| A Journey of Connection in Child Care
In 2017, Manitoba was given a new opportunity to utilize funding from the federal government to develop new initiatives that support child care services in the province. One investment was the Circle of Security model, training 125 child care leaders in Manitoba as COS facilitators who would then train educators in their own, and other facilities. This funding has since continued and the positive response in the child care sector has continued to grow. Many centres have experienced cultural shifts, modifying current policies and practices to reflect attachment and relationships.
Join Shelly and Jan as they talk about the COS journey in ELCC. They will share the triumphs, the struggles, and the opportunities that presented themselves along the way. Hear how they used the same COS concepts and attachment principles in their own work, and how they soon realized they were in good company surrounded by colleagues championing this approach.
Shelly Marques is a mother of two teenage daughters, and proud to have been an Early Childhood Educator for 22 years. She has worked in various capacities in the early learning and child care field including as a front line ECE, Inclusion Specialist, home-based provider, Director, and now a Quality Enhancement Worker with the Province of Manitoba, Early Learning and Child Care division. First learning about the Circle of Security as a Director utilizing supports for a child in the program, she quickly came to realize how valuable the approach was and how it spans all relationships. In her current role in ELCC, Shelly oversees the implementation of this approach and works collaboratively to expand this initiative to better meet the needs of educators and leaders in child care. As a trained COS facilitator, she continues to lead groups and further her knowledge and understanding of attachment and relationships.
Jan Ranson started her career with children as a classroom teacher and then as an Early Childhood Educator. She is now with the Early Learning and Child Care Division in the Licensing and Compliance unit. Circle of Security sparked an interest in her to learn more about Attachment Theory and changed how she saw herself in relations hip with children, families and coworkers. She is a proud mom of a second generation ECE who has become the safe haven and secure base to the young children in her care. |
