By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Amanda Randa knew when she was young she wanted to work with children.
She considered teaching or psychology, but when she became pregnant with her second child she saw an opportunity to stay home with her children and realize that dream by working as a child care provider.
"Helping shape their little minds and being their second mom, I love it," she said.
Randa has been an in-home child care provider for seven years.
She has been chosen as the December Child Care Champion. Patrick Hertel nominated her for the award.
"[She is] always super nice and easy to work with," Hertel said. [She] always is quick with a smile. Kids are really happy, and my kids always look forward to day care time."
He said her child care has structured days with a set schedule.
"[I am] very pleased with the results. [She] stays transparent with parental communication well ahead of time. [She's] one of the best we've had!" Hertel said.
Randa, 36, grew up in Hays and is a Thomas More Prep-Marian graduate. She has three sons ages 13, 8 and 6.
"Being able to stay home with my kids has been wonderful," she said. "They are all in school now, but that was great."
She said she also appreciates being able to help other families.
"You want to be able to trust your provider," she said. "You want to know your kids are in good hands and they are going to get played with and fed well and treated right so you don't have to worry about it while you're at work or doing the things that you need to get done. It takes a worry off of your plate."
The first year Randa was a provider, she cared for all boys and one girl. Since all of her children are boys, she able to first see the differences in how girls develop and play.
"Seeing the difference in the way boys and girls play and interact with each other is so comical," she said.
She said the boys play more rough, but the girls are more likely to use their voices. Female toddlers can be screamers, she said.
Randa and the children regularly work on craft projects. They also play with Play-Doh and bubbles, color, and paint. She has a water table and the children play with kinetic sand and water. At Halloween, they played with pumpkin guts.
The children also love to hear Randa read books to them. She has an extensive library from which to choose. The children's favorite book is "Creepy Pair of Underpants" by Aaron Reynolds.
The book is about a bunny whose mother takes him to the store to buy underpants. She picks out plain white underpants but allows the bunny to pick out one pair he likes.
He chooses a Frankenstein pair of underpants. He decides they are creepy and tries to get rid of them, but they keep coming back.
Finally, the young bunny decides he loves his creepy pair of underpants because they glow in the dark, light up his room at night and help him not to be afraid of the dark anymore.
Randa has six children in her care — two babies and two toddlers. Her numbers vary when school is not in session.
COVID was a challenge for her as a child care provider.
Finding enough children to maintain a steady income for her family has also been a challenge.
One year, she had three families move in a short time. She scrambled to find children to fill her open spots. She said open spots can be scary from a financial standpoint.
Randa said she and other in-home child care providers are experiencing greater difficulty filling their open spots as more child care centers open in Hays. Having vacancies can quickly and deeply affect her family's finances.
Randa said if a person is considering opening an in-home child care service they should reach out to other in-home providers in the area. Many business resources are also available on the Kansas Department of Health and Environment website.