension Office in Burlington.  Child Care Resource and Referral provided mailing labels for all child care providers on their list and a flyer announcing the workshop has been sent to them. 
 
Twenty-six child care providers attended the workshop in Burlington and three attended the session in Wapello.  Eight family home child care providers participated in the workshops.  Twenty-one center directors and staff attended the sessions, representing nine child care centers.  The providers learned about what is included in developmentally appropriate dramatic play for young children and how to set up an effective dramatic play area.  Caring CommUNITY funds supplied the child care providers with supplies and materials to improve their dramatic play centers.
 
Participants were actively involved in the learning process.  They took part in mini-workshop sessions to see how to apply what they were learning to help the children in their care receive the most benefit from dramatic play.
 
Participants were also introduced to the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-dramatic play indicator-and how to rate their child care center/home and make improvements.
 
Impact:
In a follow-up evaluation, 22 participants rated the workshop as excellent and 5 as good.  Ten child care providers responded that one of the most helpful parts of the workshop was learning about the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale which is the instrument being used for child care research studies.  They were able to use the rating tool to do a self-assessment of the quality of their dramatic play area and are eager to learn how to use it for other quality indicators in their center or child care home.
 
Participants indicated learning the following:
 

• What children learn during dramatic play and different roles that adults can play to facilitate childrens learning through dramatic play
• Key parts for a dramatic play area
• Learning how to incorporate dramatic play into a learning session
• Ideas for teaching children about work roles during dramatic play
• Ideas for items to have in a dramatic play area
• Teaching children to share and develop social skills through dramatic play

Contact:
Mary Crooks, Family Life Field Specialist
Iowa State University Extension, Louisa County Office
317 Van Buren Street, Wapello, IA   52653
Phone (319) 523-2371; Fax (319) 523-2375
E-mail mcrooks@iastate.edu