“At Siouxland Christian Preschool we believe learning is a life-long journey! We provide a developmentally appropriate program that encourages your child’s growing independence while fostering creativity. Our curriculum engages children with hands-on projects, engaging academics, creative indoor and outdoor activities and interactive play experiences. We are committed to helping children reach their full potential and to partnering with parents,” states Director, Laura Wright.
“Working with Amber (Kollbaum, Child Care Consultant) has been such a benefit as we navigate through licensing and Iowa Quality for Kids (IQ4K®) standards. She is quick to offer her assistance and respond to questions. Amber has been a huge help as I work through the IQ4K application process & policy reviews. She has come in to offer assistance with challenging student behaviors and provide feedback on things we could improve on with our curriculum.”
Some of the collaborative efforts that Amber and Laura have addressed include:
- Reviewing licensing responsibilities for a first-year director and preparing for Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) compliance visits – including regulation checklist readiness, health and safety updates and kitchen preparation.
- Discussions for policy development and goal setting to support an IQ4K application.
- Technical assistance to set up an i-PoWeR Professional Workforce Registry account along with a facility page and connection of all staff.
- Classroom observations utilizing assessment tools to support teachers and implementation of social-emotional behavioral mental health practices.
- Coordination of staff training day for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), an evidence-based approach to supporting social competence and addressing challenging behavior in young children.
- Brainstorming ideas for recruitment of new staff.
- Connecting the child care program with other resources and services in the state.
“We have been blessed to be voted Best Childcare in the Siouxland Choice Awards for both 2022 & 2023. We are able to serve over 100 students in our 2-5-year-old preschool program as well as during our Preschool-5th Grade Eagle Adventure Summer Camp Program. Having a CCR&R Child Care Consultant is a crucial component for our program success,” states Laura.
If your child care program is looking for assistance with professional development planning, action plans, goal setting, continuous quality improvement, environment observations, room arrangement, behavior concerns, creating policies or any number of other free services offered by CCR&R, be sure to visit with your Child Care Consultant! Our mission is to support quality child care to ensure Iowa’s vision is met - Every child, beginning at birth, will be healthy and successful.
