Being a childcare provider comes with its benefits and challenges.  One challenge is the inability to take time off for appointments or personal family events.  A childcare providers day usually runs from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.  For a home provider taking a sick day or even an hour off means a loss of income and an inconvenience for the families they serve.  For a childcare center too many staff absences can result in the closure of a classroom.  Just like in a public school, childcare providers can utilize substitutes but the process to become a childcare substitute is lengthy and expensive.

For childcare centers, new subs are supervised by management and surrounded by other staff members who they can go to for help.  A home provider must trust a sub, alone in their own home with the children they care for.  As a result, many home providers rely on trusted friends and family members or go without a sub.

Helping both childcare centers and childcare providers build a pool of qualified, reliable, and trusted subs is one of the goals of the Innovation Center’s Childcare Shared Services Hub.

Through this initiative the Innovation Center will pay for the following expenses associated with becoming a childcare substitute:

• TB Skin Test
• Health Assessment
• KCCTO Training: Foundations for Safe and Healthy Early Care Facilities Module (includes 10 modules comprising 18 hours)
• Pediatric First Aid
• Pediatric CPR
• Fingerprints
• State Licensing & Background Check

In addition, the sub will receive a stipend of $240 when they receive their substitute license.

“The lack of qualified subs is a serious issue to childcare providers,” said Innovation Center Childcare Program Specialist, Dana Jo Stanton. “This initiative allows both childcare centers and home providers to choose a substitute they trust and pay for all costs associated with the process.”

Stanton is eager to build childcare provider sub pools in every county in the Innovation Center service area.  “In addition to connecting with childcare centers and home providers, we are looking for individuals who would like to become a sub.”  The creation of sub pools will be a tangible support for childcare providers in Northwest Kansas. 

For more information about Innovation Center Childcare services, contact Childcare Program Specialist, Dana Stanton at danajstanton@nwkeici.org or 785-874-5150.