Arlington, VA – Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA), National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Head Start Association (NHSA), and National Indian Child Care Association (NICCA) would like to congratulate Julie Hume and the staff at Kind Hearts Day Care in Princeton, Minnesota. They have been named Provider of the Month for January 2017.

This month we are acknowledging National Radon Action Month. We encourage you to test your home and workplace for radon. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released in rock, soil, and water from the natural decay of uranium. You can’t see, smell, or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home, workplace or child care facility. If high radon levels are detected, you can take steps to fix it and protect yourself and your family.

Every week in the United States, nearly 11 million children younger than age five are in some type of child care arrangement. While all families with young children benefit from an awareness and knowledge of high-quality, affordable child care options that match their need for safe, healthy, and developmentally appropriate care, children from economically challenged and diverse families benefit even more monumentally from a high-quality child care environment. There are, however, many barriers for low-income and otherwise vulnerable families accessing care including preventable barriers such as the lack of knowledge of early care options.

Child Care Aware^® of America is hosting a Facebook Live panel discussion on November 29 at 9 a.m. EST to talk with parents about the new landscape after the presidential election and what you can do to make child care is a priority. The panel will include compelling personal stories from three families who are facing challenges concerning child care cost, quality, and accessibility in their communities. This event will highlight our Child Care Works movement and coincides with #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving.

Child care has become a major issue this election season, highlighted throughout the debates and presidential candidate platforms alike. The focus has mainly been on families and the challenges they face when seeking high-quality, affordable child care. For military families this can be especially difficult. According to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), active-duty military personnel move an average of once every two to three years. This results in children changing schools and child care providers frequently. In addition, the DoD reports that roughly 70 percent of military families do not live on base, making access to military-funded installation child care even more limited.

Sadly, every year lives are lost because smoke alarms are neglected. From 2009-2013, three out of five home fire deaths occurred in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. According to the National Fire Protection Association, smoke alarms in nearly 1 out of every 5 homes are not working.

This week, we are celebrating Fire Prevention Week. This year's theme is Don't Wait - Check the Date!