Women's Leadership Council
Women’s Fund Enables Child Care Training
An $11,742 grant from the United Way Women’s Fund is underwriting 23 scholarships to provide advanced child development training for women working in licensed child care centers. Members of the Women’s Leadership Council helped select the scholarship recipients from among 112 applicants. The recipients represent 17 different schools throughout Tarrant County.
The 120 clock hours of early childhood training will prepare the women to apply for the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential awarded by the national CDA Council for Professional Recognition.
“To teach preschool or work in a child care center in the state of Texas, you only have to be age 18, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and pass a background check,” said CDA instructor Stacy Benge, a Child Development Specialist at Camp Fire USA First Texas Council. “The most development in a person’s life occurs between birth and age 5, so we want the most qualified people possible in these positions.”
She also noted that the 20-week credentialing program “is going to make them much more competitive in the job market.”
Scholarship recipient Noemi Aguayo (seated at right in photo) said the training “will allow me to be a lead teacher and further my career at the school where I work. Working with children, I want to know everything I can.” She has worked for three years at Kinderplatz of Fine Arts in Fort Worth.
“I love working with kids. They give you energy,” said scholarship recipient Kameshion Green (pictured with Noemi). The mother of two children has been working for five months at Childtime Learning Center in Fort Worth. She is also pursuing a bachelor’s degree in child psychology through the University of Phoenix and hopes to become an elementary school counselor.
Congratulations to all of these child care workers and preschool teachers who are attending the CDA training on scholarships made possible by the United Way Women’s Fund:
Our Vision
Tarrant County will be a place where children, individuals and families thrive, where neighbors care for each other and where people willingly share the responsibility of ensuring a safe and healthy community for all.
Our Mission
To improve lives across our diverse communities by:
- Prioritizing needs in education, income and health
- Forming innovative and effective partnerships with other organizations
- Strategically raising and investing resources to make lasting change
Our Diversity Statement
United Way of Tarrant County values and seeks diversity by respecting the knowledge, abilities and experience of all individuals. Our commitment is to support an inclusive environment reflecting our United Way communities and accomplishing our mission.
