Bailey Naber and Rixa Evershed

00:00 My name is rixa evershed and I'm 50 years old. I'm today is December 7th, 2020 the end of a very long year and I am in Olympia Washington with my friend and colleague and former employee and co-worker and Bailey naber and like I said, she is she and I have been through fire together Bailey.

00:29 I am Bailey naber. I am 22 years old. The date is December 7th, and I'm also in Olympia Washington. I'm with Rick Stone and we've worked together for a long time just like she said we've been through a lot together.

00:46 Bailey tell me tell me about tell me about

00:51 And enough and when we first got to know each other.

00:56 I'm going to make dinner. Jazz Farm was probably the best center I've ever worked at. I started there in April of 2019 and that program really focused on helping kids with trauma and helping kids connect with animals and we really focused on the kids at the center. And that's what's my favorite part about nature nurtures. I also made a lot of friends and family and it was a really nice place to work. It would probably that one of the highlights of my life was working there. It was it was a really special Center. I loves when I interviewed for that position in that back yard. I mean I the backyard so phenomenal it with the climber in the old-growth pine and all the stuff that was there and the coast of course always pick up and just

01:56 I know everybody was there for the same purpose which was to help children and to be present with children and

02:06 I don't know that I'll ever be in another place it'll duplicate that that experience because it was outdoors and everybody was on the same page and and I mean and the children I just keep going back to you. We made a difference. We really did we definitely did our best to try. Yeah, we are.

02:36 You know you had Keaton there. What was the best part of it as a mom for you?

02:42 I personally enjoyed him being able to be outside no matter what whether he was always outside playing and he had a great time. He was always cared for well, and he was like I said always outside now that we're not there as much as he doesn't get outside as much and he's definitely not as focal or anything. So he need to know just brought out the best in him. Oh, I love that. I love that. What do you wonder about other experiences there? What questions do you have?

03:22 I actually have a specific question. I've been wanting to ask you I wanted to know what was the hardest thing for you like as a director during covid-19. Like I'm keeping the place there.

03:39 Got it makes me makes me.

03:43 Oh my God this year.

03:46 I would have to say that the hardest the hardest thing was knowing.

03:54 That we were being asked to step forward on to the front lines.

04:01 Aaron's

04:04 Be present for families and for each other without any medical insurance with out any financial support without any.

04:19 Support for PPE I mean

04:24 It was like some money like the faucet was on.

04:28 Full open and the money was just going out and nothing was coming in because you know, I mean you remember that week March 16th Bailey. It was a Monday and we went in and we were fully enrolled 57 children and by the end of that week we had 14 and you know, we tried we tried so hard to change our model so that we could be present for Frontline workers and I mean

04:59 The guidance was changing everyday is that the information was changing everyday and nobody had answers and I get that now but it just felt like we were forgotten as a as a work force like the governor said stay open, but then we didn't hear anything else from him for such a long time. And that still makes me so frustrated and then the facts.

05:31 Elementary and secondary education is being so protected and we aren't. If I think about it too much. It just makes me so angry because we're all Educators were all here for children, but it feels like childcares the forgotten the Forgotten child child. I saying air quotes.

05:55 And when I see how hard you guys worked and how dedicated all of you were to those children and to know that now we're closed and that is not a pathway for children anymore. I mean we had children that nobody else wanted they've been expelled and or suspended from other programs. I don't know. How was it for you?

06:22 It was honestly probably the hardest thing that we've ever been through like as a family we lost everyone kind of thing. So it's been really good for us are also feel like we were expected to do all of these great things without information that we needed without the protection. We needed or support winning the kids like you said health insurance. Like if I if I ended up getting sick I couldn't be there at all. So don't have health insurance. That was just a lot of things that Kobe Bryant to the front of the issue like

07:03 Covid wasn't the start of the issue, which is brought all of the issues upfront.

07:08 Yeah, but everything to life and

07:13 Their program closing was really sad. I wish we could have

07:19 I wish we could have to I you know it the summer was kind of incredible for me. How was it for you? I'm thankful for the summer about we got being able to be there with some of the kids and being able to.

07:39 Be one-on-one with those kids cuz we only had not very many cuz I don't remember how many we had though, but with numbers boscolo, so we really got to interact one-on-one with a lot of kids named they needed it because everything was so shut down.

07:59 Everything was shut down. They weren't seeing their families. And so part of my favorite Parts was we would throw a lot of dance parties and the kids would enjoy it. We would have a lot of pizza parties or popsicles every day just cuz we could and I think it really helped the kids remember the summer and it also helped me.

08:21 You know, we we did that. Program at the farm.

08:26 Hoping that it would bring in another source of Revenue as the Director. I mean Mike salary had to be paid anyway, but if I could generate some sort of revenue for the program then maybe just maybe we might be able to save it. We only ended up with six children total but to be back in.

08:47 The classroom and to be work the classroom because it was the farm right? So we were outside for those four hours a day, but to be back with children and such a one-on-one setting was watching them when they came in Bailey they were so tight they were so just like stressed and I mean these were children with like they had what they needed at home these these were they the kids that that had had the things right, but just the quarantine and everything else they were they were so tight and so stressed and watch them kind of open up over the course of the summer with our interactions with nature being down at that Creek. I mean, you know with McLane Creek being salmon bearing we got to see so many things we got to find lampreys and we got to

09:47 Crawfish and salmon fry on Dunn. Of course the dinosaurs that came along with us every day of gosh those dinosaurs write thank you again for the client has dinosaurs, you know it just and then when I would come back in the afternoon to the program to watch those girls conquer that log structure was amazing. They are working on that for so long and for them to be able to walk around the top of it with no help. I mean that was a good six feet off the ground all day every day until they were able to get it. That was their goal of the summer. I'd say I'm headed for them.

10:38 How did you feel so this was a little bit pretty pandemic but I've always you know, we worked it out, but I've always wondered how it felt when you lost your child care assistance.

10:49 I mean, I don't have any better words in it. It sucks. I mean, I cannot figure out a better way to put that it definitely changed a lot. I mean with Frank so he thought a small raised and that put us out of the limit for the Child Care Subsidy in Washington, and I couldn't that I think there's a 25% raise and that changed it to where I would have to start paying $1,200 a month and night we couldn't afford that what was her co-pay before it was like 65 right the $66 before that and then change to 1200. So we found a way to make it work. Thanks to you and we did I ended up joining Americorps, which is also an amazing.

11:43 Opportunity and I was able to get the child care that I needed and still continue to be a part of Nature nurtures. And if I didn't join Americorps, I don't think I would have I would have had to quit my job and stay home due to the fact that child care is more than my rent. I mean I can't I can't afford it. I know I found out recently that for an infant in Seattle is $2,200 a month. Can you imagine I can't even imagine paying something like that for childcare? I think that's the other the other part of this I mean for me is the impact on families at the rate Child Care programs are closing here in Washington. I mean they're going to have no choice about where they go and it's not going to be

12:35 Perhaps something that aligns with their culture it is not going to be something that aligns with their budgets. I really worry about that says we move forward especially since the there there doesn't appear to be any financial help on the horizon. It's ya

13:01 How did you feel in the days leading up to our first closure in March?

13:06 I was very anxious. I wasn't sure if we were we had talked about staying open or closing. We had talked about the different scenarios of what could happen. So being able we've had a lot of staff meetings and being able to like talk it out and help but I was I wasn't sure I was going to have a job at by the end of the month. I mean with the mandated lockdown and everything like that. We were closed for a weeks to months your clothes for 2 months and I was still at the school every single day and it was It was kind of sad to being there by myself for 2 months everyday just alone a really like her the way that I guess I missed the kids. So anytime by Carol a Frozen kids.

14:07 When I think of that playground not having its children, I mean for me that playground was a living entity it it invited exploration and invited learning and it invited children to explore rest and all the things and when I think of that playground

14:28 Without its children

14:31 It makes me want to cry. I I I show people pictures of that playground and like yeah, I know it's such a hard. It's such a hard thing to to have to think about without his children and then they do you ever wonder if the ghosts are lonely. I do actually all the time.

14:56 I think that the Gorillaz really do miss the children. They love them whether they were chasing them or not. Tell me about reopening cuz we still didn't have a lot of information but we decided to to go for it. Tell me about that. Yeah, well when we reopened

15:22 It was scary. We didn't know what to expect we had to do temperature checks. We had half of the kids. But like you said the playground, I think it really really saved being able to go outside where the kids can see each other and soap for people who would listen to this the playground was a really really big yard and it has areas for just dirt piles and it had log structures and the Biltmore area. That's how I can imagine them and then there's swings and the kids would constantly just run and go and play in the mud and the dirt and they would be playing with the goats and caring for them. And then the garden also helped us this summer being able to go out there and plant or just play sometimes

16:22 Just filled the garden beds up with water and they'd rolling in the mud. You know, I always laughed because we would send the children home so dirty and and I was always waiting for a family to say, you know, like what do they do? I'll just because they would be so dirty, but you know what those children were so happy my favorite part of the playground was over on the far side where we had the electric spools and all the logs and the children would build different things. That was to me. That was I loved watching the children take like their little cars and stuff over there and and the pretend worlds that they would make for themselves over there was always so interesting to me and I'd I'd enjoy

17:11 Listening to them help each other and problem solved together as they would move the bigger logs and things like that. I thought that that was always just so interesting cuz you know children are infinitely capable. I just I say that all the time but they are so capable until to watch them without adult stepping in it. I mean it changes you as a teacher and you realize that you're you're learning alongside of them that it's not just about teaching them. It's about learning from them. Also, when we reopened after our first closure. I definitely note like realize that not only can you learn things from them just from what they can do, but you can also learn things about yourself through them.

18:01 And you really really help me there's specific kids, but just all of the kids that would I'm trying to be a teacher and a mom during covid-19 and make sure everyone stayed safe. Nobody got sick trying to keep that all together sometimes like I had a student come up to me one day. Do you need a hug and I was like, yes, I remember that first day we came back and we all kind of looked at each other and we all just really like screw it and we all just hiding it was like, I'm so glad that nothing happened, but I think for me the social distance part is so hard and you know, I I think about

18:54 As we talked about learning from children and learning about ourselves a little bit. Do you know over the course of the summer? I mean being over at the farm and and I was lucky to have you and just to sub for me but having 23 Acres old growth forest. I'm wide open Meadows all of those animals. I mean 11 horses. Let's see if I can name them all for five alpacas to peacocks the the miniature donkeys in the miniature horses, you know, just having that I'll never forget Elliott up at the fence. First week and he was just leaning on the gate and there were like three horses on the other side of the gate.

19:43 Eating and he was just leaning on it in the sunshine. Of course that week it rained so hard all week. But that was like the one minute of sunshine. We hadn't he was just leaning on the game like his head on his arms and he was watching the horses and I think they had such an opportunity over the summer. I mean, it wasn't just about me learning from them to understand more about their own capabilities and being able to be in those big spaces in in the climb trees. I mean there were times in Henry and Elliot were so high in those trees and I'm like, oh boy, you know, I fingers crossed that they get back to him because they are so capable in to watch them games still at those things and then to watch Todd for the first time be able to I mean, he jumped that Creek and you know, he he wouldn't even cross that Creek unless I was helping him and then one day I heard this thump behind me and I turned around and there he was with the big

20:43 Smile on his face and I was like, did you just jumped the creek? And he was like, yes, I was like can you do it again? Because I want to see it. It was just to me being able to help. That time with the children was

21:00 I mean and you and I talked about this before but like to have all of the decision-making put on your shoulders about keeping children safe and keeping families happy and figuring out where paychecks are going to come from and and and enrolling and all of these things is so incredibly stressful and I've been doing it for so long. I mean I've been in Early Education for over 20 years that I've been a director for now going on about 15, and it's

21:34 It's

21:36 Overwhelming and it's so stressful and have those months with those children.

21:43 With such a ray of goodness for me. It definitely was for me too. I mean, I feel like having those last couple months of being able to come back and like it was I think it was the best way to say. Goodbye that we could have it was just the best way to end things cuz if we would have ended things back in March when it started, I don't know. I don't think it would have been good for anyone. I mean those boys I ain't you know, I'm with Henry Mele everyday and every day they talk about the farm every single day. I did this at the farm. I did this get made it have things that they've collected from the farm in the hood. Oh, yeah, I found this from the farm with Miss Rick's done things like that. So it definitely made an impact and I see that everyday working with these two kids have allergies.

22:36 Things that we did over the summer with the mother there at the school or the farm it help them see the good during the bad. Right right and you know every once in awhile Stacy or Janet will text me and I'll be like Henry said that sir Elliot said that and you know it just

22:57 I don't know that this year would have been survivable without.

23:03 Without that summer because I mean as you know, my dad died 2 months ago in like it just it just keeps piling on and when I think about the way forward with childcare and Early Education, it just feels so hard and it feels like it's never going to get better and like nobody is Karen nobody cares and nobody is paying attention when will children matter enough to people but they're willing to put the money forward.

23:36 I pay for it. That kind of guy had for you is I know you've been in this field for the long and so what like, how do you think of your career now? Do you think of it differently do you have for me personally?

24:04 I don't know if I could go back into town cared for the sense of loss that I felt. I don't know if I can do that again, I think about that every day and it would be

24:20 I think one of the hardest pieces for me.

24:24 Is the early educators?

24:27 Family child care providers. We aren't in this to fuel the economy. We're not in this to to make sure that families can go to work. We're in this because of the children and that is our passion. We come to this because we see children. We see their capabilities. We see their their future.

24:56 And I mean without even going into all of the science and the stuff that goes with the work that we do.

25:06 The work we do is so impactful and I told you so many times when I make decisions, I prioritize children what is best for children? And then right after that it's like a really close second. I'm as what is best for teachers and families and I don't think that people see that when they make decisions about funding I think they see how it impacts the economy that they just see us as this thing that's over here that helps keep things open and they don't understand that. It's

25:47 It's about

25:49 Us as Educators who come to it with real.

25:56 Passionate engagement for this learning we do with children for this time we get to spend with them and for me, you know now that I'm in a different place. It's about coming out it from the perspective of working in partnership with teachers getting to spend time in classrooms and getting to perpetuate the future of our field and but then I I wondered to your question like, is there a future for our field like what what does come next because covid-19 thing but highlight

26:39 How underfunded unsupported?

26:43 An unseen, our profession is for me. Show me how much of a backbone childcare is for just the whole nation like it's it's so important and with it being underfunded and understand like you said that I people aren't realizing that we you need childcare. It's not just a number. It's not just throwing some money at some organization like you we need child care whether you're a teacher or a family like you need someone to watch your kid while you go but you also wanted to be someone who cares you want it to be someone who will respect your culture. You want it to be someone that'll be there for you and your family and not being able to be there for those people is in the heart. It's been so hard.

27:39 Matriarchal closing definitely affected so many people I have parents reach out to me.

27:49 At least once a week not only to see how I'm doing but I think just as a touchstone and you know, I I have also thought about like, what would I do instead of this field because I have so much expertise that translates into so many other areas.

28:11 But I can't find it in my heart quite yet to leave.

28:17 Because of experience like me leaves the field and I'm using me and a general term to to cover like all of the the people who are have been in it for so long and have continued to learn and continue to research and continue to do all the things if we leave the field.

28:36 Then it almost feels like a start over without any sort of guidance for people like you who want to do what's best for children, but maybe I'm putting too much importance on the role that those of us play but like

28:58 I don't know. I don't know I mean

29:02 It's it's definitely time that.

29:06 That people wake up and and understand that this isn't just about

29:12 Like it's not just about setting aside dollars for this. This is about the future and it's a cliche for a reason, right? The future is our children are our future but they are if we don't have

29:28 If we don't have people who care and people who have knowledge taking care of them.

29:35 I mean their brains are developing at 1 million synapse connections per second. You hear me say that all the time but that's huge huge the role we play is just like to

29:52 You know, what? Do you miss about the program the most?

29:58 Our family our eyes are the students in the teachers. Like those are the best times of Our Lives. Me and Keaton. Both of us cycling is being there seeing the kids interacting with them. I see pictures of them on social media or I get mail. I got mail from some of the kids the other day. I just I truly just missed the kids. I mean, even if we had those same kids in a different location, that would be happy, but I don't know if there's something about that location though. I mean, I'm working in another location now and

30:38 It's not the same Bailey. It's just not it's not the same and it's and I think it's so much of that is because I don't have you coming in my office and fussing at me and being sassy or just making her her comments and her little her sense of humor and we had two babies to see them virtually, but I wish I could see them. I only got to cuddle with Tony's little one once that's all I've seen him to onion and I want them to be safe. But I mean

31:25 I miss that family that we had there not just the parents but each other.

31:35 What did you what do you think we needed to stay open late? Just the money. I mean, we did the car around to try and get some.

31:48 Someone you know, it's a stomach it is it until the system changes and till we are seeing as a professional Workforce and not just a bunch of primarily women who hang out with kids is not for daycare. We're not daycare either. We're definitely far beyond that. I mean the work that happens every day.

32:22 As much more needs to be seeing how that needs to be respected and I can't say that loud enough for or

32:31 But ultimately, it just comes down to funding it comes down to funding. As the only thing that's going to change this conversation really it's always such a treat to see hugs to you my friend I miss you guys more than every week but it's not the same it's not we're going to have to do something all together when this is over.

33:05 Yeah, I was just going to mention the amount of kids that we had with trauma. So their lives out in the way we were able to help them cope with this trauma. I'd really that really needs to be mentioned in this because that was the biggest part of our job was Ed not every day was all bright and shiny and eating popsicles and playing know there were days where we had kids lashing out because they were just so overwhelmed at home or so stressed or didn't know how to cope with their trauma and we had Houston are in basically take apart all of their words and their actions and figure out what was happening in their minds to help them and with us closing makes me wonder if these kids are still getting that someone who can like nitpick and get down to the problem and help them figure it out themselves like cuz we didn't just tell the kids.

34:05 This is what you need to do. What do you need to do? Like, what do you think would help you and with us closing for covid-19. Portion of because we were the place they landed after nobody else would take them and you know, and we watch them and I can think of like for that made such a huge games while they were with us and I specifically wine. I wonder about every day because his mom was so young and had such trauma herself and then he was exposed to all of that. And you know, I just I wonder you nearly daily how he's doing when he

35:05 On our last day that we were open. I called family to get to see if they wanted to come get his stuff and when he walked around that car. It was like I could I couldn't breathe I saw him and I was like, oh my goodness. I know that was that was when I finally started crying was when I saw him that final day. Thank you for 4

35:36 Talking about that because I think and I think it's so hard when you're in it because when you're have a child punching and kicking in and just hurting so much and you're the one who's having to regulate that for them. It makes it incredibly challenging and I the work that all of you did to help those children you made a difference you guys have to know that you guys made a difference. We remember it's not easy to remember that.

36:17 What makes what makes you hopeful?

36:21 Right now being able to be with the boys.

36:27 Cuz they're from the center and it it gives me like a sense of hope like being able to be there with them with my kid and being able to help them. It makes me feel better have to admit to a little bit of jealousy about that hanging out with I mean they were your boys first, but I got to share.

36:48 I miss summer was so amazing. I'm you know for me, it's I hold out hope that

36:58 We the someday we'll be seeing that someday will be acknowledged as a as the profession I'd love it if it happened while I was still professionally active and not retired, but you know, I'd I hold out hope for your generation.

37:15 I need I also hope that like I said, I'm not sure if I could be it in a classroom again just from the trauma that happens to us from the trauma that it it's definitely like an open wound. So I'm not sure if I can go back into the classroom. But I hope for the teachers that are in the classroom. The things will get better and things will be funded and they will be heard cuz I'm off that hurt me the way that you didn't know about. It helps me. So that's awesome. I hope that people get good directors.

37:52 Well, you and Tony Josh Jeanette all of you guys. I mean we had a we had a special crew for sure. We still talk everyday. Oh goodness.

38:10 Scared

38:12 We'll have our back to at least get it everyday by channel. Did you guys actually pay attention? I'd be like somebody put this on the back channel. Is it still going well?

38:38 Everyone is doing okay, you know, we're doing the best we can some of us can't find jobs. Some of us are staying home because what's the point marching somewhere all definitely hurting in our own way. So it's still very hurtful. I have a I have a court order that I took from the school and it has all the pictures of all of the kids. Yeah. I bet we'll virtual hugs to everyone. Thank you for taking the time with me today Bailey record with me. Absolutely.

39:33 And for my son Keaton, he really needed nature nurtures, and I'm hoping that he'll be able to find something again soon.