It's Your Oregon: Little Stars Family Daycare

Heather Stewart: Medford, OR

Heather Stewart had been working in an office for 7 years before she had her first child.  At that point she began working at home and when her job asked her to return, she didn’t want to go back to an office.  Heather began caring for children as a way to work from home and stay with her own two kids. She has now been providing childcare for the last 2 and ½ years in Medford Oregon.

When Heather got her checklist in the mail, much of it was familiar but there were a few things, like avoiding the use of scented candles, that she had not thought of.  She thinks most of the checklist is commonsense and doesn’t recall having to make any huge sweeping changes.

While she is happy to be Eco-Healthy and feels good about being confident that she is protecting the kid’s health, the program is not a big part of her daily life.  Heather was able to easily integrate any changes she made so smoothly into her routine that they have become habits and she doesn’t even have to think about it.  She thinks the program is important for the kid’s health and for their families, so they feel good about the place they are sending their children.  Parents respond positively to the certification and she didn’t encounter any huge challenges so “people should get the checklist and just do it.”  By following OEC’s guidelines and qualifying as an Eco-Healthy Childcare, parents know their kid’s health is being protected.

Click here for information on how to become an Eco-Healthy Childcare.