Many of our Enrichment Specialists have completed or are pursuing degrees in Education or other Child Related fields. All Staff are required to participate in ongoing Continuing Education throughout the year. Although the minimum requirement of licensing is 16 clock hours per year, all M & M Team Members are required to complete at least 24 clock hours annually within the following Core Knowledge Areas:
Child Development
Teaching and Learning
Health, Safety and Nutrition
Observation, Documentation and Assessment
Family and Community Engagement
Interactions and Guidance
Management
Professionalism
Our Site Leaders are there to provide support to our staff, the students in our program and to their parents. On a daily basis, they monitor Enrichment Specialist classrooms to ensure that our specialists are meeting or exceeding our quality expectations. The Site Leaders work closely with the enrichment specialists to establish that they have quality lesson plans which include a variety of educational and social activities. The Site Leader also maintains the flow of communication between M & M Extra Care and the school sites, speaking to teachers and other school staff about how we can work together to best support the students in our care.
Site Leaders also work with the students to help them remember the moral focus and help encourage positive behavior choices.
Additionally, Site Leaders are present to provide support and resources for our M & M Parents, working with them to guarantee that their student is given the opportunities and activities to keep them engaged and involved during the before and after-school care program.
It is imperative that our specialists play an active role in lesson planning to provide a diverse and enriching experience in before and after-school care. Time is provided for the Enrichment Specialists to prepare for their day with supplies and planning for at least 30 minutes prior to and 30 minutes after the students are present.
We expect our Specialists to develop relationships with their students and their families, to promote a safe and nurturing environment and to foster a supportive partnership with the parents or guardians in the role of caring for each student.
As a Licensed Childcare Program, all staff must complete comprehensive background checks, which include fingerprinting, FBI, CPS, DHS and State Police record searches. The State of Michigan administers and provides the systems for these checks.