News & Information

by Joshua Schuetz

Nobles County Community Services, with CEDA’s help, hosted a Super Saturday event for licensed family childcare providers and childcare center staff in the county. The event was aimed at offering childcare providers training and networking opportunities. “It was a day where the family childcare providers and center staff were invited to come for three training sessions,” said CEDA team member Angie Kopplow. “Breakfast and lunch were provided, and we did a freezer meal workshop as part of a provider appreciation activity.” Kopplow explained that childcare providers, especially those who work in their homes, often don’t get to interact much with other adults during the workday, so having the opportunity to network, learn about local resources and spend time together is important. Kopplow planned the event with Paige Stearns, the county’s Children’s Services Supervisor, and former childcare licensor Amber Waldner. Sarah Lenz, a local EMT and clerk for the City of Adrian, provided CPR and First Aid training.

The freezer meal workshop was widely popular among attendees and was made possible with the help of local Pampered Chef Consultant Brittany Weidert, as well as donations from JBS, the county’s largest employer. “We were trying to think of a casual activity where providers could spend time talking with each other but also take a meal home for their daycare kids or their own families, and they loved it,” Kopplow said. “There was one childcare provider that just started in June, and she hadn’t met any other providers yet, so she was able to meet other providers and find out about local childcare organizations and support groups.” Lunch was catered by Victoria Stearns, owner of Cakes & Bakes, with the Southwest Initiative Foundation donating funds for the meal. Bedford, another major employer in the county, also donated to the event. Darcy Poppema, a local childcare provider and president of the Nobles County Day Care Association, said the event was very valuable to attendees and added that she appreciated how the county and CEDA brought the event to providers locally, offering them opportunities that are often not available in smaller communities. “It was a perfect opportunity for people to get hours of training done in one day, plus, we came home with easy meals for family and daycare kids.” she said. “Many years ago, I would go to conferences in the Twin Cities, but this was brought right to us, we were done early in the afternoon, and we still had the rest of our Saturday, so I would highly recommend that people take advantage of opportunities like this.”