As 2023 winds down, I’m reflecting on the past year, the awe-inspiring work Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA)has done and my gratitude to serve on the Board of Directors and share in this work. It is this community that makes our work to promote children's healthy development and learning through quality and accessible child care possible.  

You may be wondering: What IS #GivingTuesday and what are its roots? The days following Thanksgiving signify the start of the holiday spending season, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when communities are swept up in the excitement of the upcoming festivities and often leave behind the sense of love and thanks that characterize Thanksgiving. 

One of Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) most important roles is to collect and help make sense of important data on child care needs and trends in their communities. Families, child care providers and stakeholders want to know the price of child care in their area as they explore options for their children, their program or their community. Individuals or stakeholders hoping to start a child care business often reach out to their local CCR&R to determine what the geographical area or community needs are before they move forward in opening a child care business. As CCR&Rs keep current on local, state and federal grants and opportunities in the field of early childhood, they are often sought out for information on underserved populations and child care deserts. CCR&Rs use the data to inform decision-making regarding child care needs and support the community in their efforts to address issues and capitalize on opportunities.

As shared in the previous blog entitled “Virtual Coaching: Lessons Learned During the Pandemic,” transitioning to virtual coaching required professional development providers to anticipate and prepare for the changes and adaptations needed to make the shift from in-person to virtual coaching. Issues such as new technologies, equipment, training, recruiting providers, and virtual platforms need to be considered to implement virtual coaching successfully. 

The COVID-19 pandemic forced rapid changes upon the field of early care and education and dictated a re-examination of how many of its traditional systems and services are offered. Professional development is one such system, particularly traditional one-on-one coaching models. For many years, the norm was face-to-face coaching support, but the pandemic required the field to face a new reality. How do we balance offering this much-needed aspect of professional development while protecting the health and safety of staff and children?