Ep4. Educated, Powerful Women.

This podcast was the continuation of our collaboration with Kate MacCrimmon, a Mellon Public Humanities Fellow with the Center for the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin Madison. In this episode, Kate talks with Abby Abrisham, owner of Careplus Preschool, based in Madison WI. Abby has been operating her FCC program since 1994. Abby talks about existing professional recognition systems such as WI’s YoungStar QRIS and the Registry. She also elaborates how she redefines professionalism in child care she is committing herself, for the families she serves and new as well as future providers.

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Ep5. Providers are trusted members of the community.

This podcast was the continuation of our collaboration with Kate MacCrimmon, a Mellon Public Humanities Fellow with the Center for the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Nicki talks about her ways of maintaining a multigenerational relationship with families in her care as a critical part of her professionalism. She also shares her experience with the regulation systems that have been disappointing and unsupportive, and how the Union she was involved in its formative years has made things different.

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Ep6. This is a career, a profession, and a calling.

This podcast was the continuation of our collaboration with Kate MacCrimmon, a Mellon Public Humanities Fellow with the Center for the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Denise talks about her professional development journey that has allowed her to meet the variety of needs of the children in her care, far before YoungStar QRIS was introduced in Wisconsin. She notes how the existing professionalization system has been a little bit frustrating even for a seasoned provider like her.

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HearUs Podcast

Following the agreement to close Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for girls, one crucial voice was left out of the planning stage, youth, specifically those who have been affected. We set out with the goal to provide an opportunity for WI youth to share their experiences. In this limited series you will hear 6 youth talk about youth justice.

 

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Ep3. “When I Let Someone into My House, You Become My Family”

Host Kate MacCrimmon explores all the things in family child care in Wisconsin with Fernanda Leporace, owner of Paleta Family Day Care. Fernanda talks about her passion for caring for children and families and how her own child often pitches in with the children in her program. She describes how the fatigue from working long hours caught up to her and led her to decide to close one day a week so she had time to care for herself. Her connection to her colleagues and the long lasting relationships are what sustain her in this profession.

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Ep2. “My Daycare Children Always Come First”

Host Kate MacCrimmon explores all the things in family child care in Wisconsin with Silke O’Donnell, owner of Sunshine Family Day Care and AFSCME Union Board Member. Silke talks about her career as a provider and her desire to create a sanctuary for all the children in her care. She shares her personal sacrifices she has made during COVID including living separately from her family, and her work with AFSCME Union as a child care advocate and how close providers came to getting health insurance and retirement before Act 10.

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Ep1. “It’s Just You in Family Child Care”

Host Kate MacCrimmon explores all the things in family child care in Wisconsin with Corrine Hendrickson, owner of Corrine’s Little Explorers and Board President of Wisconsin Early Childhood Association. Corrine talks about how she got started with her family child care program in 2006, and her struggle to find support for children with special needs. She shares the challenges of COVID and how that has increased her work and stress load, but how it has also increased her connections to other providers. Corrine describes her grassroots advocacy and how she has worked with policymakers to create change for providers and children across the state.

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