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Family Connections is proud to welcome two new Early Childhood Consultants to our team, Colleen Steinbruecker and Jen Wentlandt. Both are working within the YoungStar program as YoungStar Technical Consultants as well as providing professional development opportunities through trainings, workshops, technical assistance and consulting within YoungStar and through the Child Care Resource Development program.

Colleen lives in Sheboygan, WI with her husband, John. Colleen earned her Associate's Degree in Child Development at Moraine Park Technical College in 1999. She continued her education at Lakeland College and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education. Most recently she obtained her Inclusion Credential through the Registry in January of 2012. She has experience working in child care, the public school system, as well as a very dedicated Lead Teacher at a Guadalupe Head Start in Milwaukee, WI over the last eight years.

"I am very excited to get to know and work with all of you...share my knowledge with all of you, as well as learn new ideas and techniques from you. I am inspired by those that work in early childhood and look forward to working with you!" - Colleen Steinbruecker

Jen lives in Port Washington, WI with her husband Mark and her family's most recent addition, their son, Riley! Jen earned her Bachelor's Degree in English Education from Northwestern College in 2002 and her Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from UT in Austin, 2008. She has experience as the Director of a Sylvan Learning Center, teaching in the public school system, teaching for the Institute of Reading Development and the Summer Institute of the Gifted, as well as direct service experience in child care as a teacher and Director at La Petite Academy Child Care Center in Madison.

"I am dedicated to helping improve the quality of early childhood programs and have been blessed to have several sets of lenses with which to view the very important work we do at Family Connections - as a teacher, as a child care provider, as a consultant, and as a mother. I look forward to meeting you all!" - Jen Wentlandt

Thank you to the many providers who participated in YoungStar in 2011! The technical consultants truly appreciated working with all of the programs and look forward to working with all the talented and passionate child care providers in our service delivery area again, as well as hopefully working closely with new programs signing up for technical consulting.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact Family Connections at any time with any questions about the YoungStar program. We are the contact for child care programs in Sheboygan, Manitowoc, & Fond du Lac Counties.

through trainings and workshops on quality child care topics and issues
learn more about opportunities available to them
through promoting recognition and educating the public on child care issues
by providing technical assistance and consulting
through supporting them in their YoungStar jouney

ease the burden of child care expenses by paying a portion of weekly child care fees to regulated providers through our Connections grant program
learn more about quality child care through free educational materials and technical assistance regarding child care issues.

through educating the public on child care needs and issues
through investing in our young by supporting the child care providers our children spend time with
through recruitment and retention of child care providers to help keep our economy strong and families working while their children are in quality child care