Jessica Escobar's passion for working with children led her to the CDC in May of 2017. We recently sat down with Jessica to learn more about her experiences as a Program Lead!

As a CDC employee, please explain how important it is to help military families adjust to living abroad.

It makes me feel great that I take part in helping the parents by giving them peace of mind when they’re at work, knowing that their children are safe here with us. It is important to me because I help support those families; when one of the parents is deployed and the other one needs help or needs a day off, they bring their children here and we help take care of them.

How did you decide to start working here at the CDC?

In 2009 when my boys were little, I started as an FCC (Family Child Care) Provider at MCAS Yuma, which means that I ran a daycare out of my home after following base protocol. When my children went to school, I decided to work at the CDC because my passion is working with children. I went on to work at the CDC at an Air Force Base in Florida and now at MCAS Iwakuni.

What does an average day look like for you at the CDC?

Every day is very different. As Program Leads, we are in charge of creating the schedules and making sure all of the caregivers receive their breaks. It can get busy if staff need to call off, so I need to make sure that every room has an extra caregiver. Even though it’s busy, I love it!

What three words would you use to describe your job and why?

Rewarding, fun, and fulfilling. It’s very rewarding to work with children: to see them grow up and move on to the next room, or see them achieve a milestone. It’s fun because children actually learn through play, so we get to play with them and teach them at the same time. That moment when you are able to calm a child down after they're upset is so fulfilling.

In your day-to-day job, how do you impact children who are adjusting to living so far from home, and can you describe a specific instance where you have done so?

I am able to make an impact by giving them extra nurturing care that they need while their parents are away at work or deployed. For instance, there was a toddler whose family was in the process of PCSing, so there was a lot going on at home. I noticed that he wasn’t acting like his normal self, so I sat down with him and encouraged him to use his words to express his wants and needs. It actually worked out very well because whenever he felt sad, he would just say “hug” and we would sit there and hold him a little longer.

What is your favorite aspect about your job?

My favorite part is holding a child and giving them a hug. This is especially so when I am taking care of infants and can hold and rock the babies.

I love seeing the kids smile!