Bright Beginnings is located in Hardeman County, Tennessee.
Patricia Gibson has been operating a family child care program for 22 years. She started her program, Bright Beginnings, after becoming a grandmother so she could stay home and care for her grandchildren.
Ms. Gibson loves children, loves what she does and is an active mentor to other providers in her area. Her advice for new providers is to have lots of love and patience for children.
Ms. Gibson believes providers making genuine and sincere connections with families is essential to their success. She believes her program stands out because families like the environment she provides and the way she incorporates learning with play.
“Child care providers must be responsible, well-organized, have excellent communication and listening skills, and be open-minded,” says Ms. Gibson
Like other providers, Bright Beginnings faced many challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. Ms. Gibson adjusted how she provides services in line with TDHS and CDC recommendations to keep her children and families safe and healthy.
Ms. Gibson loves ChildcareTennessee.com. The forms and templates have made administrative work faster and easier.
She has applied for and received the Support and Enhancement Grant each year it has been available, and she plans to apply this year too. She appreciates all of the support and information she received from the ChildcareTennessee team during the grant application and final reporting processes. That includes using discounts through ChildcareTennessee.com that allowed her to purchase more items. Her children love the new water and sand tables, as well as the dramatic play costumes and basketball goal! And last year she was able to purchase an extra refrigerator with her grant money. It makes buying food in bulk easier and reduces her trips to the store.