EQuIPD is a technical assistance organization that provides support and advice to early care and education programs in Guilford County to help increase child care quality. We are funded by the Partnership for Children of Guilford County and implemented through UNC-Greensboro.
Our mission is to nurture and empower early care and education professionals & programs with tools to support & sustain success. We work closely with individuals in child care programs to help them problem-solve classroom issues such as room arrangement, teacher-child interactions, and curriculum development. We also assist in enhancing the work environment for staff and provide professional development planning and training.
Though we do not work directly with families, we do help connect early care and education programs with local resources should the program have a child or family with a particular need.
We believe strongly that every child deserves a quality preschool experience so we work diligently to recognize the unique strengths of each child care program while facilitating goal setting for making their programs even better.
To contact EQuIPD, you can reach out to them via email or telephone:
Whether you are a working parent, stay-at-home parent, caregiver, or student living in Guilford, Randolph or Rockingham Counties, finding the right type of quality child care is critical. Child Care is essential to the survival of families, and although used for educational purposes of children, not many people are keenly aware of the financial strain that child care puts on low to moderate income working parents. Including parents who are in school, enrolled in training programs to enhance or expand vocational enhancements in order to adjust to the changing job market needs and make them viable citizens of our communities.
Finding ways to pay for child care often presents a problem for low-to-moderate income families. It is recommended that you pay no more than 10% of your gross income for child care, but without subsidies such as DSS or other private community scholarships…often parents end up paying close to 23% to 25 % of their income on child care.
Parent education offered through Regional Child Care Resources and Referral of Guilford County (RCCR&R) is geared towards a more generic approach for families-parents and child care providers to become informed about child development and early childhood resources. RCCR&R has collaborated with the Family Success Center presently located at Guilford Child Development and has offered families-parents opportunities to attend a wide range of workshops and obtain information regarding the developmental needs of their children. This of course in conjunction with Head Start/Early Head Start, Goodwill Industries, Step-up and other collaborators involved with the FSC.
Finding the quality care most suitable for your child will take time but it offers opportunities for children to boost learning and interact with their peers from diverse backgrounds. Learning about the types of child care available and what makes a quality child care program will help your search to be successful. Identifying alternate means for paying for child care including subsidies through DSS, Federal Child Care Tax Credits, or other scholarships is another help that parents need. Let Regional Child Care Resources and Referral of Guilford Child Development assist you. Our services are free of charge, and we can help you find quality regulated, licensed child care regardless of your needs: full-time, part-time, days, evenings, overnights, weekend or summer. Whether you have an infant or a school age child – for children ages 0 through age 12 – we are here to help!
To contact Guilford Child Development, you can reach out via email or telephone:
When I was a new mom, I wish I would have known just how normal it is to feel completely confused, alone, and scared about what in the world to do with my baby! I had lots of support from family and friends, but I was so overwhelmed when I realized how much I didn’t know, but needed to learn quickly since my baby was there and needed me to get my act together–and fast.
If I could go back in time, I wish I could tell myself during those days that all those insecurities I was having as a new mom were totally normal, that being new parent is extremely overwhelming, and that it would be a good idea to reach out for help when I faced new challenges or wasn’t sure how to handle certain parenting challenges.
We’ve all heard that “It takes a village to raise a child.” There is a deep truth to this that resonates with parents and professionals who work with children. However, what does it really mean to have a village help raise your child? And, how do you start to build a village of friends, family members, and community resources that offers the right types of support for your own unique family dynamics?
Several months ago, our HRI team was meeting with our partners at the Partnership for Children of Guilford County, and we discussed how there is a vast network of community resources in Guilford County for families with young children from all walks of life. However, there’s still a disconnect between the resources available and how well families can connect with them. We decided to work together to help bridge this disconnect, and the idea for this month’s focus on “There is a Village” was born!
The truth is, there is a village of people and organizations in our community who are available to provide support to parents and families facing many unique needs and challenges that can arise during children’s early years. Through the blog series we’re starting today, as well as our two upcoming Family Village Events (see the flier below, and connect to our Facebook event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/182508262361612/), our focus in the coming weeks will be on highlighting some of the many wonderful resources for families of young children that our community has to offer!
We hope to see you at the Greensboro Family Village this Thursday, March 15th, and/or at the High Point Family Village on Wednesday, April 18th, and stay tuned to this blog series to learn more about how to build your village to support your child’s and your family’s growth and healthy relationships! Families in our community don’t have to face parenting alone, and our hope is this series will help you get to know some of the resources in our village that are available to help you through this often challenging phase of life!
Conversations with children and teenagers about future college and career plans can be fun, exciting, and sometimes a little stressful. All this past week, we’ve shared tips and resources to help parents and caregivers prepare to have these conversations with their children. Even with very young children, parents can help guide their children along a path to a bright, successful future.
Of course, every child has a unique future path ahead of them, and parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults can serve as guides and mentors as young people consider the many possible options for their futures. It’s important to keep in mind that conversations about college and careers aren’t a one-time event. Instead, it’s important to keep an open line of communication over time to adapt to children’s changing developmental stages and as their dreams and plans evolve over time.
So, keep those college and career conversations going! And, be sure to practice positive communication skills in the process. For additional support in building healthy relationship skills when parenting, check out our HRI Toolkits on Parenting here: http://www.guilfordhri.org/community-resources/toolkits/.
By Jeannine Harrell, Guile Contreras, Sarah Fleischauer, and Kerry Tousignant
Even though your middle school-age child’s college and career may seem to be off in the distant future, there are some seeds that you can plant even today that will help set the stage for your child to be successful later in life. Yesterday, we offered some tips for getting started planting these seeds. Today, we’ll cover some of the factors to consider over the coming years to help your child get on the path to college and career readiness:
Academics and course selection
Even though colleges may not emphasize grades earned in middle school, how your student performs affects which classes they may take in high school. Students who enroll in Honors, AP or IB courses are more desirable applicants for many colleges. In addition, students who get good grades in AP and IB courses may receive college credit, which will save you and your child time and money.
Teacher Recommendations
Teacher recommendations can greatly influence your child’s college applications. Getting practice in establishing positive relationships with their current teachers will empower your student to do the same with their future high school teachers. Teachers can be a great resource for scholarship information, too.
Test Scores
Middle school students are still learning how to create and stick to positive study habits. Help your student identify areas of improvement now. In a couple years, they’ll be ready for the PSAT, the practice exam for the SAT.
Extracurricular Activities
Does your daughter like building models? Is your son a musical virtuoso? Start brainstorming with your child about their interests and hobbies, and how they can incorporate these by volunteering at their school or in the community. Developing skills and interests now will make it easier for your child to get involved in high school and become a more competitive applicant for colleges and scholarships.
Financial planning
It’s never too early or too late to begin saving for college. College is expensive, but with financial planning, federal student aid and scholarships, you can limit the extent to which money will bar your child from higher education. Include your child in family conversation about finances, especially if he or she will be responsible for some or all of the cost of their education. Though it may seem early to think about financial aid, understanding the nuances of tuition and scholarships will help give you ideas for the most beneficial extracurricular activities and academic tracks for your child.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is one way to receive financial assistance. FAFSA4caster is a tool to estimate your child’s eligibility for federal student aid. It also takes into account various types of loans and grants. Even if you think you make too much money to be eligible, it is worthwhile to use this and other resources.
Besides FAFSA, take a look at other forms of financial aid like scholarships and/or grants. The Office of Federal Student Aid has a terrific guide to finding and applying to scholarships. Additionally, a growing number of educational institutions aim to meet the full financial need of all accepted students. Though private schools tend to have higher tuition compared to public institutions, a school with a promising financial incentive may require less tuition overall.
While your child is in middle school, it’s important to not put a lot of pressure on these college and career conversations. This is a great time for your child to explore their interests and begin to dream of what their future will look like. By supporting your child’s success from this early age, your child can feel supported in looking ahead to a bright and successful future!
Jeannine Harrell, Guile Contreras, Sarah Fleischauer, and Kerry Tousignant are students in the Master’s in School Counseling Program in the UNCG Department of Counseling and Educational Development.
By Jeannine Harrell, Guile Contreras, Sarah Fleischauer, and Kerry Tousignant
As a parent, you’ve likely heard that it’s never too early to talk to your child about college. At the same time, your child has years until it’s time to apply. Is there a natural way to begin the discussion about college readiness without it feeling forced?
A few tips to start:
Talk to your child about the required education and credentials for various careers
Start a dialogue about the benefits of college. Some of the ones that may resonate with middle-school age children are as follows:
College students have the chance to explore topics of interest and meet people who are equally passionate about those topics
College can provide travel opportunities through study abroad
A degree makes an individual more likely to get a job in the future
College graduates get paid more than those with only a high school diploma
Incorporate the occasional college visit into your family vacations. If your child is a fan of a college team, go see the campus. Even just walking by a university campus prompts your child to think about his or her future plans.
Once you’ve gotten started with these above tips, there are some additional ways you can support your middle school student in getting on the path to college and career readiness in the coming years. These include the following:
Facilitate conversations between your child and people in their lives who attended college
Find ways that your child can get involved in the community
There are many factors involved in the college application process. Believe it or not, this process begins in middle school! Check back here tomorrow for an overview of these factors that are especially relevant to parents of middle school students.
Jeannine Harrell, Guile Contreras, Sarah Fleischauer, and Kerry Tousignant are students in the Master’s in School Counseling Program in the UNCG Department of Counseling and Educational Development.
By Alexandra Davidson-Palmer, Katie Hewitt, and Katie Wagoner
These days technology is front and center in all facets of life. We have added links to some of our favorite resources, but we encourage you to talk to your kids about technology. What do they use it for? Is it a sports game, an arts based app, photography? Do they have a knack for writing? Try and pick up on what those skills are and support them! We are not telling you to glue the tablet to your child’s hand, but let’s be realistic—kids are going to use it, right? Might as well make it educational as much as we can. Ask your child what they are doing, engage with them, and show curiosity!
Useful online resources:
Paws in Jobland is a great website for your child to explore different interests and careers. There are tons of careers to explore and ignite curiosity in the mind of your child!
Learn English Kids has songs, games, flashcards and worksheets that introduce different types of jobs and what they do. Many kids also comment on the discussion boards what they would like to be when they grow up.
Higglytown Heroes is a show that introduces children to a variety of occupations by having the problems the main character’s face in the episodes be fixable by “Higglytown Heroes”. The heroes are adults with different jobs in their community. Many of these episodes can be watched for free on YouTube; there are 200 episodes on this playlist.
Alexandra Davidson-Palmer, Katie Hewitt, and Katie Wagoner are students in the Master’s in School Counseling Program in the UNCG Department of Counseling and Educational Development.
By Alexandra Davidson-Palmer, Katie Hewitt, and Katie Wagoner
College and career readiness for elementary school students?! Let’s start off by saying, we know this topic looks a little daunting, especially with your kids still being in elementary school. We get it! We are not suggesting you put down the easy readers and pick up SAT vocabulary flashcards. Not even close. Instead, today we are going to talk a little bit about how you can start planting the seeds in your child’s mind that will eventually grow into thoughts about colleges and careers. Ok, deep breath, let’s do this…
Talk about it
The best thing you can do at this phase of your child’s development is just to talk about it and observe. This is a low pressure time, in terms of talking concretely about college and career readiness. It is, however, a great time to foster a love of learning and cultivate good routines and habits.
Understand how kids (yours in particular) learn and regulate emotions. Early childhood is an important time in the development of their social-emotional competence.
Look for representation in books, TV shows, dolls, etc. Show your child that children of all genders and ethnicities can achieve anything!
Empower your child with diverse experiences. Look for cultural events in your area with kid-friendly activities. Expose them to new cultures and experiences from an early age.
Talk to your child while you are out in the community. Ask them what they think about certain jobs [at the doctor’s office, at the mall, at the grocery store]. Ask what they think that individual does for their work, and what your child thinks about that job. Have a conversation!
Ask your child what they want to be when they grow up! Ask them what they think that looks like, and what does it take to get there. It is not too early to encourage them to explore careers and dreams they may have for their future!
Talk to your child about what they like best about school. What is their favorite thing they are learning about? In these conversations, we can work to foster a love of learning in our children. Encourage them in their strengths!
Now is not the time to drill them on SAT/ACT prep or funnel them down the med school pathway. Now is the time to take the extra few minutes and read with your child. Ask them questions. Observe their strengths.
Ask about guidance at school
Listen for tips and tricks from your school counselors in the school’s announcements and newsletters. In addition, ask your kids what they are working on in their guidance lessons! School counselors love to infuse topics about college and career readiness into our lessons—whether it is talking about how to be a good student, or the education and training required for certain careers.
Final thoughts
We know the topic of college and career readiness can seem daunting for your elementary school aged child, but we hope this post has relieved some of that intimidation for you. At this stage, your child’s dream of what they want to be when they grow up may change daily, and that is okay. Explore those with them, and allow them to dream big! Remember that we are always here as a resource for any questions you have about how to best support your child.
Alexandra Davidson-Palmer, Katie Hewitt, and Katie Wagoner are students in the Master’s in School Counseling Program in the UNCG Department of Counseling and Educational Development.
Parents and caregivers work hard to give their children the best start to their lives to set the stage for their future success. One important part of supporting children in looking ahead to a bright future is supporting them in thinking about their future educational and career goals.
As much as parents long to help their children get the best start to their lives, many often struggle when it comes to knowing how to talk with their children about college- and career-related topics. Parents may be concerned about putting too much pressure on their children, or they may not know how to talk about these issues. Other challenges can arise when parents and children have different ideas about the future plans, as well as when financial concerns about how to pay for college arise.
This week, we’re sharing a series to help parents and caregivers prepare to talk with their children about college and career readiness. And even though this topic may seem most relevant to high school students, we will also explore points about how to set the stage as early as elementary and middle school. Stay tuned all week, and consider how you may start to have some college and career conversations with the young people in your life!
Today, HRI is celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Day as part of Healthy Relationships Week, and we are thrilled to announce our 2018 HRI Kindness Champions. We asked community members to nominate people who they know in Guilford County who are superstars at showing kindness, and we think you’ll agree that the people who were selected as Kindness Champions fit the bill!
Read on to learn about these Kindness Champions—listed in alphabetical order—and the many great ways that they help to spread kindness in our community.
Felicia Bratton (Nominated by LouMecia Staton)
Felicia Bratton is the Finance Manager at the Partnership for Children of Guilford County. Her colleague, LouMecia Staton, shared why Felicia is a Kindness Champion in the following way: “Not only does Felicia bring such wonderful expertise and knowledge to the finance field, but she also brings her heart of gold and compassion. Felicia is always thinking of ways to empower and encourage our staff and provides love and support through her community involvement and endeavors. She is the mother to two beautiful daughters and loves them with a sweet and beautiful love. She constantly thinks of the well-being and comfort of others before herself and has demonstrated this as both a colleague and a friend. It is often times that those who are overlooked provide the best kindness in this world.”
Sonya Desai (Nominated by Catherine Johnson)
Sonya Desai is the Client Services Coordinator at the Guilford County Family Justice Center in Greensboro. Sonya is known for her quiet determination to do all she can to help others. Catherine Johnson, who nominated Sonya, had this to say: “I have had the privilege of working with Sonya over the last three years. Time and time again, she demonstrates compassion for those who are hurting. Her generosity and giving heart is extended to all, including clients seeking services from the FJC, professionals throughout the community, friends, family, and even strangers. Sonya is also a master at building community. She is so well respected and connected that she can bring folks together from all different walks of life for the greater good. For example, she orchestrated a group of nearly 15 to travel to Philadelphia to participate in a race in remembrance of a dear friend and community leader. When I think of good, I think of Sonya, and that is why I think she is the kindest person I know in Guilford County.” Sonya shared this picture with us and said the following: “I chose this photo for a reason as it is a picture of my friends who ran Philadelphia with me in order to honor and remember a friend who left this world too soon. It has become apparent to me that our ability to be kind and seek goodness in the world is influenced by those who surround us.”
Michael Person (Nominated by Yubisela Aranda Sandoval and Amber Robinson)
Michael is the Director of the Weaver House at Urban Ministry. His nominators spoke highly of how he treats others with kindness. Yubisela Sandoval said, “Since I met Michael, I have seen him advocate tirelessly for many individuals no matter their background. He goes above and beyond for every single one of his clients treating them with dignity, respect. Having someone like Michael who is selfless and always looks out for others makes our city of Greensboro a gem.” Amber Robinson added that Michael “is a Kindness Champion because he goes above and beyond to treat the underserved, disenfranchised and disadvantage with dignity and humanity. When everyone else treats them less than, he ensures that he restores their esteem and patiently gives them a voice. He also gives the homeless population that he serves a standard, accountability, as well as the benefit of the doubt when mistakes are made. While working long hours at low pay, he still finds time to help friends move, emergency dog sit, and visit regularly a friend that was recently diagnosed with cancer all while studying for an exam, making home improvements, and writing a book. He’s not perfect, he just strives to be of service and stay in productive motion.”
Anthony and Nancy Woodyard (Nominated by Sarah Pritchard)
Anthony and Nancy Woodyard were nominated as kindness champions by the Family Support Network of Central Carolina. Sarah Pritchard shard the story of their kindness as follows: “We were connected with Nancy and Anthony over ten years ago when their daughter, Tessa, was in the NICU at Women’s Hospital. Unfortunately, Tessa never got to leave the unit – but her story did not die there thanks to her loving parents.
“This amazing couple wanted to honor their daughter’s memory in a way that would touch hundreds of other little lives in our community and so FSNCC’s ‘Adopt-A-Frog’ program was born. The Woodyards knew how much Tessa loved her ‘frog’ that she received while she was in the NICU; Frogs are bean bag positioning aids that provide comfort to little ones in the isolette. Thanks to the Woodyards and our generous donors, now any baby in the NICU at Women’s Hospital can receive a frog. In addition to this gesture, the Woodyards have donated and hosted countless blood drives throughout the community in Tessa’s memory. They continue to be loyal volunteers in many programs and activities at Family Support Network. The Woodyards choose to lead a life full of love and kindness every day, making them both champions in our eyes.”
Felicia Bratton (Nominated by LouMecia Staton)
Sonya Desai (Nominated by Catherine Johnson)
Michael Person (Nominated by Yubisela Aranda Sandoval and Amber Robinson)
Anthony and Nancy Woodyard (Nominated by Sarah Pritchard)