The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Erica Gray as the May 2022 Core Value Award winner for Safety!
The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Erica Gray as the May 2022 Core Value Award winner for Safety!
Erica's nomination reads:
"Erica has recently taken over the oversight and facilitation of the RCYCP process. This is a certification for direct care professionals necessary to be able to do this special work. She has been a great partner and has deployed her special skills in organization and system development to ensure that the BCC care team understood the process and provides the necessary support to ensure that all are able to complete the certification. Without an active certification BCC's residential program would be missing a critical part of our care force and unable to meet our contractual obligations."
Congratulations, Erica, 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.
Board of Child Care is committed to a healthy culture where everyone can engage with joy and purpose. In order to achieve this kind of brave space, the agency relies on feedback from you. From Open Forums to anonymous comments provided in our online system and lots of things in between, I hear you and learn from you. This week, we kick off our semiannual, online employee survey – an important tool in measuring employees’ commitment, motivation and sense of purpose in their jobs and their views and attitudes toward our organization.
The survey is incredibly valuable, as it provides insight into what our employees need and want. It also helps me and other Board of Child Care leaders shape future policies and practices that remove barriers and build momentum so we can do our special work from an improving foundation. Some of the things we changed because of staff feedback include: more vacation time, more health insurance options and improved lighting in our communities to enhance safety. Asking staff for their ideas helps make BCC better in lots of different ways!
This year, in keeping with our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategic Plan, the employee survey will give us additional insights into how people identify and where the agency needs to focus to continue our journey with honoring differences, acknowledging uniqueness and amplifying all voices. Our EDI committee helped us add several new questions to the survey, including:
Do you identify as transgender?
What is your family status?
What is your sexual orientation?
Are you a person with a disability?
We also added new statements where employees can share if they strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree or strongly disagree, including:
People are treated fairly regardless of their gender identity.
I believe I work in an inclusive workplace regarding class, gender, identity, race, religion, age and sexual orientation.
I believe staff members are treated fairly at the Board of Child Care.
When I speak up, my opinion is valued.
To protect employees’ identity, survey responses are anonymous. Employees can also select “prefer not to specify” on certain questions.
While I may not have the opportunity to personally meet every BCC employee, I spend hours reviewing each survey response to understand how we can make our employees’ lives and organization great. Thank you for providing feedback. I am hearing you.
Earlier this month, we also hosted our first ever Clinician Appreciation Day. It was tons of fun with more than 50 talented clinicians and interns gathering for a day of team-building, gratitude-sharing, restoration, crafts and food. Each participant also received two hours of paid time off for self-care. Self-care helps build our resilience so we can do our special work, enriching communities one family at a time.
The event was just one of the many ways we intentionally foster belongingness that feeds a deep sense of purpose and joy at BCC. Thank you, clinicians, for being part of our team!
One year ago in West Virginia, we launched our Open Forums initiative – an opportunity for members of our BCC family to share ideas and maintain a culture where we can learn and grow together.
After an engaging discussion, forum participants were motivated to continue these crucial conversations and foster genuine relationships with one another.
That’s why I am incredibly excited that this year, we are implementing bi-annual Open Forums at each of BCC’s six campuses. It’s yet another way our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan 2022–2025 is helping our organization enhance a culture of assessment and accountability for inclusivity at every level.
The idea for these forums was born out of our racism town halls, which were held at our Early Learning Program in Washington D.C.
Here’s how the Open Forums work.
Before each event, leaders of individual campuses meet with EDI Committee members to learn about potential discussion topics and how to constructively receive feedback from staff.
Recognizing some topics may be hard to discuss or trigger emotional reactions, staff members start each forum by reviewing the “safety commitments.” These commitments help participants provide support to each other and give and receive feedback in a healthy and respectful manner.
Then, the discussions begin. After each forum, leaders take what was discussed and come up with solutions to address concerns and improve inclusivity.
For example, during a recent forum at BCC’s Mechanicsburg, PA campus, staff members said they wanted more education to better support LGBTQ+ youth who are transitioning. We are now incorporating intensive training based around the LGBTQ+ community and affirming care for leadership and staff.
To make it easy for all staff to attend the forums, we will offer both in-person and online options.
It’s amazing to see our staff courageously express what they want and need to feel connected to the people we serve and each other.
Our commitment is to amplify all voices. With these forums, we hope to create a safe space where people can open their minds and hearts to endless possibilities.
To learn when your next Open Forum takes place, please reach out to your senior campus leader.
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.
The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Jasmyne Holloway as the February 2022 Core Value Award winner for Impact!
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.
The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Mackenzie Tamblin as the February 2022 Core Value Award winner for Empathy!
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.
The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Julian Coppola-Zahavi as the February 2022 Core Value Award winner for Relationships!
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.
The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Selina Aviles as the February 2022 Core Value Award winner for Safety!
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.
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.
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!
