Volume 34

Number 6

Winter 2003

Story by Ann Houston
Communications and Marketing


All to often, young parents are not aware of all that is required to care for young children. Although parents want the best for their children, many times they are not aware of what is best for their child.

CareerTech’s Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) in Oklahoma has been actively involved in helping future parents learn about a child’s development through life skills, early care, parenting and child development programs taught at 342 high schools. Early Care and Education courses are also offered at 23 technology centers across the state.

These programs will help to produce parents who are aware that the early years are important years. “Development is sequential and parental understanding of age-appropriate behavior and skills helps both the parents and child,” said Bobbie Rogers, family and consumer sciences program specialist and early care and education liaison. “Realistic expectations help to reduce child abuse and create a healthy learning environment for the child.”

Bobbie Rogers

Rogers also serves on the Community Mobilization Committee involving Success by Six communities that relate to the objectives of the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness initiative supported by Gov. Brad Henry. Its primary purpose is to ensure all Oklahoma children will be healthy, eager to learn and ready to succeed by the time they enter school, Rogers said.

Recently Oklahoma’s First Lady Kim Henry traveled across the state on a bus tour promoting the United Way of America’s initiative “Success by Six” whose mission is “helping all children succeed for life.”

Members from local Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), the family and consumer sciences student organization, were called upon to help host at the various bus tour locations.

Sarah Harrod an FCCLA member and junior at Yale High School, along with other FCCLA members, were involved in the bus tour’s last two stops, which were in Stillwater and Perkins. Harrod is currently serving as the FCCLA North Region Vice President.

“In family and consumer sciences I have learned new skills such as the intellectual, emotional and physical developmental stages of children,” Harrod said. “I’ve also better prepared myself for dealing with children and the roles and responsibilities that go with being a mother, and all that goes with that title.

When speaking with Stillwater’s educators, the First Lady focused on the importance of the early years in a child’s life. “The future of your community and our state is largely determined by what we do right now,” Henry said. “The earliest years of a child’s life are a window of opportunity for profound growth of child’s mind and potential. If we wait for kindergarten to begin nurturing children’s minds, we will limit their potential.” Rogers believes that FACS programs are stepping-stones toward that mission, reaching many teenagers before they become parents. “Our classes start as early as sixth grade with lessons on responsible behavior and education in good decision making,” Rogers said. “They are offered throughout high school with a variety of classes. The parenting and child development classes align well with the Success by Six program.”

First Lady Kim Henry visits the four-year-old Headstart program at Will Rogers Elementary School in Stillwater during her statewide bus tour promoting Success by Six, an initiative supporting school readiness. Mrs. Henry read to Jami Denny, left, and Alexis Bailey, right, with their teacher, Amanda Driskel.

FACS programs also address the need for future professionals who will help prepare children for the future through Early Care and Education courses offered at 23 technology centers.

“These programs are designed to develop professionals to work at child care centers which prepare children for kindergarten,” Rogers said. “Upon completing these programs, students can be qualified as a director for a small child care center, lead teacher, teacher assistant or a child development associate. Students can also earn college credit through cooperative agreements between the technology center and community colleges if they decide to continue their education.”

Just recently the Caddo Kiowa Technology Center’s Child Care Center at Ft. Cobb, which is a teaching facility as well as childcare center, earned Three Star Accreditation (the highest) from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Rogers said.

“NAEYC accreditation also lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting the best care and early learning experiences,” said Vicki Rexroat, director of Caddo Kiowa Child Care Center.

Other technology centers with Three Star NAEYC accredited programs include, Moore Norman; Kiamichi at McAlester; Francis Tuttle at Okla. City; Eastern Okla. County at Choctaw; Pioneer at Ponca City; Tri-County at Bartlesville; and Tulsa Tech-Peoria campus. Technology centers with Two Star programs are Gordon Cooper at Shawnee; Canadian Valley on both Chickasha and El Reno campuses, also the Broken Arrow Margaret Hudson Program. A New Beginnings Program is also located at Mid-Del in Midwest City.