Mission & History

• • Our Vision: That all children have a quality early learning experience, enter school ready to succeed, and reach their full potential.
  • Our Mission: To educate and support the adults who care for young children and advocate for public support for quality early education and care for all children.
  • Our Conviction: That the best way to impact young children is to educate and support the adults who care for them.

4C was founded in 1972 by a coalition of agencies and funders with the purpose of coordinating, planning and advocating for quality child care for working families. Early work included planning studies, training and technical assistance. In the 1980s a strong focus was added—to assist parents in finding and choosing child care and to increase the supply of quality care. Subsequently, 4C has built its services to families along with concentration on improving the quality of early learning and care for all children.

In the 1990s, 4C established its Kentucky office along with branch offices in outlying Ohio counties, and in 2006 4C expanded to 10 counties in the Miami Valley with an office in Dayton.

Today, 4C is the designated child care resource and referral agency for a 27-county area that includes Southwest Ohio (five counties with regional office in Cincinnati), the Miami Valley (10 counties, with regional office in Dayton), and Kentucky (12 counties, with regional office in Covington). 4C central administration is located in the Cincinnati office.

4C is governed by a Board of Trustees and is led by President/CEO Vanessa Freytag. A new strategic plan for the agency was adopted by the Board in 2018.