Childcare Services at BYS

Children who live in residential care present the full range of daily living needs. To meet these needs, BYS employs Childcare Counselors who act as substitute parents to the children during their stay. The role of the Childcare Counselor varies depending on a child's needs and/or the presenting conditions.

A partial list of the roles of a Childcare Counselor includes the following.

Individualized Academic Tutoring

Students are offered structured in-school academic tutoring, and tutoring as needed at the end of each school day. Certified teachers and classroom aids help students master homework assignments and give focused attention to students with special educational needs.

Transportation

Direct care staff transport children to a wide variety of destinations such as medical appointments, school, visits with parents, treatment and planning meetings, job sites, etc.

24 hour Protective Oversight

Children in care are supervised at all times by trained BYS employees or public school personnel. Each residential living unit has at least one staff member awake throughout the night. Behavior and environment are managed to afford maximum safety and security for each child.

Food Preparation

Nutritionally sound meals are planned into daily menus and are prepared in each living unit by staff members. All children are encouraged to take part in the planning, preparation, and serving of meals. Meals are served "family style" in each residence dining room. A cafeteria in the Therapy Center serves approximately 80 meals for BYS School each school day. Additionally, the cafeteria supports the two Intensive Care Residences that are located in the Therapy Center.

Structured Leisure Activities

In addition to their involvement in recreational therapy, children are also given many opportunities to participate in a wide variety of leisure activities. Intramural sports offer a chance to develop sportsmanship and playing skills. Activities can include playing ball in the back yard, participating in an annual nature hike, camping, attending cultural events, taking part in educational presentations to the public, attending staff sponsored craft classes, relaxing around the home and fishing in the ranch ponds. The Salt Fork YMCA in Marshall, and the city Parks and Recreation department provide excellent community recreational resources to the benefit of BYS youth.

Management Of Behavior

Children in care with Butterfield display behaviors that often require specialized management and intervention. Childcare Counselors are trained to respond to these needs in a therapeutic manner. The goal of behavior management is to teach the child to "self-control" their actions. When a child is unable or unwilling to mange their own behavior, direct care staff are trained to set effective limits and to give educationally based consequences for problematic behaviors

Independent Living Skills Education

As with all adolescents, children in care need to learn the skills necessary for successful adult functioning. BYS offers personal learning for children in such areas as budgeting, work skills, home management, and self-help.

For answers to questions, or dialog about this specialized child and adolescent care, please feel free to contact Sheila Stephenson, BYS Director of Childcare Services, at sheilastephenson@bys-kids.org