ParentChild+ Staff Spotlight: Chantel Jullie

How long have you worked at JFCS and what is your role here?

I started at JFCS in the ParentChild+ program as an Early Learning Specialist in 2015. In 2018, I took on a Coordinator role in the program.

Can you share about some of your previous work experience and how it has helped you as part of this program?

For the 15 years before I worked in ParentChild+, I worked with children and families impacted by autism. I worked in families’ homes, as well as center-based services doing behavior therapy. A large portion of my work was working with parents and helping them reduce their child’s challenging behaviors and increase their child’s communication. This experience helped greatly in my work with ParentChild+. Being able to work closely with parents and building bonds with families and celebrating successes is some of the most rewarding work a person can do.

How many staff do you supervise and where do they serve?

I have four staff I currently supervise and they serve in a variety of areas. We have families in Champlin, Brooklyn Park over to New Brighton and all the way to Eden Prairie and many cities in between!

What is the aspect of your job that you enjoy the most?

Every year when graduation comes around, we have our program parents send us photos of their children to use for a few things related to our graduation traditions. Seeing all those faces – our future doctors, teachers, world leaders, etc. is just the best feeling. The cute faces of our program children are overwhelming!

Do you have a favorite book or toy from the program?

This is a hard one! Every time I bring a new book or toy to a child I often say “Oh! This is my favorite!” And it is true, I adore the books and toys our program picks out and how thoughtful we are about each one. If I had to choose, I would say “Llama Llama Red Pajama” for a book. I have warm memories of reading this book to my children when they were little. As for the toy, the nesting blocks in year one is an absolute favorite. I love how creative the children are with them.

Do you have a go-to place for pit stops when you are out and about in the community/doing home visits?

Parking lots! Sounds unlikely, but when you are driving from house to house, sometimes sitting in a quiet car and taking a few minutes to breathe is the best way to prepare yourself for the next family you will see.

ParentChild+ is a free home visiting program that promotes creative ways to learn through play, increases parenting skills and helps children prepare for school. For more information, click here!