Need help before going to a brainstorming meeting!!

[Country Kids]

Hi everyone. Sorry I haven't been around for a few days. Life got in the way!!

Just wanted to update this post and say that I went to my focus group tonight. It was actually kind of fun. It wasn't a time for talking about the program itself. Our feelings about it were not a part of the discussion in any way. The facilitator was hired as a third party to run the conversation, and he was very good at it. We had 11 handouts that we were asked to fill out at particular times during the 90 minute conversation. They were basically finding out how we felt about certain words and phrases. We either ranked them from 1-4 (or 1-5, 1-6, etc.) on how compelling they were to us, or we were asked to write down words or feelings that their words or phrases immediately brought to mind for us. What they kind of did was got our initial feelings at the very beginning of the meeting, then our feelings after some discussion, then at the end we put down our favorite title, and favorite mission statement.

Some examples of titles, if I can think of them, were Early Learners, Early Start Oregon, Learning First.... There were 5 or 6 and I'll be darned if I can remember any more of them! I literally left the meeting 45 minutes ago too!! Some mission statements were Quality Early Learning Lasts a Lifetime .... and my mind is blank. Darn it! I wanted to be able to remember them!! If I remember more in the morning, I'll post.

Anyway, he also briefly talked about the rating system and what we thought of using stars, tiers, steps, levels, bronze/silver/gold, or ABCDF. No handout on that, just discussion.

It was fun, even though I do not want my Daycare to be judged or graded, but it wasn't about that. Best part is walking out and being handed my envelope with a crisp $50 bill in it!!!

I'm a little bit worried/perplexed by your meeting (not you, the meeting). You are there to name this program but you only briefly talked about the program and your feelings weren't addressed. That is what I'm not liking at all!!!!!!

The decided to do this project but won't listen to providers. Everytime I have voiced a concern its passed over!!!! I'm not the only one either expressing concerns in my area but its already in the go so why worry. I so wish they would have talked to providers before starting all of this.

Also, I don't understand why all the providers don't have a say in the naming of it. So I wonder if the money you guys are getting is part of the $50 million dollars-nice of them to share $50 with you- If and only if my memory serves correctly I don't think your area is even participating in the pilot project so why have you involved in the naming of it. Sound fish/funny to me.

Well I'm glad you got your money! Enjoy-spend it on something special for just you (that would buy alot of chocolate!!)

[daycare]

regular member logged out...

Ok, this is a matter of public record, so I don't feel wrong sharing it. But look at this...

http://childcarefinder.wisconsin.gov/provider/providerdetails.aspx?ProviderNumber=2000559662&LocationNumber=1&q=6B-F5-63-04%3aMHwwfHx8fHx8MHxGYWxzZXxGYWxzZXxGYWxzZXxGYWxzZXxUcnVlfEZhbHNlfEZhbHNlfEZhbHNlfFRydWV8RmFsc2V8VHJ1ZXxUcnVlfFRydWV8VHJ1ZXwtMXwtMXxGYWxzZXwwfGF8MHww

This person is a 5 star because she went through accreditation. These are just the violations in the last 2 years!

HOLY COW................................ I would be shut down if I had 1/2 of those violations...

[Country Kids]

"This provider is accredited and as such, does not have the ability to earn points in YoungStar."


What does the above mean? The provider had 5 stars so if she was acredited how did she get 5 stars?

[Lucy]

I'm a little bit worried/perplexed by your meeting (not you, the meeting). You are there to name this program but you only briefly talked about the program and your feelings weren't addressed. That is what I'm not liking at all!!!!!!

Well, the meeting had a specific focus toward the wording of the name and mission statement. The guy facilitating it was from a 3rd party company that does focus groups. This meeting was not for the purposes of yay or nay on the program itself, just to get random providers' comments on words and phrases as their first step in the naming process. He probably didn't know the inner workings of the program at all. He was there to pick our brains as to what emotions certain words evoked from us. There will likely be meetings on how the program works in the future.


The decided to do this project but won't listen to providers. Everytime I have voiced a concern its passed over!!!! I'm not the only one either expressing concerns in my area but its already in the go so why worry. I so wish they would have talked to providers before starting all of this.

TOTALLY agree!

Also, I don't understand why all the providers don't have a say in the naming of it.

I'm thinking maybe this was literally the first step in the process. Maybe when they have their focus narrowed, they'll send a ballot to all providers. Maybe???

So I wonder if the money you guys are getting is part of the $50 million dollars-nice of them to share $50 with you- If and only if my memory serves correctly I don't think your area is even participating in the pilot project so why have you involved in the naming of it. Sound fish/funny to me.

We can never begin to understand government. I hear ya!


Well I'm glad you got your money! Enjoy-spend it on something special for just you (that would buy alot of chocolate!!)

True on the chocolate, but it IS Christmas afterall, so it will go toward presents.