“When we think about the economic growth of our state, the reality is that child care is one of the most fundamental components of our business infrastructure. A parent cannot go to work without a place for their child to be cared for.”
Those were among 4C President/CEO Vanessa Freytag’s remarks in testimony given April 10 to the Ohio House Finance Health and Human Services Subcommittee.
She and 10 other Ohio early childhood advocates gave testimony about the importance of investing in quality care at the state level and the impact of Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed budget on children and families.
“Every day we (Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies) work on ensuring that every young child in Ohio gets the educational grounding that will help children enter school ready to learn,” Freytag told legislators. “If they are ready to learn, they are likely to thrive and become successful adults who become parents, work at businesses, and maybe even run for office.”
In a world where children are “growing up digital,” it is important to help them learn healthy habits around using the many forms of media available to them. You may wonder, “Is my family too wired to technology?”
4C for Children is happy to welcome Emily Fay as the agency’s new Vice President for Agency Advancement. In her new role, Fay will lead the agency’s fundraising and development efforts and will oversee its communication functions.
Did you know that the concepts of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) are all around us? You don’t need to have an in-depth knowledge of these subjects to introduce them to children. Families can naturally embed these concepts in everyday life. A foundation for STEAM is laid by helping children increase their awareness of the world and by encouraging them to think creatively.
Annetta Rutland is 4C for Children’s walking historian. Not because she is an avid reader of history but because she has lived and contributed to that history over the past 40 years as an employee—a rare accomplishment in today’s world where the average employee changes jobs every five years. 
Family child care providers have another tool at their disposal to help them earn a Step Up To Quality rating!
Every child should have access to books.
It is not too early to start thinking about kindergarten! The transition to kindergarten is a milestone that families anticipate—sometimes with excitement and sometimes with apprehension. It’s a transition that means adjusting to new schedules, riding on school buses, experiencing academic expectations and working with teachers, adjusting to classroom environments and making new friends. Here’s a few things to help make the transition as successful as possible. 
What does child care have to do with employers? A lot more than many realize.
Local children get higher quality care when their teachers are better supported in their own professional growth.