This week the Maxine’s Cafe Team cooked and served a create-your-own pasta dish with either marinara or alfredo sauce.
Do you want to join us for the next Maxine’s Cafe? Email us to reserve your spot! communications@boardofchildcare.org
On behalf of the Spiritual Life Team I would like to invite all of you to participate in the 40 Days of Positive Actions and Thoughts campaign!
I will practice being kind to others as well as to myself.
Everyone is encouraged to increase the positivity in our individual lives and across BCC. We will work together over the next forty days (not counting Sundays) to embody our core values of safety, integrity, empathy and impact. Please join us by taking your pledge of positivity!
I make a commitment to strive for positivity in my life for the next 40 days.
All members of the BCC community are invited to make this commitment. Attached you will find a calendar to keep track of your actions. You can write in each day what you do or check it off or place a sticker or color it in – however you want to record how you live out your commitment for each day. The 40 Days begins on Wednesday, March 6.
Feel free to adapt the chart and use it with your family and friends at home or the young people you work with here.
In order to encourage our BCC youth to participate and provide concrete incentives, we suggest that you tie the pledge of positivity in with our PBIS programs already in place. You may reward positive actions with “behavior bucks” as appropriate.
At the end of the 40 days, we will have opportunities to celebrate our commitment to positivity. Please look for the invitations from our Spiritual Life team.
Along the way, we will be supporting our collective efforts through spiritual life programming and weekly emails with specific suggestions on how to implement positive living. Your actions will make an impact within the entire BCC community and beyond.
Make the commitment – take the pledge – and let’s live and act in a spirit of positivity!
With gratitude from BCC’s Spiritual Life Team:
West Virginia Spiritual Life Coordinator – Mr. Aaron Andrews
Baltimore Spiritual Life Coordinator – Ms. Lakia Johnson
Denton – Pastor John Allen
PA – Pastor Bobby Jones
WV – Ms. Barbara Byers, Substance Abuse Treatment Director
Rev. Stacey Nickerson, Director of Church and Community Engagement
Read more from 40 Days of Positivity
From Left to right: Robert Kelly (Board Chair), Laurie Anne Spagnola (President & CEO), Nicole Smith (Executive Director of MD & DC Programs), Bob Kimmons (Board Member), Kevin Gralley (Vice Chair)For Immediate Release
Contact:
Kristian Sekse
Chief Operating Officer
(443) 845-4395 (cell)
ksekse@boardofchildcare.org
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – February 19, 2019. Board of Child Care announced today it had received a best practice award from the EAGLE Accreditation Commission. The best practice award is given to organizations doing standard practices in an outstanding way.
In 2016 a tragedy occurred at a Delaware residential program that took the life of a young lady from Maryland. This prompted the expedited, targeted removal of all MD youth from that facility. The programming needs of these youth were considerably outside the traditional profile served by BCC at the time. Eleven youth ultimately transferred to BCC because of the tragedy, and with the knowledge that significant challenges were expected to serve these young people and their families, BCC sprang into action.
Staff learned skills such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for the Developmentally Delayed individuals (TCI – DD), and were retrained to collect new types of behavioral and environmental data. Major investments in the facilities such as safe, non-breakable windows and calming rooms were made. As the new program progressed its data was tracked and, ultimately, showed very positive outcomes for some of the youth who were previously not considered to be able to be served by any Maryland provider.
In the end being closer to family, combined with a deep focus on prescribed medications and behavior management drove better treatment outcomes. Big picture, the event in Delaware and BCC’s adaptations to its high intensity residential program made an impact at the state level. The State of Maryland released a Request for Proposal that utilized the hard work of BCC as the framework for new programming offered in state. BCC responded to the opportunity in 2018 and is still anxiously waiting the awarding of the contract to serve Emotional, Cognitive and Developmentally Delayed youth and their families.
Kids with complex problems and treatment needs were able to be served in the state in which they live. Being closer to family drove better treatment outcomes. BCC was able to respond to the State of Maryland in their time of need. BCC shared this practice, and our learning with some of our United Methodist partners from different states like WV and GA. BCC developed more capacity to serve some of the state’s most vulnerable youth.
Working with complex trauma is something very few organizations do or do well. During the research phase BCC traveled to providers in California and Oregon widely considered the best in this space. The way BCC prepared to serve this newer, more acute population is a best practice because what was learned from the leading agencies in this space was applied to the new program structure. The results of our data collection drove a new program offering by the state of Maryland.
Disclosure:
BCC’s President & CEO, Laurie Anne Spagnola, was at the time of this award a board member of the United Methodist Association (UMA), the not-for-profit that oversees EAGLE accreditation. However, Ms. Spagnola was not a member of the selection committee nor was she privy to conversations during deliberations for the award.
Read more from BCC Wins Best Practice Award from EAGLE CommissionVolunteers putting together Welcome Bags for new residents on this MLK Day of Service.
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.
Darren is a Unit Supervisor in the Caminos program. For the past few weeks, Darren has led the Young Men’s Focus Group, which consists of the male youth in the residential program along with the staff. Although Darren’s main responsibility is to serve as the Unit Supervisor, he has dedicated his additional time to plan and run this group. The activities and lessons focus on increasing the self-esteem and teaching life skills. Darren has found ways to promote the group across campus, which has resulted in a consistent increase in involvement and attendance since its inception.
Darren, we appreciate the effort you have made to make this group a reality. I know that you are having a true impact on the attendees both during and outside out of the sessions. Congratulations and thank you!
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.
Many of our youth are constantly working through many challenges in their daily life. The role of our staff is very important in making sure that they are supporting our youth in the most trauma informed way. Zach is a Child Care Worker for our Caminos program. He has been seen on numerous occasions taking the time out to make our Caminos residents feel valued by listening to them, attending to their needs, and engaging with them through fun activities like playing board games. Ensuring that our residents are receiving the best possible care while at BCC contributes to our organization’s purpose. Zach I am very grateful for your supportive and therapeutic approach to your work. Congratulations.
Read more from Core Value Award Winner: Zach Jones
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.
Our Denton Campus has recently gone through a few changes and transitions, which has required staff to be flexible and patient. Devon is a Child Care Worker at the campus. He has been recognized for how he has embraced the transition by displaying positive leadership capabilities to his fellow staff. Devon has stepped up to take on additional duties to ensure that the program is fully staffed and running smoothly. He effortlessly displays a commitment to PBIS and has dedicated his time to help guide our young people and staff in a new direction of positive behavior.
Devon, thank you so much for being a role model to your fellow staff and our youth. Congratulations!
The Board of Child Care provides youth with various opportunities to network and express their experiences while in foster care. Below is the story written by one of our youth who participated in panel discussion with other Maryland Foster Care Youth
When I was asked to participate in the MARFY foster care panel, I didn’t have to think twice about giving an astounding “Yes!”. I always enjoy talking about my foster care experiences and giving feedback on what works and what needs improvement. While participating in the panel, I was asked questions such as “How is my therapy going” and “how am I able to calm down when I’m escalated”, and my overarching response was relationships. At the Board of Child Care, I have formed strong relationships with Child Care Workers who understand me and want to see me succeed.
The panel also consisted of a networking session where I was able to exchange contact information with various stakeholders who will be able to help me achieve my personal and career goals, and gave me an opportunity to connect with the Maryland Foster Care Ombudsman who is always available to offer me support and resources when needed. I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity and hope to be able to attend this panel event next year!
Read more from Foster Care Youth Panel Blog Post written by SIL Program Participant
To all our friends, family, BCC staff and Community Partners
for making Fall Fun Festival 2018 a huge success!
Caroline County Department of Social Services
Petals for Hope
St. Martin’s Barn
Human Services Council
Caroline County Health Department-Tobacco Cessation
Click below for photos of Denton Fall Fun Festival 2018