By Ariana Garber
This year Lincoln Littles has kicked off something new, The Wellness Program. Spearheaded by our Workforce Manager, Julie Jones-Branch,
in partnership with Jaci Foged at the University of Nebraska Extension for Early Childhood; they have worked tirelessly to create a space that highlights the importance of wellness for the Early Childhood Workforce.
Julie said that the program was brought to life after receiving response from seasoned providers that there was not enough support or emphasis on their own well-being.
The Wellness Program hopes to emphasize that providers are worth the time it takes to maintain a strong sense of mental health and this benefits the children that they care for. The success of a child is built on a strong foundation, and when their providers are well cared for they are able to teach with strong practices.
The program highlights that a person’s well-being is similar to a seesaw, where an individual’s two needs within, challenges and resources, needs to be balanced in order to maintain a steady grounding in their well-being.
In order to successfully navigate the providers well-being throughout the program, Lincoln Littles is utilizing the eight dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, occupational, spiritual and financial.
Keeping those dimensions in mind, the Wellness Program consists of monthly wellness sessions, monthly connections via Zoom, monthly mindful movement sessions, peer partners, digital journals, hydration trackers, and community resources that will all take place over the span of a year.
Chelsea Brisbin, who currently works at UNL’s Ruth Staples Child Development Lab and has worked at a variety of other centers for the past 13 years, said, “What would better emphasize the importance of wellness would be more of a public realization, building the outside community to understand the crucial need for our roles but also see the value and give recognition, is necessary to teaching well-being.”
This program hopes to do just that. Not only does this program offer a proactive solution to the problems that have arisen for providers but it also opens the door to a more open conversation on the importance of a providers’ health.
Brisbin also said that she was excited for this program because she is always looking for opportunities to better herself and her teaching. The fact that this program was more than just a training but rather an opportunity with a focus centered on a person’s self and needs was truly what drew her in.
With this program, Lincoln Littles hopes to expand beyond programs for teacher training that emphasize self-mindfulness but reach a newer level, showcasing that the importance of a provider’s well-being expands further than the classroom, and should be provided with that understanding.
Robin Roberts, a family home care provider for the past 26 years, said, “My hope is that my staff feels supported in their work professionally as well as personally and that they learn the importance of taking care of themselves.”
Roberts said that in-home providers can feel more isolated, overworked and burned out because of the demand to stay open for families when they don’t feel well mentally, physically, or just need a day off.
This is why it is important for Lincoln Littles, that this program is available for all caregivers. Whether they work in centers or at in-home providers, they all feel the weight of their work and deserve our support.
Julie said that it is a gift for her to be able to serve providers and respond to their needs. She takes this opportunity as an honor to be trusted with these participants’ well-being and build their community.
With this proactive approach towards offering support and care to providers, Lincoln Littles hopes to not only create better, more quality care for our children but also for the people that help create the foundations that they grow on.
Partnerships with community organizations providing content and resources to support the wellness program include the YMCA of Lincoln, The Wellness Initiative, Lincoln Children’s Museum, Nebraska Mental Health, United Way, among others.