2018 Family Helper of the Year

Lori Conklin
Lori has been working professionally with children for over 20 yrs. She has worked both as a nanny and in childcare centers for many years. While working at a childcare center Lori attended several trainings and workshops through the NY State Office of Children and Family Services. The workshops included the following: Principles of Early Childhood Development, Safety and Security Procedures, Child Abuse and Maltreatment Identification and Prevention to name a few. Lori genuinely loves caring for children and she credits the workshops she took for helping her to further grow professionally. Observing each stage of a child’s development is a rewarding experience for Lori. She especially loves teaching children and helping them achieve developmental milestones through creative play, art, and outdoor activities.
In her free time, Lori enjoys reading, watching movies, camping, and spending time with her adult daughter.
Lori’s current employer describes her as “deeply creative and inventive. The playroom is always full of my daughter’s colorful art projects, some completed and some in progress. Our family’s holidays would not be the same without her thoughtful and imaginative efforts to engage our daughter in the special qualities of each season.”
“She has a fun way to include sensory play in our daughter’s daily life. She is deeply attuned to our daughter, and to others. Parents and nannies have approached me to tell me how helpful she is on the playground and in the classroom. She gently assists our daughter and other children as they learn to play together.”
“Lori’s instincts and skill in recognizing a medical emergency averted what could have been a more serious situation with our daughter. I trust Lori 100% to stay on top of the little details in our daily protocol that ensure that our daughter stays healthy.”
“Lori is part of our family. Our daughter wouldn’t be the person she is, and we wouldn’t be the parents we are, without her presence.”