Thank you to the Central Illinois Terminix for sponsoring this week’s Chambana Mom to Know! Do you have pests in your home? It’s time to call our local Terminix. The “Big Bugs” folks represent one of the oldest names in pest control, and the Central Illinois franchise has been in the same family since 1946. You can connect with Terminix via its website (bigbugs.com), follow them on Twitter at @big_bugs, or call 217-866-0533.
Stephanie Record is the Executive Director of Crisis Nursery, a 24 hour, 7-day/week emergency childcare organization. Stephanie has three degrees from the University of Illinois, is a certified school social worker and in 2010, she received her License in Clinical Social Work. Stephanie is also the Head Cheerleading Coach at the University of Illinois where she has coached for the past 20 years.
Stephanie and her husband, Rush Record, Executive Director of CASA, just celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. They have two girls, Kennedy, 14, and Delaney, 10. Their family is actively involved in St. Matthew Parish and St. Matthew School. When Stephanie and Rush aren’t cheering on the girls at their various sporting activities , they are cheering on their favorite Illini teams and the St. Louis Cardinals. Stephanie is originally from Mattoon, Illinois, and has lived in Champaign since she came to college here in 1989.
See why we think Stephanie is a Chambana Mom to Know.
1) What is it like to be the executive director of Crisis Nursery?
I am so honored to be the Executive Director of Crisis Nursery! We are celebrating our 30th anniversary this year and I couldn’t be more proud of the work taking place with children and families each day. Crisis Nursery is the only emergency-based child care facility open 24 hours, 365 days a year for the entire community to access with no fees, or income eligibility. Besides safe shelter for children, ages birth through 6, we also provide family support and parenting education to strengthen parent skills and confidence. There is no denying that meeting the ever-changing needs of the community can be challenging. However, we never lose sight of our mission to create an “Island of Safety” dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect by providing 24-hour emergency care for children and support to strengthen families in crisis. At Crisis Nursery, we believe that asking for help is a sign of strength.
2) How do you handle the ups — and major downs — that your job brings to your desk day in and day out?
Each year that I have been at the Nursery, there are more needs and more struggles that we are continually trying to meet. And while we served 850 children last year…we also had to turn families away nearly 400 times…knowing that each time we have to say “no”, there is the potential for harm to come to a child.
As funding continues to become more and more competitive, we strive to constantly measure our success with statistics and metrics, outcomes and objectives, and evidence based practices and programming to maintain our competitive edge. And while there is a place for all of these, the truest measure of our success is not found in any of the numbers or reports that we provide to our funders. At the end of the day, month and year…the fact remains that so much of what we do at Crisis Nursery simply cannot be measured in these ways.
Our truest most meaningful measure of success is found by looking into the eyes of the mothers, fathers and children we serve. If you pay attention, the eyes truly tell the story of the impact that Crisis Nursery is making. I realize the number of reports and evaluations submitted can never truly capture the impact that can be read through the eyes of those we serve at Crisis Nursery. However, that impact is felt in my heart and I know that without Crisis Nursery, there would be far more people in our community living with sadness in their eyes rather than with hope, relief, joy and love.
3) How do families access your services?
They simply need to call our crisis line, 217-337-2730 and ask for help! We are here to help any child, birth through 6, whose families are experiencing a crisis and have no other resources or support.
4) What do parents reading this article need to know about Crisis Nursery?
Parents need to know that Crisis Nursery is here for everyone in our community regardless of income. Our services are free and accessing these services is a simple process. In addition to caring for children, we also have a variety of services available to families, including support to mothers experiencing perinatal depression through our Beyond Blue program which is funded through the 708 Mental Health Board. There is an entire section on our website devoted to guiding parents on how to use our services, including a program calendar outlining when groups are being offered.
5) How does being the U of I Cheerleading coach impact your life?
Aside from keeping me very busy, coaching the Fighting Illini Cheerleaders is truly one of the most rewarding opportunities I have had in my life. I was fortunate to cheer for the Illini from 1990-1993 and have always been passionate about supporting our athletic programs not only during their years of success, but also during the years that they have struggled.
For the past 20 years, I have been able to share my passion with hundreds of cheerleaders that have come through the program while helping them find their own passion for the Fighting Illini! I have a tremendous sense of pride in the fact that Fighting Illini Cheerleading continues to be a highly-respected program throughout the Big Ten Conference year after year.
The greatest impact on my life has been made by the men and women I have had the opportunity to coach. When you spend hours of your week with these student athletes, they become part of your family…their joy becomes your joy…their pain becomes your pain…and sometimes their stress becomes your stress. However, when you are able to help guide them through the challenges of college and watch them grow and succeed in their accomplishments…that makes it all worthwhile.
In the age of social media, it’s easy to stay in touch with those I have coached over the years and to see the successes they have found in their careers and the love they have found in their own families. Getting that occasional message on Facebook or text from a former cheerleader who is checking in and letting me know how things are going…that’s the ongoing impact that I experience as a coach.
6) What advice do you have for parents whose children want to be cheerleaders?
I think it’s important for cheerleaders to enjoy supporting the athletic teams they are cheering for rather than simply focusing on performing cheerleading skills. All-star cheerleading has really taken off across the country and while there’s a place for that, I really look for cheerleaders who are dedicated to supporting the University and their athletic programs. I want men and women on the team who understand the fundamentals of the sports they are cheering for and who enjoy actually being out on the field leading the crowd in all situations…when the team is winning AND when the team is losing. Illinois cheerleaders have to be strong ambassadors for the University and for the athletic department at all times.
As cheerleading has become more competitive, tumbling skills are an essential skill needed to make a college cheerleading team. In the past several years, this skill has been a determining factor for many of the candidates who are trying out for the team.
7) You have guests visiting. What sort of itinerary do you build for them for a Saturday in C-U?
An itinerary for any of my guests would likely include either a Fighting Illini or St. Matthew sporting event. Like I mentioned before, we have little time for anything else in our house! J
Have a friend, relative or neighbor you think is a Chambana mom/dad to know? Nominate him or her today — it’s easy and only takes a few minutes!