Safety is Key for Child Care Access to Playgrounds

 

Physical play is an important factor in children’s learning and supports their healthy development. Playgrounds provide spaces for children to be active, engage in imaginative play, socialize with peers and develop new skills. While public playgrounds and playspaces’ safety and access can vary across geographies, too often playgrounds are scarce, and the quality of existing playgrounds could be better: frequently consisting of broken play components, outdated equipment or surfaces that should be replaced. A lack of quality play and exercise infrastructure can negatively impact children's mental and physical well-being. Furthermore, violence within and around parks can negatively impact children's access to public parks and play spaces. 

Topics: Best Practices, Parenting, Health & Safety

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4 Ways You Can Celebrate Child Care Providers

By Meg Biallas on April 19, 2023

“Provider Appreciation Day” sounds very official – but it doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s really just about saying “thank you” to America’s child care providers, many of whom are underpaid and overworked.  

A simple gesture can mean the world to the workforce that keeps the rest of the workforce going. Child Care Aware® of America makes it easy to say #ThankYouChildCare with our toolkit of resources in English and Spanish, and a few easy activities that can make a provider feel appreciated. 

Topics: Family & Community Engagement, Policy & Advocacy, En español, Parenting, Capacity Building and Partnerships, pro, Provider Appreciation Day 2023

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Involving Children in Child Care Emergency Preparedness

By Jillian Ritter on November 04, 2021

Topics: Parenting, emergency preparedness

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Child Abuse Prevention Strategies for Providers

By Candace Ladd on April 21, 2021

 

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. In most states, child care providers are mandated reporters and have been trained to recognize signs that a child is experiencing abuse and respond appropriately. However, child care providers can also play a role in preventing child abuse before it begins. Stress and lack of parenting skills can increase the risk for abuse. As child care providers, you are an important part of families’ support systems and can encourage and educate parents. Here are four ways you can support parents and prevent child abuse.

Topics: Family & Community Engagement, Best Practices, Parenting, Health & Safety

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6 Ways Child Care Providers Support Families Returning to Child Care

By Courtney Penn on April 01, 2021

COVID-19 has sent many of us on a winding road of change and unprecedented challenges. As we now have three vaccines for the virus and the number of cases is starting to go down, many communities are starting to open up and return to a more “Pre-COVID-19” life. For many families, this means children returning to child care after having been away from the setting for a year or even longer.

Topics: Business Operations for CCR&Rs, Parenting, Health & Safety, Coronavirus

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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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