Careers with a mission!
Staff Spotlight
BCC Child Care Worker -Kimara McKoy
During her busy work schedule, Board of Child Care staffer Kimara McKoy “doing good and feeling good” McKoy took a moment to share her journey with us!
Where did you grow up? I grew up in a small town called princess Ann Maryland.
What University did you attend?
I attended Salisbury University.
Why did you choose to work at the Board of Child Care?
I choose to work at the Board of Child Care because working with kids is something that I am passionate about and something that I have always cared about.
What advice would you give to an inspiring Child Care Worker?
In order to be a Child Care Worker, you definitely have to have tough skin. You have to be willing to step outside of yourself and think about the needs of other people
Do you have any hobbies? In my free time I like to read, cook, and clean.
Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years I see myself with my masters in human services counseling and still working in the Child Care career field.
What is your vision of a perfect world? My vision of a perfect world is one where everyone can love and respect one another despite everyone’s differences.
Name one thing you would like people to know about you? One thing people should know about me is that I am full of laughter.
As a TRUE Guardian of the Galaxy, share with us a/your Super Powers? I would be able to teleport.
Is there anything else that you want me to know about you? N/A.
When you were younger, what was your favorite toy? When I was younger, my favorite toy would have to be the easy bake oven.
For more do good, feel good careers with a mission, visit boardofchildcare.org/careers
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Core Value Award Winner: Abbey Hall
Listen and respond with EMPATHY
Empathy will guide our programming and culture at all levels. A supportive work and program environment means possessing a desire to know and understand others. We recognize that with empathy we will better understand what type of care and encouragement to provide.
Abbey is one of our treatment support specialist at the West Virginia Campus. She works very closely with many of our youth. She is very supportive and dedicated to helping youth work through their issues. Recently, one of them was having a hard time dealing with a trauma that he experienced as a child. Abbey was driven to figure out the best way to support him in his time of need. She did not hesitate to seek guidance to ensure that the youth was receiving the most appropriate treatment. Her ability to show empathy towards this youth made it easier for him to communicate with her, which helped create an open space of communication to process his thoughts.
Abbey, I thank you so much for being attuned to the needs of our youth. Congratulations!
Read more from Core Value Award Winner: Abbey Hall
Core Value Award Winner: Amy Amomatorio
Act with INTEGRITY
Openness and honesty with all stakeholders make for both the best program outcomes and team culture. We, as an organization, must build trust with our program participants by being thoughtful, transparent, and committed to our decisions and promises.
Amy recently was promoted to Director of Education for the Strawbridge school. At the time of her promotion, Strawbridge was facing challenges that led to the program being placed on intensive monitoring by the Maryland State Department of Education. Amy has embraced all challenges set before her and has worked diligently to remedy all issues. She has been determined to change the school’s climate, provide guidance to her support staff and actively demonstrate the core values needed to improve the school. She has dedicated evenings and weekends to provide needed documentation for the state as well as providing needed professional development for her staff. Amy has demonstrated openness and honesty with all stakeholders for program outcomes as well as improving the school teams culture.
Thank you so much Amy for being so responsive and stepping up to the challenge! Congratulations!
Read more from Core Value Award Winner: Amy Amomatorio
Core Value Award Winner: Mario Quezada
IMPACT drives lasting change
We seek to make lasting change in the lives of those we work with by providing services that are durable, measurable, and sustainable. We will maximize our impact by investing in staff and board development. Feedback gathered from our entire community will enhance and strengthen our programs and their outcomes.
Mario is a therapist for our Caminos Program at the Baltimore Campus. He was nominated for impact due to his devotion in ensuring that the youth of the Caminos program are constantly engaged in activities that promote wellness. Mario has joined youth in playing board games, sports, and initiating life skills discussions and huddles to clarify rules and schedules.
Mario pays very close attention to the needs of residents and always reports any issues to ensure follow up and appropriate action.
These daily interactions make a difference in the lives of the Caminos residents here at BCC. Mario, I appreciate your continued dedication and support. Congratulations on this well-deserved award!
Read more from Core Value Award Winner: Mario Quezada
Eagles take flight at the United Methodist Association Annual Meeting
Board of Child Care President and CEO Laurie Anne Spagnola aka LA, Reverend Dr. Stacey Nickerson and our Board Members are in Nashville this week for the United Methodist Association (UMA) annual meeting. The UMA presented Board of Child Care with Eagle accreditation for providing excellence in quality Christian Health and Human Services. BCC pursues nationally recognized accreditations to ensure its programs and operations meet and exceed industry best practices.
EAGLE’s collaborative approach aligns with BCC’s viewpoint that all charities and organizations must come together to solve some of our community’s most challenging problems. Via the UMA we routinely reach out and work with other faith-based organizations to exchange ideas and resources.
BCC deeply appreciates having EAGLE and its incredible network of peer reviewers as guides and mentors to ensuring spiritual wellbeing is closely interwoven throughout BCC’s service offerings and supports for staff.
When asked about BCC’s accreditation and success LA cheered “We are thrilled about it!”
For more information on the UMA and Eagle accreditation click below on “Pathways to Excellence.”
40 Days of Positivity: Congratulations
If you are able and would like to join with our youth in Baltimore in celebrating, you are welcome to come to the Chapel on Wednesday, April 18 from 4:15 until 5:00 p.m. Mr. Shawn will be hosting a small reception. We will have certificates for all of our participants. If you would like me to email one to you, please reply to me with your request.
If you cannot join us in person, please pause wherever you are and offer a moment of gratitude to God for yourself and for all of our BCC family! I will be in BWI Airport, most likely, at that time – but please know that I will be expressing my gratitude with intention.
Keep up the positive actions and positive thoughts!
I will be sending more emails of encouragement. Remember, you may opt out from receiving them whenever you wish.
May the beauty and promise of the butterfly inspire us to embrace change with courage, joy and gratitude!
God’s Blessings to you,
Stacey
Dr. Meg DePasquale will be the new DDA Director of Clinical Services
Board of Child Care Program Director Dr. Meg DePasquale will be the new Director of Clinical Services for the Maryland Development Disabilities Administration starting Wednesday, April 18, 2018!
Dr. DePasquale is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a doctorate degree in Social Work and current Program Director for the Baltimore Board of Child Care. Prior to that, she was an adjunct instructor of social work courses at Salisbury University. She provided clinical supervision at The Benedictine School for 13 years and worked as a primary therapist for adolescents in a residential setting at Edgemeade Focus Point for six years. Please welcome Dr. DePasquale to the DDA.
How do you measure a year in a life?
In daylights? In sunsets? In midnights? In cups of coffee? In inches? In miles? In laughter? In strife? In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure a year in a life?
Measure in LOVE.
Thankful and grateful for the seasons of love we shared with Dr. Meg Despaquale at Board of Child Care. From the entire staff at BCC, congratulations on the next chapter in your journey to be the change in the world.
You’re going to be GREAT!!
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Staff vs. Youth Basketball Game
At the Board of Child Care, we support various recreational activities. One of most recent campus events was a Staff Vs. Resident basketball game. In the game, there was a referee, we had the scoreboard working, we took stats… the game was competitive, but competition wasn’t the focus of the event. One of our goals is to encourage appropriate interactions social interactions, and in order to encourage and guide such interactions we included a physical activity that most people like. At the end of the game, each team high-fived each other and said “good game”, showing good sportsmanship.
Impact
Our final week brings us to the fourth core value of BCC:
Aim for Impact. In other words, we are striving to make a difference.
I invite you to look back over your calendar of these last few weeks.
Does any one action stand out for you? Spirtual
Where were you most challenged?
How have you grown?
What will you do now?
Imagine with me the cumulative effect of all of our positive actions and thoughts blessed by God’s grace. Thank you!
May God multiply our impact for the good of young people and their families in our communities and in our world.
With hope –
Stacey