Jennifer Marshall (left) of St. Ignace was named Day Care Provider of the Month by the EUP Great Start Parent Coalition Wednesday, May 4. She is pictured with Camryn Oliver, day care coordinator Heather Bird; (front, from left) Nicole Landowski, Grace Mattson, Lily Peterson, and Rocco Oliver. Jennifer Marshall, who has been providing day care services in St. Ignace for 15 years, was surprised last week when Heather Bird knocked on her door. Because this time Mrs. Bird, quality-care provider for the Great Start Parent Coalition, wasn’t coming to drop off day care materials or chat about training programs like she normally does.

Mrs. Bird presented her with a pot of flowers, instead, announcing she’d been chosen by the coalition as the day care provider of the month, selected among all providers in Mackinac, Chippewa, and Luce counties. And to add to the announcement, the day happened to be Mrs. Marshall’s birthday, too.

“I never thought I would get this,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. “It’s an honor.”

Just watching the way Mrs. Marshall interacts with children, putting on their boots for a trip outdoors to play, makes it clear that she’s still as passionate about what she does as when she first began 15 years ago. Her children are grown up now, but she’s never thought about changing her profession.

“It’s all about the kids,” she said. “I’ve never had a daughter, but I have a bunch of girls here and I love it.”

Another part of the challenge, she said, is teaching young children basic skills that will help them as they move on to attend elementary school. To stay up to speed, she attends training programs offered by the Great Start program to learn new teaching methods, such as learning about developmental stages, brain development, and creating a safe and inviting learning environment.

Her day care provides services for infants and children up to age seven.

“I’ve had a lot of kids come through here over the years, and the best thing is to watch them grow, learn, and move on in life,” she said, explaining that she keeps in touch with children she’s worked with over the years.

Mrs. Bird works directly with day care providers like Mrs. Marshall, providing them with new learning materials and offering professional guidance. She said that Mrs. Marshall has been proactive about teaching her children new things and that she cooperates well with other day care providers in the community. Six day care providers now offer services in St. Ignace.

“She really collaborates well with other day care providers in the area and refers children to other providers,” she said.