Every Dollar Counts
Tuition Support Options Help Families Access Child Care
“We’re in a hands-on career – we're raising and educating the next generation,” said Evangeline Lancaster, director of Fairlawn Children’s Center. “We have to invest whatever we can to make sure these children are successful in the future.”
At Fairlawn, an Evansville child care center serving more than 50 children ages 1-5, that means ensuring families have access to developmental screenings, focusing on professional development and connecting with child care support services.
Every child at Fairlawn is screened for developmental milestones using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires® and the Brigance® early childhood inventory, helping families to identify areas where a child may need additional support. Staff also utilize the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA), which focuses on identifying key social and emotional strengths and offers strategies to promote children’s resilience. Lancaster sends home a copy of the DECA and asks parents to fill it out as well. “Some children do act differently at home than at school,” she said. “So having the parents provide that assessment along with the teacher helps give a full picture of that child’s behavior and helps make sure caregivers are included in the process.”
After the screenings are completed, Fairlawn staff review the results with parents and caregivers – and that’s where Lancaster and her team go above and beyond. “Many parents aren’t aware of what these screenings can tell them about their child’s milestones, or how important it is to identify any concerns early so the child can receive the services and supports they need,” Lancaster said. “Do we need to schedule a doctor’s visit to have their hearing checked? Do we need to have their vision checked? Maybe there’s social-emotional therapy that could be helpful. We can talk about all these resources with parents and answer questions.”
Connecting with the right providers for next steps can also be confusing or overwhelming for parents. “We help by sending in referrals to First Steps if the child is under 3 or connecting them with the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation early childhood department if they are over 3,” Lancaster said. “I’ll make phone calls alongside the parents to help advocate for their child and make sure they get connected. If the child needs developmental preschool or developmental kindergarten, we can help the parents navigate that process.”
Fairlawn also participates in the Regional Training Center (RTC) program through Building Blocks, which Lancaster credits with providing hands-on training opportunities and classroom coaching for her staff. Even though program participation does require additional effort, Lancaster emphasizes that it’s worth it in exchange for the support the teachers receive. “Our staff is trained in and practices conscious discipline, but maybe there’s a specific challenge in one classroom and the teacher isn’t sure how to translate those ideas into practice,” she said. “Through the RTC model, a coach will come out to the classroom and work directly with the teacher to see how to best implement certain practices or how to best set that child up for success. So it does come with some extra effort on our part, but it also comes with that ability to pick up the phone and have someone here for us – and that makes a big difference.”