Unseen Supports in ECE: Critical in Creating Safe and Nurturing Environments
By Kristen Zell, School Operations Manager at Catherine Hershey School for Early Learning, Middletown
When we think about Early Childhood Education (ECE), our minds are drawn toward the welcoming classrooms, engaging activities, and dedicated teachers. All three are important, however, there are many behind-the-scenes supports that play a critical role in creating a safe and nurturing environment for young learners.
Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning (CHS) integrates these unseen supports, such as transportation, food services, and building security to optimally serve our families and children. These essential elements contribute significantly to a child’s educational experience. Research shows regular attendance in quality center-based care can reduce inequalities throughout a child’s life. CHS works with each family to provide a support system that will help create a foundation of lifelong learning and development. Let’s explore these often overlooked supports and why they are so important to ECE.
Drivers
Access to reliable transportation is a fundamental yet non-existent support in many ECE settings. Families who are over-burdened and under-resourced may find it difficult to get their children to and from school. CHS provides transportation as needed to help eliminate the potential barrier for our families. Families can rest assured knowing our transportation team has been extensively vetted, trained, and certified to transport young children each day.
At CHS, our full- and part-time van drivers are instrumental in providing transportation to children and families on an as-needed basis. CHS strives to provide families with resources and support to advance other important areas of their lives in addition to providing high-quality Early Childhood Education with all costs covered.
Food Service Staff
In Pennsylvania, over 1.5 million people are food insecure. That breaks down to 1 in 8 people and 1 in 6 children facing hunger. It is imperative that children have access to healthy meals for proper development to occur. When children are fed, they will have more success in education. Our nutrition program at CHS provides children with nourishing, healthy meals for breakfast, lunch, and snack times. In addition, CHS promotes family-style dining with our teachers and children to encourage independence, social and language skills, as well as healthy eating habits.
Our Food Service Coordinator and Food Service Assistant work together to plan and coordinate daily kitchen food production for our classrooms while also ensuring food quality standards.
Safety Officers
On-site safety in early education is uncommon but helps ensure children and teachers are protected. Having safe environments allows teachers to focus on creating an educationally appropriate environment and allows children to do what they do best, learn through play. Having a safety team at each CHS Center creates peace of mind by monitoring all access doors and drop-off and pick-up times. They are prepared to response to on-site emergencies, both big and small.
CHS works to ensure the whole child, and their family is supported by removing barriers that may arise. Our dedication to providing high-quality learning communities will grow our vision to transform lives by building the foundation of lifelong success. To do that, CHS relies on and values the Operations team at each CHS location who can deliver these supports. From transportation to food service to safety, we know they are an integral part in delivering the CHS experience at our state-of-the-art centers.
Are you or someone you know interested in making a difference in the lives of children and families within your community? Learn more about key open roles at CHS.
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