By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Trica Dreher has been a child care provider for 28 years, but this will be her last group of children in Hays.
She and her husband have decided to move closer to their adult children.
Dreher, 50, of Hays, was nominated for the June Child Care Champion by Brittney Vonfeldt, who said, "Trica truly goes above and beyond! She loves her kids and treats them like her own. She always has fun activities for the kids and is an amazing cook! She is simply the best in town!!"
Kegan Knight also nominated her.
"Where to even begin! She is phenomenal with the children in her care. First and foremost is the type of person she is. Loving, caring, and the appreciation she shows the children in her care is unmatched," Knight said.
"Her motherly instincts are brought upon all her 'littles.' She has daily projects, activities, structure to help during this important time of development for young children.
"She's organized and unbelievably dependable for her families. We often say that Trica is a walking saint, and we truly are grateful for her. There isn't enough space in this text box to talk about her, but in summary, there is not another person we trust more watching our kids than Trica!"
Dreher said she has treasured watching the children in her care grow.
"I [enjoy] the kids and the families, too," she said. "Just watching them learn something new or you get that hug, sometimes they don't know you need a hug, but they just come and give you a hug, and you think, 'I really needed that. Thank you.'"
Dreher was brought to tears as she remembered the many children she cared for.
"It's kind of hard because some of these families, I'm on their third kid," she said. "Oh my gosh, they have been a part of our family.
"The kids are amazing—the things that they come up with. Even though I have gone through it for 28 years, when their eyes light up, it's just beautiful."
Dreher recalled one little girl who sparked her desire to learn more about child development.
Early in her career as a provider, she partnered with Early Childhood Connections to care for children until they were old enough to start ECC preschool.
She watched a little girl who was eight months old and was delayed in her development. She hadn't crawled yet.
Dreher, the girl's parents, and physical and occupational therapists worked with the girl to help her achieve her developmental milestones.
"Just seeing her progress and see her running," she said. "By the time she left here, she was potty trained just like the other 3-year-olds. "
The girl is now in high school.
Dreher said watching that girl grow showed her that what she was doing could make a difference.
Derher's child care activities are play-based. However, she emphasizes outdoor exploration and creativity.
Her parents joke that if its not nailed down, the kids paint with it.
A bulletin board in her child care is layered thick with the children's drawings and art projects.
The kids created paintings by rolling on an exercise ball and painted with their heads.
Dreher grew up on a farm, and she wants to recreate some of the outdoor experiences she had as a child for the children in her child care.
"I have a group right now that just wants to dig for bugs," she said. "I guess we have that. We can dig for rolly pollies. Today, they found a worm. They were really excited."
Dreher said she thought the community has more respect for child care providers now than when she started. She said people realize she runs a business and is not just a babysitter.
She said she wanted to thank the Chamber in Hays, Child Care Task Force of Ellis County, Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center and the governor's office for their work to assist child care providers in recent years.
She offered some advice for new providers.
"Loving kids will get you 80 percent of the way," she said, "but there are going to be days where you are, 'Oh my gosh, these kids are all crazy.'"
It's a job, and you need to take time off, she said.
Looking back, she said she would have taken more time off to attend her own children's activities.
She said connecting with other providers and seeking their advice also helped her.
"You're going to have days when you think you're not helping them or you're not doing it right, but just look at the kids, and you can see," she said.
When you think nothing you are doing is working and you aren't getting through, the tide turns, and you realize you were getting through, she said.
"Stick it out because everything you do every day makes a difference," Dreher said.