In the first three blogs of this series, we explored topics related to the social-emotional health of children. CCAoA believes that in quality child care programs, the health and safety of providers and staff is equally important. In this final blog, we address the social-emotional health of these essential caregivers. 

The end of summer is a busy time for families seeking child care. Prepare yourself by watching  this video describing what families and child care resource and referral (CCR&R) professionals, from around the nation, have to say about child care assistance available in your community.

Guest Blog Post by Kris Nicholson, Child Care Aware of Kansas and Brenda Bandy, Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition

Being prepared for an emergency is top priority for many including those in the child care field. The Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition Child Care Section recently discovered a gap in information for what to do when a breastfeeding infant is in a child care program when an emergency occurs. 

Children’s learning never takes a vacation.  Just in time for summer, Child Care Aware® of America’s SMART Suite has been refreshed with new digital content that CCR&Rs can easily share with families and early care and education providers.

When we talk about health and safety in child care, the discussion is often on reducing or eliminating physical threats to children’s well-being (e.g., unsafe playground equipment of the spread of an infectious disease). CCAoA believes that quality child care helps build healthy children, including their healthy social and emotional development. But what about children who have experienced trauma? How can the child care environment help them heal? This is the third of four blogs CCAoA is publishing on social-emotional health. 

Whether it's "grandma," "granny," "nana," "bubbe," "abuela," or "gramps," "pop-pop," or "g-pa," a grandparent can make a real difference in a child's life. In all ethnicities, cultures, and walks of life, grandparents are the link to a family's culture, history, and traditions. Children fortunate enough to have loving grandparents in their lives have a powerful emotional bond to nurture and sustain them.

• 4.5 million children under the age of 18 are being raised in households headed by grandparents.
• About 15% of grandparents provide some level of child care for their grandchildren - up from 8% in 1998.
• About half the grandparents help pay for their grandchildren's education, while 45% say they assist with living expenses.
• Almost 70% of surveyed grandparents responding to an AARP survey reported that they see their grandchildren at least once every week or two, and one-quarter spend time with them at least once every few months.
• The average grandparent spends about $500 a year on their grandchildren, but two out of five spend between $500 and $2,500.

Whether it's "grandma," "granny," "nana," "bubbe," "abuela," or "gramps," "pop-pop," or "g-pa," a grandparent can make a real difference in a child's life. In all ethnicities, cultures, and walks of life, grandparents are the link to a family's culture, history, and traditions. Children fortunate enough to have loving grandparents in their lives have a powerful emotional bond to nurture and sustain them.