In the wake of the coronavirus, child care is facing serious challenges. While the field has come together to ensure public health guidance is followed, that care is available for frontline personnel, and that additional reopening of the sector is approached appropriately, more is needed to ensure that child care programs, both center-based and family child care, survive in the long term.

Springtime for Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies typically brings a multitude of outreach events with many opportunities to engage families and child care professionals. The pandemic has changed how CCR&R agencies provide services and outreach. CCR&Rs have quickly responded to the ever-changing health crisis and the uncertainty within the child care field, and have found innovative ways to engage families and educators.

Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agencies and providers have contacted Child Care Aware® of America with questions about how to ensure their programs are properly cleaned and ready when child care programs reopen. 

First, it’s important to understand the difference between cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting. In short, cleaning means removing dirt or germs from a surface; sanitizing refers to reducing the number of pathogens or bacteria on that cleaned surface; disinfecting kills all bacteria on hard, non-porous surfaces. The distinction between the three can seem blurry, so we have gathered some of the most helpful links from partners in public health to ensure you are ready and prepared.   

By Marie Treichel, Provider Services Manager

Child Care Aware^® of Eastern Kansas has been providing referral services to families for over forty years, and in 1992 began providing direct coaching services to early educators.

Among the highest priorities for families with young children is the desire to keep their children safe from harm, healthy, happy and well. While many families are keeping their children at home right now, states are slowly starting to re-open. But is it safe for a child to be in a group early childhood setting? 

Yesterday, the House of Representatives unveiled their version of the latest round of stimulus relief: The HEROES Act. 

While we are happy to see some movement on relief for the American people coming out of Washington, this bill falls woefully short of where we need to be to ensure the survival of our child care system.