Entries by Sonja Palmer

Meet our Staff: Joshua McClure

Buncombe Partnership for Children’s CCR Team is excited to introduce a new member of our staff! Joshua McClure started with BPFC in late September and is already rolling up his sleeves to meet directors and early childhood staff in our area. Joshua has been working in education for many years, most recently as a childcare program director. We are grateful to have Joshua with us, and we want to provide you all with an opportunity to learn more about him.  

Long Summer Days

Question: Our children are out of school and child care for the summer. What are some things I can do with them to fill these long summer days without losing my mind?

Answer: Ah, Summer days! In our minds, we envision tropical beach vacations, Pinterest-style picnics with those cute bento box lunches, and our content children, merrily catching fireflies well into dusk with their friends and siblings while we gaze at them lovingly from the porch. Wait—what? This is not a reality? Oh, your summer looks more like an endlessly empty fridge (“Didn’t I just buy groceries yesterday?!”), finding dirt and wet socks in every crevasse of your household furniture, and a lot of vocalizing from children about boredom? Well, at least we are all in this together, right? While we can’t guarantee a perfect summer, we hope these tips and ideas will help you enjoy this time of year with the children in your lives!

Upping Their Game

Question: I’m a new director at a private child care center, and I really want my staff to get on board with raising the quality we are providing children and families. Some of the staff has been there…

Child Care By Any Other Name

Question: Can you explain the difference between daycares, child development centers, and preschools? People use all these different terms when they ask what I’m planning for my baby, and I […]

Best Laid Plans

Question: I’m a toddler teacher and my director has been talking about how I need to do lesson plans for my kids. My center doesn’t have a particular curriculum we […]

Anxiety and Bleach

Question: My two-year-old son is getting ready to start child care, and my friends have told me he needs to stop using his pacifier because it won’t be allowed in […]