Amber Johnson has been working at the TLC Childcare Center in Great Falls for about a year and a half.
"I have always wanted to work with children. I've known that since a very young age," said Johnson.
But even though she's already got a job working with kids, she plans to enroll in the new early childhood education program Great Falls College-MSU is starting.
She hopes the program will help her better understand kids and will ultimately help eliminate the stigma associated with childcare workers.
"A lot of people use the term 'babysitter.' Yes, we are a daycare but with all of our classes and all of our ages we do teach them," Johnson said. "With a degree, I feel like people will look at it a lot differently. I'm not just here being paid to watch your kids, I'm also here every day teaching your kids and helping them get to the next level that they need to be."
The program will start in the fall of 2023.
"We hope to have 10-15 students the first semester," Great Falls College-MSU Fine Arts and Education Department Chair Cynthia Stevens said.
She said students who enroll in the program can earn three different certificates over one, two, and four semesters.
"We heard the need from our community partners that were interested in having early childhood education classes offered at face-to-face modality at Great Falls College. They sought us out and we have listened to the needs of the community and have developed this program," Stevens explained.
Students who complete the two-year version of the program will be able to transfer to the University of Montana-Western to continue their education.
"We now offer classes for students that are interested in K-12 education as well as pre-k and early childhood. So this is just adding another level to our established educational program at the college and we're thrilled to be able to have this early component," said Stevens.
TLC Childcare Center Executive Director Crystal Kist is excited for the program.
"Currently, there are no other programs in Great Falls. I'm also a full-time student. I'm doing (my degree) online through (Montana Western) in Dillon, which is fantastic but I don't feel like I have that in person connection to the teachers or the other students," Kist said. "So I think it'll benefit us because not everybody can do the online learning. It's tough, it's a challenge. I want to see our staff being highly educated, being able to perform their jobs in the classroom better. I think it'll help because we all want to be considered professionals. We need that professional framework and in order to get that we have to be educated."
The program is also important because it comes at a time when there's a need for early childhood educators nationwide.
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"There's a massive need. Most households are, I think, two-parent working households. They have to trust that the people caring for their children five days a week for eight, sometimes more than that, hours a day are preparing them for the real world," said Kist.
"A lot of people come and work in childcare. They last a few weeks, a few months, and they decide they can't handle this job because it is a challenging job," Johnson said.
A challenging job but one Johnson is up for, especially now that she can get an education from Great Falls College-MSU to help.
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