Supporting Childcare Providers through the Monadnock Community Pyramid Model

The key to any successful pyramid is a strong base and when it comes to supporting the region's young children, a network of area childcare providers has joined together to form the strongest base possible with the Monadnock Community Pyramid Model (MCPM). The Pyramid Model is an evidence-based system that supports teachers, caregivers, and families to help young children develop healthy social and emotional skills that will serve them throughout their lives. The five layers of the pyramid, from bottom to top, include: effective workforce, nurturing and responsive relationships, high-quality, supportive environments, targeted social-emotional supports, and intensive intervention.With funding through Monadnock United Way, these practices are being taught and embedded in the Monadnock Region through the efforts of the MCPM leadership team, which provides supplemental supports and braiding initiatives. Tammy Vittum, M.Ed., is a Pyramid Model Coach and a MCPM Team Lead, as well as a retired special education teacher who spent 33 years in the Fall Mountain Regional School District."We're kind of unique," Vittum said. "There are only a couple of other community models in the state." She explained that the state's childcare programs can apply for New Hampshire's Quality Recognition System, called Granite Steps for Quality (GSQ), and one pathway in GSQ is the Pyramid Model Pathway, which provides supports like practice-based coaching to the programs. "Seven sites in the Monadnock Region are on that pathway," she said. MCPM has a leadership team with members from all the GSQ Pyramid Model Implementation sites, as well as its fiscal agent, Rise for baby and family, and other local programs implementing Pyramid Model, such as Head Start and Jonathan Daniels Preschool of the Keene School District, in addition to a family representative."It's a great group that helps guide the work." Vittum said. "...We want to really help the programs work together. The collaboration is just amazing. There isn't competition. They all support each other."The model's local history goes back nearly a decade. Pyramid Model was first introduced to the region through a series of workshops organized by Impact Monadnock back in 2016. Then, in 2017, New Hampshire became the 28th Pyramid Model State. With funding support from the Endowment for Health, a State Leadership Team (SLT) was established with state leaders from public and private organizations concerned with the social-emotional development of young children and their families. Childcare centers began to embrace the model, and a local group was formed to promote its concepts even without funding, until eventually a five-year award (part of the iSocial program for school districts to work on childcare programs in their communities) was granted to Impact Monadnock from the state for its Pyramid Model efforts in 2018. Other grants followed, including one for special projects of Impact Monadnock and Healthy Monadnock from the Cheshire Health Foundation in 2021 and a federal childcare expansion grant later in 2023 for Monadnock United Way and Keene State College efforts.Today, funding continues through Monadnock United Way and additional grant dollars at the federal level and others are also consistently pursued. "We're always seeking funding," Vittum said, adding that a Rotary Club of Keene Success by Six grant was obtained to pay for infant and toddler learning kits.Vittum has been involved since the model's inception, she said and, in the past, had participated in the study of effective social-emotional supports for families in the state."The Monadnock Region has been a real leader in early childhood collaborations for many, many years," Vittum said. Some of the MCPM's professional development events and activities include Professional Learning Community sessions, Make & Take evenings, a book club, and reflective practice. The activities are open to all levels of childcare providers, from directors to assistants, and family childcare providers are also welcome. River Valley Community College students have attended, as well as school district staff. Vittum said the overreaching goal is to communicate the available support and opportunities to even more childcare providers. They hold tabling events at library storytimes and attend other community fairs and expos, like the Keene Family YMCA's Healthy Kids Day, to try to meet people at places they're already going to spread the word.MCPM became aware of a need amongst educators for reflective practice and over the past year developed a pilot program of an infrastructure group to support consultants who provide reflective practice, holding a series of group sessions in two childcare centers and also developing a virtual community group. Leading this effort for MCPM is Annie Dintino-Cucchi, who is working on her doctorate degree in counseling psychology and said, "Reflective practice is a designated space in which participants engage emotional and perspective-taking processes to learn about others, situations, and themselves. We consider larger contexts and historical experiences and how those affect our perception of others and situations. "In our region, we have been building infrastructure to be able to consistently provide access to these spaces in order to support teacher's wellness, emotional, and professional growth. We hold reflective practice groups for facilities to strengthen their abilities to provide the service. We also bring reflective group opportunities to teachers..." Vittum has nothing but praise for the childcare teachers and providers who participate in the MCPM activities, and she says their numbers have really seen an increase over the past year, up from 10 or 12 attendees per activity to sometimes 35-plus."They're learning and connecting with others," Vittum said. "Childcare providers are givers. They give so much and need time to reflect and take care of themselves, too."While Vittum says her time as a teacher was rewarding, her efforts with MCPM feel impactful in a different way."I love to feel like I can make teachers feel seen and heard and valued," she said. "I absolutely appreciate what they do and value any chance to boost them. They're wonderful." For more information about upcoming events and activities, find and join the about the "Monadnock Community Pyramid Model" Facebook group.