2011 4-Star Accreditation Essay Contest Winner – Meena Gaafar

 Meena Gaafar’s Essay

Two days ago I received a visit from a 19 year old young man who attended my family child care program for the first 12 years of his life.  After giving me a huge hug he looked around the room and said “Wow, you have really transformed this place. It looks like a great place for children to have fun, while learning at the same time.” I told him that I had to thank NAFCC for this transformation because this was the result of going through accreditation!

I became a child care provider in 1991, primarily because I was the mother of four children ranging from the ages 2-11.  My husband and I could not afford to pay for childcare if I went out of my home to work.  Over the years I joined my local state child care association, attended more than the required training to maintain my state license, and provided the care which was my best at that time.   Throughout this period, I always managed a thought that I will get a job once my youngest turned 12 years because child care is not really a recognizable profession.  During the preparation for this new career I enrolled in my local community college for three years.   I received an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education.  I transferred to a University College where I received my B.S. in Psychology after three years.  During this time, I learned through my local association that there was a grant available for providers to become accredited.  At first I was hesitant, but in retrospect, going through NAFCC accreditation was actually the practical connection to the theoretical framework of my college education. 

Early childhood theorists believed that children pass through states of development in their physical, emotional, social and cognitive growth.  These theorists assume that the way children learn fall into these three categories; environmental, maturational, and interactional.   The accreditation journey, which included monthly visits to other provider’s homes, enabled me to set up my environment to provide opportunities for each child to create, explore, and learn problem solving interaction skills first hand.  I also became aware of methods and materials I can use to accommodate the different learning styles and to motivate the children, taking into consideration each child’s cultural and ethnic background.  NAFCC has also reiterated the importance of providers working in partnership with parents and families.   We, the providers, should work in partnership with the families for the children’s care and education and for our success as effective child care providers. 

The care I have provided in the past always came from my heart and the results make me proud.  The young man I mentioned at the beginning of my essay is attending college with the intention of becoming a teacher, while my own daughter who was two years old when I first started child care will be graduating with and M.ED in Special Education.  They both credit me and my daycare for influencing their choice.  Feedback from the parents is also rewarding.  I remember saying once to a mother of three children in my care that I felt I was taking her full paycheck each week.  She  replied saying that was pretty much the case but that the peace of mind she gets from knowing that her children are in my care is worth every dollar she pays me. 

This is the first time that I have gone through accreditation but this journey has helped me to connect the dots between me being a family child care provider and a professional early childhood educator.  I no longer desire to go out and find a “real” job because NAFCC  has made me realize the important role I play in the lives of the children, their parents, and to the community when I provide quality child care.  I would recommend that every child care provider embark on this accreditation journey.  We may have a wealth of knowledge and experience but there is always room for improvement.  Although NAFCC advocates for quality care for children, the providers are also transformed at the end of the journey.  Thank you NAFCC for the good work you do in advocating for quality care for children.  Thank you for giving the family child care providers the professional recognition they deserve, and for giving me this opportunity to share my story!