Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) is pleased to announce that it has become a member of the National Interoperability Collaborative (NIC), a unique “community of networks” that sees a nation where everyone — especially vulnerable and underserved populations —  enjoys a better life. NIC’s mission is to improve systems and increase collaboration among the sectors that enhance health, safety and well-being by advancing information-sharing, interoperability, and the use of technology.   

It happens every other year. Child Care Aware^® of America hosts a Symposium that brings together individuals from across the country to discuss the latest research, policy and practices related to the early child care and education community.  This year’s 4-day event offers participants opportunities to hear from and connect with thought leaders, Congressional staff and other early education professionals.

The Child Care Aware^® of America (CCAoA) Emergency Preparedness team is committed to ensuring the child care sector has the support it needs in times of uncertainty. Emergency preparedness, response and recovery is vital for the well-being of children, families and communities.   

We understand that you may feel confused or unsure about how the Coronavirus (COVID-19) could potentially affect your program, staff, children and families that you serve. We have heard your questions and continue to research and share up-to-date resources and solutions. This week, we are drawing attention to several guidance documents, leading practices and training tools that can assist you in the coming weeks. 

Being a reflective practitioner means continuously asking yourself questions about your practice, evaluating your decisions and creating plans to apply new knowledge. Self-reflection is not a difficult skill to learn, but it can be challenging to integrate reflection into your daily practice. Sometimes it is easier to stay where we are, rather than make changes to our practice. Sometimes, we might not even realize a change is necessary. 

One way that early childhood education (ECE) professionals can employ self-reflection to improve practices and enhance skills is to ask themselves some of the following questions before, during and after engaging in professional development (PD). 

It’s impossible to avoid news about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) these days, and as child care leaders and providers, you are no doubt getting questions from parents about it. You are also probably wondering, how do I, as a child care provider, prevent Coronavirus from impacting the children in my care? What would I do if Coronavirus showed up in my community or child care facility?  

The first post in this series introduced Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) as valuable partners and guides for businesses ready to take action on child care. Let’s dig a little deeper into the current context of child care in America – and then explore the basics of CCR&Rs.