Family Child Care Provider

Hi, my name is Amy Nogar and I'm the caregiver behind Amy & Kids Co. Family Child Care. I didn't plan to become a family child care provider, but after 13 years in family child care I can't imagine any other career!

A Young Mom Searches for Family Child Care

My husband and I were in college when our son was born. We needed someone to watch him while we were in class so I searched for child care. I was young, naive and didn't know what questions to ask or what to look for when choosing a child care provider. What I found was a series of moms who were looking to supplement their income for a little while, but never intended to have a career in child care. Several quit unexpectedly and left me scrambling to find a new provider, while our son was devastated because he had formed attachments to his caregivers. Looking back I realize that these frequent changes weren't good for him, but I didn't know that then.

Our First Regulated Child Care Provider

After college my husband attended graduate school in St. Louis and I got a job teaching music. The graduate school had a regulated child care system with students' wives caring for other students' children. Our son's first regulated caregiver was a wonderful woman who had been a teacher and did many projects with the children. Our son loved playing at her house and I felt very at ease leaving him there. Her husband graduated in the spring so we only had her for one school year, but I still remember the sense of security I felt knowing that my child was being well cared for when I was at work.

She Cries Until her Face is Purple

We began our second school year in St. Louis with a brand new daughter, born Labor Day weekend. I was able to spend six glorious weeks with her before my maternity leave ran out and I had to go back to work. I wasn't happy about it, but we needed the income and benefits. Another student's wife had agreed to care for both our newborn daughter and our three year old son. She seemed very nice, but one day when I picked up the children I was told that our eight week old daughter had cried until her face was purple. "She cries unless I'm holding her or she's in the swing" the woman said. My immediate reaction was "Then why aren't you holding her?" Shortly afterwards we found a new child care provider who was the mother of five and easily incorporated our children into her family.

A Year Without Child Care

The following spring we moved to New York for my husband's internship. Since we only had one car I wasn't able to get a job so I stayed home with our children. It was a wonderful year! I loved taking care of our home, baking, crafting, and most of all I loved being with our children. We decided that if it were at all possible we'd find a way for me to stay home while our children were little, but we also knew that I needed to contribute to our family income. That's when we decided I should care for other students' children when we returned to graduate school.

From Babysitter to Family Child Care Provider

I began doing child care thinking that I would only watch children for a couple of years, but as time went by my "in-between" job turned into a career.

Starting Out

I opened my child care doors in the fall of 1993. My plan was to watch children for a year until my husband finished graduate school. I had little more than my experience as a Mom, a borrowed portable crib, and a couple of books lent from the graduate school nurse to start out with. I loved being home with our children and I loved knowing I was helping out other families but I still planned on getting a "real" job eventually. My husband decided to stay a 5th year in graduate school and during that second year in child care another daughter was born. Along with our changing family my attitude began to change; I enjoyed family child care so much that I decided to continue as a family child care provider.

Becoming More Professional

After a brief break from child care while we lived out East we moved to my husband's hometown in Michigan. I quickly became licensed by the state of Michigan to provide family child care and joined the Federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Since my husband and I had decided that I would continue as a family child care provider indefinitely, I worked toward making my child care business more professional and improving my knowledge and expertise so I could provide higher quality care. I attended my first child care conference in Michigan and was like a sponge, soaking up the information. This small taste of the Early Education field reinforced my desire to become more professional.

Wisconsin Family Child Care Provider

Our fourth child, a son, was born about the time we decided to move to my hometown in Wisconsin so we could be closer to my family. There was no question about my continuing as a family child care provider; one of the first things we looked at while house hunting was whether the house would work for family child care. We found a home we loved and made the changes necessary for it to support the child care. Amy & Kids Co. Family Child Care opened its doors in October of 1999. My membership in CACFP was renewed and I joined the local child care association, Valley Association for the Education of Young Children (VAEYC). I also joined several other professional child care organizations: Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA), Wisconsin Family Child Care Association (WFCCA) and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Going Back to College

I used my membership in the professional organizations to earn continuing education hours; first attending local, then state conferences, and eventually travelling to Chicago for the national conference. Around the same time I became aware of a new accelerated education program for child care providers offered by the local Technical College. The program required one four-hour night of class each week plus one eight-hour Saturday each month, but most of the work was done out of class. It was hard work, but in 2003 I proudly graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education!

From Learner to Teacher

Over the years I've been a family child care provider in Wisconsin I've become more active in the early childhood professional organizations. I have served two terms as secretary of VAEYC, designed and maintain VAEYC's website, and have acted as co-chair for our annual Mini-Conference since 2001. I have presented workshops at VAEYC, WFCCA and WECA conferences, and have presented continuing education workshops at Fox Valley Technical College. I enjoy the challenge of researching and writing workshops to present, as well as the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with newer child care professionals.

My Other Interests

Although family child care plays a big role in my life, I have other activities I enjoy. I love spending time with my family, puttering in my garden, maintaining my websites, and sewing. I also enjoy directing an adult handbell choir and a middle school band in weekly rehearsals. If there's extra time you'll find me curled up with a book or taking a walk with my husband.