My name is Becky Valenzuela, and I am your Childcare Coordinator for the 2021 National Camp & Retreat Leaders' Gathering, "In the Kitchen." This will be my second time serving on the Design Team for the Gathering (I met many of you "At The Table" in Florida in 2019). It is UMCRM's goal to make the event accessible to families and enable caregivers and kids to all have a great educational experience. One way we commit to that is through offering a free childcare program.

By trade, I am the Director of Children and Youth Ministries at First UMC Torrance in the Cal-Pac Conference, and a teacher. I have spent over 20 years teaching all levels of education from infants & toddlers through high school seniors. 

This year, with the state of education varying from state to state, we are looking at childcare through a new lens. If your children are still in virtual classrooms and will be attending the event, we will be working to set up a classroom type environment for them to complete their needed school work. If your children are not yet in school, we will still be providing a dedicated, safely supervised space to play, explore, create, and rest so that parents can participate fully in the conference.

Our host site at Jumonville will partner with us to make your children welcome, too. The lodging facilities offer a variety of cabin options that will work great for families, and there are high chairs available in the dining space. There's a discounted rate for kids' room and board depending on age, and little ones under age 3 stay free of charge.

We will customize age-appropriate activities for the children registered. Please reach out to me via email (and/or we can set up a time to talk) to discuss your family's needs, and we can plan together to care for your children during the Gathering. I'm looking forward to seeing you all "In the Kitchen" this October!