Types of Mentor/Coaches and
Mentor/Coaching Services
All child
care providers who work with a
mentor/coach must be registered in IdahoSTARS Professional Development System and be eligible for incentives. Directors who work with a mentor/coach must be registered
in IdahoSTARS Professional Development System and do not
need to be
eligible for incentives.
Our mentor/coaches
for Early Care and Education (MECE) Program offers two main categories
of mentor/coaching services: mentor/coaches for Apprenticeship and
mentor/coaches for Individual
Projects.
- Mentor/Coaches for Apprenticeship Program
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The Apprenticeship Program
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This is a nationally recognized program that supports wage increases with increased education and experience.
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A two-year mentor/coaching relationship for any child care provider working 25 or more hours/week in a licensed child care facility and working toward a degree in Early Childhood Education.
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The provider receives 4000 hours of on-the-job training, supported by weekly meetings with an early child care mentor/coach.
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Scholarships are available to help the scholar complete a CDA or college degree.
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Hosting centers are registered with the US Department of Labor as an official Apprenticeship Site to indicate their commitment to excellence.
- Mentor/Coaches for Individual Projects
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Short Term Individual Projects
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Mentor / Coaches with a specific skill set are available to support a home or center
provider through a special project. Mentor/Coaches
may meet with a provider just once, weekly, or monthly, depending on
the project. Mentor/Coaches are available
to support the development of a business plan, communication skills,
parent education, policy and procedure development, staff development,
room arrangement, or any other project. Child
care providers, just ask!
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Child Care Health Consultation
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Child Care Health Consultants act as mentor/coaches to any provider who is eligible for incentives and is seeking input
in the areas of health and safety. Child care center or
family child care homes can access a child care health consultant who can provide
consultation and technical assistance on child health issues. This consultant
has expertise in child health and development, and knowledge about special
needs of children in out-of-home child care settings. Read more about Child
Care Health consultants here.
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Accreditation
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Mentor/Coaches are available to offer guidance, counseling and resources to child care
facilities seeking accreditation through NAEYC
(National Association for the Education of Young Children) or NAFCC (National Association for Family Child Care).
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Environment Enhancement
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Specially trained Mentor/Coaches work with providers who wish to increase the
quality of their classroom environment. Reliable assessors
use an Environment Rating
Scale to observe the environment of the classroom. (The scale looks at everything
from room arrangement, to available materials, to parent/staff interaction.) Then the teachers,
providers, directors and/or mentor/coach look at the scale results and
develop a plan to make the environment better. Mentor/Coaches
work with providers to implement the plan and measure the results.
