Promoting Wellness with Child Care Providers in the New Year

By Kandi Novak on January 10, 2024

 

Child care providers play an essential role in the development and well-being of young children. However, the demanding nature of the job coupled with low wages may negatively affect their physical health, emotional well-being and overall quality of life. It is important for child care providers to prioritize self-care and wellness to ensure they are able to provide the best care possible for the children and families they serve. Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) can offer the support providers need to care for themselves while they care for everyone else.  

Topics: Family & Community Engagement, Best Practices, Health & Safety, Brain Building Tips

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Child Care is Essential: Celebrating Provider Appreciation Day® May 7

By Kandi Novak on April 13, 2021

 

Celebrate child care professionals on May 7! Join Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) in saying thank you to providers for taking care of our nation’s children. To say that being a child care provider this past year has been challenging would be an understatement. Providers were essential long before COVID-19, but the pandemic has underscored how essential child care is. Child care provides opportunities for families to go to work, children to learn, businesses to operate and the economy to grow. Child care providers are “opportunity makers.” Child care providers are brain-builders. They are among our nation’s unsung heroes!

Topics: Business Operations for CCR&Rs, Family & Community Engagement, Brain Building Tips

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Supporting Early Literacy Through Innovative Partnerships & Resources

By Kandi Novak on March 26, 2021

Each time parents or caregivers spend time reading books with children, the neural pathways in their brains are strengthened. In a recent blog, Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) celebrated National Reading Month and shared ideas for engaging families to promote the importance of reading with children to ensure continued learning and support early brain development. To expand on this conversation and encourage reading with children every day throughout the year, CCAoA is excited to share stories from child care resource and referral agencies(CCR&Rs)  who have engaged families around reading through innovative tools and community partnerships and from national programs that have created science-based tools to empower and support families.

Topics: Family & Community Engagement, Parenting, Brain Building Tips

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Innovative Strategies for Partnering with Families to Boost Children’s Learning

By Kandi Novak on November 04, 2020

Without a doubt, families are an essential part of children’s learning and educational journey - starting at birth. “Engaging families as partners early in the educational journey allows parents to establish strong home-school connections that support their children’s achievement long-term “(Start Early, September 25, 2019). So, it is not surprising that “family engagement” is a frequent and important theme of discussions and planning in child care programs.

Topics: Family & Community Engagement, Professional Development, Parenting, Brain Building Tips

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Tips for Helping Families Support Children’s Emotions during COVID-19

By Kandi Novak on May 22, 2020

 

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.

Topics: Business Operations for CCR&Rs, Family & Community Engagement, Parenting, Brain Building Tips

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New Child Care Program Coaching Resource for CCR&Rs

By Guest Blogger on May 18, 2020


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.

Topics: Business Operations for CCR&Rs, Family & Community Engagement, Brain Building Tips

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