This may be a long one....A story about a child that touched your heart
An image of a child’s drawing, and why you chose it
Anything else that fuels your passion for the early childhood field
I graduated college May 2008, a week after getting married, and a week before moving to Missouri for three years for my husband's job in the Marine Corps. I had been working part time for KinderCare Learning Center through the last year of college, and I was able to transfer to the only KinderCare within 120miles in Columbia, Missouri. I knew I was only going to be there for three years. I also knew it was my first "real-world" job after graduation. I gave it my all because early childhood education is my passion. The timing worked the way it did that the kids I had first in the two-year old room, I also had at 3 yrs old and in the Pre-K room. It was like a full circle when the last six months came around and I was back with my original babies. The last three months there, I was promoted to 3rd in charge, or Health & Safety Coordinator. Anyway, my families knew I was only there three years, and no matter how much time we had to prepare for the departure, no one was ready when it was time. This picture is of the cards I received from the families alone of my babies, with the exception of the purple-dog one in the back which is signed by each of my coworkers with stories of what they will miss. These babies that I had been around since they were 2, I was around for their parents having babies, those younger babies I had when they were 2 or 3 and my original babies were in Pre-K....I was a part of some amazing times with these families. My babies signed these cards themselves with their names, and I helped teach them how to write. I also worked with the older kids, the schoolagers, during the summer months because I could drive the bus. The card all the way to the right is from one of those girls I had each summer, and whom I picked up from school everyday. She was a foster kid, in a house of three other biologically related siblings also in foster care. I loved spending time with her and talking to her about the things she likes...she even grew her nails out soooo long, I could never imagine having nails that long....and she drew me that whole card. The card all the way to the left, signed by Mariah, Taven and Delshaune.....still tugs my heart strings to this day. Mariah and Taven are biologically related, in foster care in the household where Delshaune, also foster child, was legally adopted by the family. I had Mariah when she was 2, and again when she was 4 and 5; I had Taven when he was 3 and 4; I had Delshaune in the schoolage room during the summers. They have the greatest foster family. My husband and I would babysit the three of them while the parents went to the fostercare meetings and such....the kids LOVED "Mr. Joe's truck." Even weeks later, at KinderCare, they would randomly ask me when I was going to pick them up in Mr. Joe's truck and take them to the park again. You want to hear stories that touch your heart, I have them about those kids...but I don't think you wanna read another 8pgs on them....the "system" was being way too lenient on the birth mother and hurting these kids with the coming and going out of the foster home. Anyway, the card directly under that purple-dog one is from one of the families of a child I was around from before she was 2, till she was 4. In the card, mom writes, "you have truly meant the world to us and have made more of an impact on Ally's life, more than you will ever know." What fuels my passion for early childhood? The fact that I still get facebook messages of stories Ally made up about me passing through KinderCare one day some week. I get calls from my coworkers to tell me about one of my babies asking when I was coming back and they miss me. I get calls from other coworkers telling me how nobody quite does it like I did. They want me back to fix it again. I was there for 3 years. I taught children from 2 years to 5 years old, and they still remember me and events that happened with me. We all knew it was temporary, but yet I am still very much a part of their lives. How important is early childhood? From the ages of 2 to 5, I had a huge impact on children's lives. I cannot wait to go back to visit and see them again, all grown up and going to school. But, I know that I influenced that. I impacted their lives, and they REMEMBER ME. What fuels my passion? The emotional response I feel when I read over these cards and talk to the families through facebook and hear how these babies still ask about me.
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