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Our “spotlight” in this edition of the PDCReview shines
down on Cindy Croft. Cindy works tirelessly to include children
with disabilities in child care setting and to advance our understanding
of how we can serve and meet these children’s and families’ needs.
We gratefully acknowledge her work in the field.
First, what is your current position?
I am Director
of the Center for Inclusive Child Care, and faculty at Concordia
University.
How did you decide to work in the field of early childhood/school-age
care?
I’ve always worked with children with disabilities since
college, and so when I saw a job posting for Special Needs Coordinator
at the Scott/Carver Child Care Resource and Referral, I thought
that sounded like a good fit for me. In some ways, I never
really left that first job.
Who has been a role model in your life?
I’ve been privileged to know many fine people in my life,
starting very early. I have a great family of origin and an
amazing peer group.
Who do you consider to be your mentor?
Professionally, the first person who really mentored me was Judi
Moonen who was then Coordinator of the Scott/Carver CCRR. Her
best lesson: “It’s all about relationships”.
I worked under Barbara O’Sullivan at DHS as a Special Needs
Grantee and she modeled professionalism, integrity, and the ability
to vision, which all contributed to my work and my professional
growth.
So far, in your career what would you consider to be your proudest
accomplishment?
That’s a tough question, since the work of the CICC and
before that, Project EXCEPTIONAL, has been so rewarding. I
am proud of the people who are invested in the CICC as trainers,
consultants, and partners. It was neat when we did our first
training of trainers here in MN in 1998 since that was a bold step
for us, and then we adapted it to online in 2001. I am also
very proud of the Children and Challenging Behavior curriculum
and its impact, through trainers, on families of children with
special needs.
What advice can you give to those just starting in the field of
early childhood?
I would advise people to find a mentor who models a professionalism
and passion for early childhood, and eventually, become a mentor
themselves. We all have so much to give, and everyone can
find a vehicle for sharing their unique wisdom, experience, and
insight.
What keeps you going in your work?
I really love the people I get to work with, and partner with. It
is fun to create new things and also see work become embedded in
a system that supports both the early childhood professional and
families. I hear once in a while from a family of a child
with a special need, who has had a successful experience, and it
makes me feel like it is really worthwhile.
What do you do to manage stress in your life?
People who know me well know that I love to shop, and it is one
method of self-care. You really are the only person who will
take care of you. I believe you need to seek balance all the time,
or else work, or something else, will take over too much of your
life. I learned the lesson well, a few years ago, that we
only really have today, so relish it.
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