If you have not already had a child in your care with a developmental delay or disability, chances are, you will. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 1 in 6 children has a developmental disability. Children with developmental problems are at increased risk for poor outcomes in many areas important to health, well-being and success in life.

Child care is unaffordable for many families. The costs leave children in questionable environments that can have long-term consequences for them and for our nation’s future.

Today I joined First Lady Michelle Obama, Sesame Street and many coalition partners at the White House to continue the mission to end the childhood obesity epidemic. Let’s Move! and Sesame Workshop are partnering with the produce industry to use Elmo, Cookie Monster and Sesame Street’s other furry characters free of charge to help market fruits and veggies to children. Elmo and Rosita joined the First Lady to talk about how important healthy options are.

With the busy flu season, it is important to remember why hand hygiene is so important. By keeping your hands clean you can reduce spreading germs. You can practice this at home, but you can also talk with your child care provider to make sure they have hand-washing policies in place as well. The more your child hears the message, the more likely he or she will practice good hand-washing habits.

A popular song once asked – “What’s love got to do with it?” For those of us who are working to make sure that our youngest children have what they need, we need to ask a similar question:  What’s adults got to do with it?

Oklahoma's Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (CCR&R) community kicked off the state’s annual leadership meeting in the Oklahoma City Zoo Aquarium Building last month. I was thrilled to be one of the speakers as part of a two-day visit to the state. It was the first time I shared speaking time with a seal, who occasionally appeared in the porthole behind me. The spirit of camaraderie and fun among the attendees reflected what I've seen at the many states I've had the pleasure of visiting during my year since I joined Child Care Aware® of America.