For child care providers and early learning educators, serving the children and families in their community requires a commitment to lifelong learning. To elevate the quality of their care, it is important that providers have access to holistic, engaging, and culturally relevant continuous learning opportunities.
In addition, Washington State’s licensing requirements mandate that child care providers earn 10 State Registry and Training System (STARS) hours per month which they can obtain through qualifying training opportunities. This is why BrightSpark’s Professional Growth and Development Team is here – to support providers in earning these hours and expanding their knowledge by offering a wide variety of STARS-fulfilling classes.
These trainings help child care providers improve their interactions with children and families, implement effective curriculums and transitions, increase their cultural awareness and sensitivity, and so much more. Providers can attend BrightSpark’s quarterly classes which are open to all or request custom trainings for their programs. Classes are offered both in-person and virtually.
BrightSpark receives funding from the City of Bellevue which allows the organization to offer Professional Growth & Development classes to Bellevue-based child care providers free of charge. Lil’ People’s World, a Bellevue-based child care program serving over 80 children, is just one of the programs taking advantage of these classes. The program has enrolled in the free trainings since 2024; many of which are conducted in Spanish. All of the program’s staff participates in the classes together.
According to Lil’ People’s World’s staff members, BrightSpark’s Professional Growth and Development trainings have significantly benefited their program and supported them in elevating the quality of their care.
“I have a better understanding about families and backgrounds. I’ve learned to not judge culture but more to learn, respect, and understand diversity. I have set my classroom environment to be diverse,” noted one staff member. “Representing my students’ culture in my classroom helps make families and students feel comfortable. It helps me build healthy relationships with families. Families feel safe and happy when entering Treetop Village.”
“I have a better idea on how to train staff,” another staff member shared. “Teachers who took these courses have implemented wonderful routines and transitions. Plus, we have noticed an improvement in teacher-child interactions.”
A third staff member said, “I have put into practice the learning within my classroom and students in areas in which I see the most help needed or even just ideas and tips and tricks. I now see that there is more than one way to work around things, [and I have] seen a difference within student and teacher interactions and just the overall care provided to students and parents too.”
When providers have the knowledge they need to thrive, the children and families they support thrive along with them. An investment in providers’ ongoing education is also an investment in children and families – and one that will uplift communities for generations to come.
Photos in this article courtesy of Lil’ People’s World.