FORT CARSON, Colo. — For more than 17 years, Isela Orona has provided one of the most essential services military Families value — caring for their children.
Orona, a Family member who lives in Kiowa Village on Fort Carson, is a Fort Carson Family Child Care (FCC) provider who provides care for six children, ages 7 months to 4 years old.
Her home is filled with activities that provide the children with learning opportunities every day. Walls are lined with posters of shapes and colors and children’s work is on display.
“We do a lot of learn by play, so for example if they’re playing at the little kitchen, they’re chefs,” Orona said. “They get to learn kind of a trade, and they learn about Family, too.”
Orona arrived at Fort Carson with her Family in October 2020 and was certified to accept children in her home in May.
FCC providers must go through training that includes classes on first aid, CPR, a food handlers class and providing medication to children, said Catalina Cole, Fort Carson FCC director. Background checks are required of those who want to become providers.
Classes are also offered on curriculum for daily lesson plans for providers.
Once providers are certified and they start receiving children in their homes, unannounced inspections are required at least once a month, Cole said.
Providers set their own hours and some watch children on weekends, do overnights and can provide mission-related care, Cole said.
Orona’s normal child care hours are from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but she has assisted Families with child care on weekends, she said.
FFC providers can take children from 8 weeks old to 12, Cole said.
In addition to being a certified FCC provider, Orona earned accreditation from the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), which recognizes FCC providers who meet the highest standards for home-based early care and education, said Anita Russell, lead training specialist for Fort Carson’s Child and Youth Services (CYS).
Orona went through a rigorous self-study process, using NAFCC’s Quality Standards, Russell said. Her children’s parents were surveyed, and she was observed by an assessor to achieve accreditation of her program.
She is the only FCC provider on Fort Carson who has earned this accreditation.
“Fort Carson CYS is very proud to recognize her achievement,” Russell said.
Providing quality child care and seeing the children’s progress is what Orona enjoys the most.
She gave an example of one of the children, an 18-month-old who, at first, was having trouble following the daily schedule, but now he knows what comes next and does some tasks on his own.
“I like to watch them grow and learn new things that I’ve taught them,” Orona said. “It’s like teaching my children and being excited when they accomplish it.”
There’s a need for in-home child care, and this program provides benefits to the providers.
Currently, there are nine FCC providers on post, Cole said.
Cole said Orona provides the personal care and attention that allows the children to be successful.
“She’s aware of the individual needs of the children and how to guide the children so she can manage their day, and they can flourish,” Cole said. “This is high-quality care.”
Providers can stay home with their children, are able to take care of their Family, and they bring in income to their homes, Cole said. Many of the parents like the FCC because of the smaller in-home environment and the personal care for their children.
For those who are considering becoming an FFC provider, it can be a rewarding experience.
“It’s a fun good job and very fulfilling,” Orona said. “You’re helping out a community that you’re a part of. It’s such a good program, and we’re doing such a good thing for the community. I wish there were more people who would participate in the program.”
Soldiers who need child care or Family members who are interested in becoming FCC providers, should contact Parent Central at 526-1101. Soldiers can register for child care at https://www.mcc.com.
There is still a need for child care providers, Cole said. Soldiers are having to go to off post to look for child care, and it’s normally more expensive.
For Soldiers who use FCC providers, they receive a 15% discount off what the on-post child care centers charge, Cole said.
Orona has cared for about 40 children during her time as an FCC provider at several military installations. She’s heard from some of the parents of those children.
“That means a lot to me to hear from those parents,” she said.
And even after her husband’s retirement from the military next summer, she said she may continue working in the child care career field.
But now she continues to educate and nurture the six children she cares for, which is important to the Soldiers.
“That’s the point of being an FCC provider on post, helping your Soldiers out and the community,” Orona said.
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