Board of Child Care | Enriching communities, one family at a time.

In Memory of Rev. Margaret “Peggy” Herr Spengler

Posted on March 21, 2022 at 4:37 pm.

A Letter from Laurie Anne Spagnola, President & CEO

The best volunteers don’t necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.

On March 6, 2022, Board of Child Care (BCC) lost a longtime volunteer and loyal friend, Reverend Margaret “Peggy” Herr Spengler.

Peggy was a “semi” retired United Methodist Pastor in the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church for more than 29 years. She served in many pastoral positions and other roles, most currently as Prayer Minister for New Cumberland through Trinity United Methodist Church.

For Peggy, volunteering was a family tradition. Her father, Nelson Spengler, served on the United Methodist Home for Children (UMHC) Board of Trustees for many years and Peggy assumed his board position when he retired. Peggy served as the co-coordinator for the Auxiliary in Pennsylvania and led UMHC’s Christmas candlelight service on gift opening night from 2014 to 2019. We were fortunate to welcome Peggy to the BCC Board of Directors following the merger of UMHC and BCC in 2019. Her generosity of spirit was a tremendous asset as we worked to bring together the shared history and mission of both organizations, and we remain grateful for her time and thoughtful leadership.

My thoughts and prayers are with Peggy’s family as they mourn her loss and celebrate her life of service. Peggy will be missed by everyone at BCC who was so fortunate to have known her. Please click here to view Peggy’s obituary.

In fond memory,

Laurie Anne Spagnola, MSW
President & CEO

Core Value Award Winner February 2022: Impact – Jasmyne Holloway

Posted on March 18, 2022 at 3:49 pm.

The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Jasmyne Holloway as the February 2022 Core Value Award winner for Impact!

Jasmyne's nomination reads:

"Nurse Jasmyne is one of the most determined nurses on campus who is persistent, persevering, assertive, and goes after what she wants without allowing the obstacles to hinder her. One story that touched everyone was when she was completing a youth’s assessment with another staff (Ms. Maria). She asked the youth, “How are you feeling?”, and the youth did not respond. Jasmyne asked again, “are you sad?” the youth looked down and said “yes”. With a caring gesture, Ms. Jasmyne and Ms. Maria asked the youth if he would like to see his sister, to which he said “yes”. Ms. Jasmyne went to the sister’s cottage to bring over the youth’s sister. As Ms. Jasmyne was doing this, Ms. Maria reassured the youth that (BCC) was different from where he and his sister had been placed previously and that he wouldn’t be separated from his sister."

Congratulations, Jasmyne, and thank you!

Impact Drives Lasting Change

We seek to make lasting change in the lives of those we work with by providing services that are inclusive, measurable, and durable. We maximize our impact by investing in staff and board development. Feedback presents opportunity for action, which enhances and strengthens our programs and their outcomes.

Core Value Award Winner February 2022: Empathy – Mackenzie Tamblin

Posted on March 18, 2022 at 3:37 pm.

The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Mackenzie Tamblin as the February 2022 Core Value Award winner for Empathy!

Mackenzie's nomination reads:

"Mackenzie was given the very hard task of informing a youth their mother passed away due to COVID. This is news that no person is ever prepared to communicate and one of the hardest tasks a therapist can face. Mackenzie did an amazing job seeking consultation with supervisors, safety planning for the youth potentially going into crisis, and preparing the treatment team for how the information would be communicated to the youth. Mackenzie then had to deliver the news to the youth and did so in a trauma-informed manner, allowing space for the youth to experience his grief, and was a calming presence in a time of turmoil. The empathy that Mackenzie felt for this youth was apparent in all of the conversations and planning she had leading up to sharing this news with the youth."

Congratulations, Mackenzie, 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 valuing the voices of all people, ensuring equitable representation, and growing a desire to know and understand others. We recognize that with empathy we will better understand what type of care and encouragement to provide.

Core Value Award Winner February 2022: Relationships – Julian Coppola-Zahavi

Posted on March 18, 2022 at 3:32 pm.

The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Julian Coppola-Zahavi as the February 2022 Core Value Award winner for Relationships!

Ms. Julian's nomination reads:

"Jules is our Regional Navigator for human trafficking survivors in Anne Arundel County. One of the aspects of Jules' job is forming community partnerships to increase awareness and identification of human trafficking. Jules partnered with Anne Arundel County Public Schools to deliver a pilot virtual training on human trafficking to high school seniors last year, and the program was such a success that Jules has been invited back on numerous occasions this school year to present in high school health classes across the county. We appreciate Jules' work to sustain relationships with this important community partner, not only because relationships are a Core Value but also because of the positive impact this work is having on students. Thank you, Jules!"

Congratulations, Ms. Julian, and thank you!

Foster Relationships within our Community

Openness and honesty with all stakeholders make for both the best program outcomes and team culture. Inclusive practices are the building blocks for trust. We create space for conversations that grow transparency about our decisions, promises, and understanding of one another.

Core Value Award Winner February 2022: Safety – Selina Aviles

Posted on March 18, 2022 at 3:22 pm.

The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Selina Aviles as the February 2022 Core Value Award winner for Safety!

Ms. Selina's nomination reads:

"Ms. Selina is a Unit Supervisor for the girls' unit in the Caminos Program in West Virginia. Ms. Selina exemplifies safety on a daily basis. We recently have had several vacancies for Campus Supervisor and Ms. Selina is always quick to fill the vacancy without hesitation while ensuring her tasks are complete for her position as well, ensuring safety for the entire campus, and for all three programs. BCC is safer and better with Selina. We thank you Ms. Selina, te agradezco mucho."

Congratulations, Ms. Selina, and thank you!

Safety as A Mindset

We value life, spirit, and health above all else and take action to maintain the safety of our workplaces, programs, and services through a trauma responsive lens. We are personally accountable for our own safety and collectively responsible for the mental, emotional, and physical safety of our community.

40 Days of Positivity 2022 Calendar

Posted on February 25, 2022 at 5:11 pm.

As we find ourselves waiting for Spring to arrive, much like a Pennsylvanian groundhog ducking back into his borough, it is easy to only focus on the dark parts of the story that surround us.

While looking forward to warmer days, shorter nights, and the celebration of Easter, Passover, and Ostara, we encourage everyone to seek out positivity in our thoughts and actions.

Here at BCC, we use the model of the western Christian observance of Lent, a period of self-reflection in the 40 days leading up to the celebration of Easter. As a diverse and interfaith organization, we encourage our community to seek out the good and the positive in a time where darkness can be so prevalent.

To help in this endeavor, we have developed a 40 day calendar with prompts for thoughts and actions modeled around the core values of BCC. We encourage everyone to participate in this as a joint effort for team members, residents, and our surrounding communities.

View Calendar Ver Calendario Read more from 40 Days of Positivity 2022 Calendar

Enhancing Engagement and Intercultural Development

Posted on February 17, 2022 at 2:39 pm.

The BCC Compass – February 2022

Understanding change – how it happens and why it’s needed – can be hard.

As humans, we naturally crave what’s familiar to us. While we can stretch ourselves, leaving our comfort zones is, well, uncomfortable.

That’s why true, long-lasting change takes time.

One of our goals in the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan 2022–2025 is to enhance engagement and intercultural development.

We have laid the foundation for this goal over the past few years, hosting events like our Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations and conducting trainings around bias and LGBTQ issues.

These events and trainings have built upon each other and created uplifting and enlightening experiences for our community. But to achieve deeper intercultural engagement, we need to do more.

Over the next three years, we have committed to sponsoring quarterly, “all staff” professional development events, educational workshops and activities that will raise awareness of inclusion, diversity, equity, biases and microaggressions. One example of this is the anti-black racism workshop we hosted in 2021. More than 200 staff members participated in this workshop, and we look forward to seeing continued interest as we plan our events for 2022.

We will also add more training opportunities for leaders by partnering with EDI experts outside of BCC. These training sessions will benefit the entire organization, as leaders will share the knowledge gained with their teams. The sessions will also be recorded and loaded into our learning management system for all staff members to access.

As we collaborate with more partners, we will continue to curate our library of learning with course content and resources that highlight diverse perspectives, practices and methodologies by various cultures.

This work will take time, but it will be time well spent. Remember: long-lasting change doesn’t happen overnight. The change that sticks is the change that is persistent.

What ideas or topics would you like to see addressed during our professional development events or training? I welcome your feedback!

Warmly,
Laurie Anne “LA” Spagnola
President & CEO

It’s Official!

Posted on February 4, 2022 at 3:14 pm.

BCC has earned its EAGLE reaccreditation!

Educational Assessment Guidelines Leading toward Excellence (EAGLE) is the only faith-based accrediting body in the world, focusing on ministry with older adults and children. EAGLE challenges organizations not just to compete in a challenging human services environment, but to soar above the competition while living their faith values.

BCC’s reaccreditation process was conducted in November of 2021. We are proud of the commendations from the EAGLE Accreditation Commission, including feedback that our values are prominent throughout every level and location of the organization, and our clearly articulated strategy on advocacy allows us to focus our collective efforts to make real progress at the state and national level.

We are grateful to our Board of Directors, leadership, and staff for their commitment to excellence and ensuring our ability to earn accreditation for another four years!

Become A Champion for Kids in Central PA!

Posted on February 4, 2022 at 3:10 pm.

Open House Job Fair in Mechanicsburg, PA

We have immediate full-time openings for rewarding human services work with youth ages 12 – 21 in our Mechanicsburg, PA residential program. We are currently recruiting for 2nd and 3rd shift employees; applicants must be at least 21 years of age and able to pass background clearances and a physical examination.

Please join us for our Open House Job Fair! Learn more about open positions and/or interview on the spot.

Open House Job Fair
Wednesday, February 9, 2022
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

United Methodist Home for Children (A Board of Child Care Program)
5120 Simpson Ferry Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

Current Open Positions Include:
Bilingual Child Care Worker Floater (Up To $2,000 Sign On Bonus)
Caminos Unit Supervisor
Child Care Worker (Sign On Bonus $2000)
Registered Nurse
Residential Child Care Worker ($500 Sign On Bonus)
Youth Care Professional – Residential ($500 Sign On Bonus)
Youth Care Assistant – Residential – Temporary Summer Position

For more information, call:
Kendra Maley, Human Resources Coordinator
717-766-7652 x219

If you are unable to attend the Open House, you can apply by faxing your resume to 717-766-4490 or emailing kmaley@boardofchildcare.org.

The BCC Compass – January 2022

Posted on January 21, 2022 at 9:43 am.

by LA Spagnola

At the Board of Child Care, we have always been committed to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

People with diverse lived experiences and backgrounds consistently come together with unique voices to help push our mission work forward and uphold the belief that we can and will enrich communities, one family at a time.

Still, we never had an established plan to ensure we grow in our EDI efforts.

So last year, our dedicated EDI Committee developed BCC’s “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan 2022-2025” – a three-year plan that includes multiple approaches to elevate the overall culture of BCC. We have identified the following goals:

Enhance engagement and intercultural development
Sustain assessment, accountability and commitments
Expand pathways for access and employee success

Over the next few months, we will dig into these goals on The BCC Compass, sharing our objectives for each and steps we are taking to achieve success.

We will also continue to offer the open forums we launched last year. These forums help BCC leaders understand barriers and identify strategies to increase the overall sense of belonging.

Each of us has a role to play in this important effort. My hope is that in three years, the benefits of diversity and inclusion will become undeniable and will be embedded in the way we create policy, interact with our community and maintain professional environments.

Together, our team can magnify our impact, foster a healthy culture where we engage in joy and purpose and remove barriers while building momentum.

Thank you for joining me on the journey!

Warmly,

Laurie Anne “LA” Spagnola

President & CEO

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