Going beyond the gut feeling

Records come with red tape

Children at risk

Many providers are spread too thin

Oklahoma's troubled child-care facilities

They dare to care

Star ratings have pros, cons

Owasso provider goes beyond basic care

The children color pictures of the character Diego around a table in the playroom.

They sing and bop their heads with the songs playing on a television placed high in the room. They are focused on their tasks and work at their own pace.

"Look, it's Diego," said 3-year-old Troy Williamson, as he shows off his artwork. "We saw him last week. Now we

After finishing his picture, 2-year-old Connor Rebitzke breaks out in a dance, singing all the words to "Go, Diego, Go!"

"In the summertime, we have more play, fun time and field trips," said Karen Jones, the provider in the Owasso child-care home.

About four of the seven children cared for by Jones have been with her since they were babies.

Jones has been working in child care for 26 years and is the president of the Owasso Child Care Association, which brings in training for area providers. She has not been cited for a violation in her last three inspections, and no complaints are in her case file.

"When I first started in child care, we did not plan with lessons in mind," Jones said. "It was all about making sure children were safe, taken care of and loved. Now, we are all geared to learning and getting them ready for school using everything from music to science."

She has chosen to stay at the one-star rating, but her home goes above basic requirements to get a child-care license. She rarely has a slot open, staying at capacity.

"Kids need structure, love, caring, nurturing and stability," Jones said. "When you see children bounced from center to center or home to home, they don't make a bond. And that bond matters later on.

"I tell parents that I want this to last. Their children will be more confident, learn more and do better in school."

The day -- The schedule begins with breakfast, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Jones plans activities and offers toys with different goals in mind.

Children think they are simply playing. But they are actually using creativity with blocks, fine motor skills in coloring and social interaction in a toy kitchen.

Her discipline consists of timeouts, which is different for each child. For some, standing in a corner works. But others may do better sitting in a chair or a specific section of the room.

After the timeouts, the children are asked about what landed them in trouble. Jones talks to them in a slow, steady voice about how to react next time.

There is no crying heard in the home. There are no power struggles. There are no toys out of place, dishes in the sink or visible trash. There are lots of hugs.

"I knew this was made for me and what I wanted to do," Jones said. "I love my kids and would honestly prefer to be with them over adults. They grow up so fast."

Jones is known for encouraging good behavior by taking the children on field trips. Before they leave, each child is asked about how he or she is expected to act and the consequences of acting up.

"That's how they learn," Jones said. "You have to take them out and teach them how to behave in public. I never have problems, and people always seem amazed. They know the expectations, and they get rewarded. We always have fun."

Star power -- Jones opts not to participate in the state's star-rating program because the incentive -- higher subsidy payments for low-income children -- is not enough of an enticement.

She once accepted subsidy payments, but problems came up as parents forgot their reimbursement cards or the machines to register the cards did not work.

She also is not interested in pursuing higher education, which is part of reaching higher ratings.

"Private pay does pay better," she says. "And for me, I'm older and I don't want to go back to school. I want to do what I'm doing now."

Jones is not against professional development.

As head of her local child-care association, she arranges a variety of training. The Child Care Resource Center of Tulsa works with Jones to find resources for providers.

"Through training, you realize their little brains need stimulation," Jones said. "Their brains are like sponges, and they like repetition and structure."

Jones welcomes the scrutiny by state officials to weed out problematic caregivers.

"It's getting harder over the years because you have people who should not be doing child care and children get hurt," Jones said. "That makes it harder on us, who are people doing a good job."

Recent changes in the child-care licensing policies have some providers worried, particularly a requirement to post complaints on the front door and a copy of the last inspection report, Jones said.

The fear is that parents will react or make a judgment without talking with the provider or waiting until the end of the investigation, Jones said.

"I say that if you are doing things like you are supposed to, then you won't have anything to worry about," Jones said.

Ginnie Graham 581-8376
ginnie.graham@tulsaworld.com

Curtis Killman 581-8471
curtis.killman@tulsaworld.com