As older kids go back to school and as younger children switch child care, August is National Immunization Awareness month. This is a great time for CCR&Rs to get ready to answer questions parents might have about why immunizations are important and inform them of their state or local immunization requirements. There has been a lot of news lately about the measles outbreak, and this has led to a wider conversation about vaccine requirements at child care centers and homes.

Collaborating with Vroom has been exciting and informative here at the Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. We are the child care resource and referral agency serving the nine counties of Alleghany, Ashe, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin.

Over the past several months, as a Vroom Ambassador, CCRC had the opportunity to show parents, teachers and caregivers how easy it is to help children learn using everyday activities they are already doing. CCRC has used many opportunities to share Vroom with families, teachers and caregivers including:

• Community outreach events  
• Professional development classes 
• Referral packets                                                  
• Toolkits for providers
• Birthing centers

Harper was a typical toddler full of love, laughs and life, when a tragic event happened outside the home of her family child care provider in the summer of 2016. In the video below, Harper’s mother, Whitney, shares her story and what she hopes parents and providers will do to keep children safe. 

It’s August, which means it is National Immunization Awareness month. It’s never been more important to talk about immunizations than now. Already in August, there have already been 1,164 cases of measles across the United States this year. That’s more than any single year since 1994. About one-quarter of this year’s cases have affected children under age five. And nine times out of ten, the person who got sick was either unvaccinated or unsure if they were vaccinated.

Child Care Aware^® of America had the opportunity to sit down with Sosha Chaney, a vocal child care advocate, as she shared her journey. Sosha is especially passionate about improving:

• Access to reliable, education-based child care for families working non-traditional hours
• Affordable, high-quality child care options
• Funding and support for early childhood programs
  

Vroom provides interactive tools and resources that highlight the science behind early brain development, showing parents how they can turn everyday activities like bath time and meal time into opportunities that build their children’s brains. The Vroom Partnership at Child Care Aware® of America is made up of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies who educate and provide Vroom resources to families, providers, and organizations in their communities so they too understand the importance of brain development during the first five years of life. Learn more about Vroom here.