Meet Sifa: A Success Story

Published on June 14, 2021

Sifa Smiling in front of a child care banner

The Challenge:

Sifa wanted to become a licensed home child care provider when a friend after a JBS co-worker asked her to care for her child in November 2019. Sifa, whose first language is Kinyarwanda, needed an interpreter to communicate with the Weld County Child Care team to move through the language barrier. While working through the licensing process, Sifa needed to return to work at JBS to be able to continue paying her expenses. She also had to undergo back surgery, further delaying the licensing process, as well as working through requirements from her housing property management company.

The Solution:

The Weld County Child Care team within Employment Services of Weld County utilized an interpreter through the Immigrant and Refugee Center of Northern Colorado (IRCNOCO) to resolve the language barrier. Weld County Child Care partnered with United Way of Weld County (UWWC) and IRCNOCO to meet with Sifa’s housing property management staff to discuss their requirements to authorize child care services within Sifa’s home. Sifa completed the professional development trainings required through the Office of Early Childhood and the Workforce provider orientation, completed her background check, system trainings and state Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) policy training.

The Outcome:

Sifa, now a new American, overcame the many challenges she faced during her licensing journey with the help of the Weld County Child Care team, IRCNOCO and UWWC and became a licensed child care provider in April 2021! Sifa is now self-employed with a strategic business plan, providing quality care to our community.

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