Articles under Get Involved

WLWT Highlights Child Care Teacher Shortage

June 21, 2023

A 4C for Children survey shows child care programs continue to struggle with staffing issues that result in needing to close classroom. Recently, WLWT highlighted this issue in an interview with Vanessa Freytag, 4C for Children president and CEO.

“Unfortunately, we hear stories of many families who are expecting a child, and they do have to put their name on a waiting list, typically nearly the minute that they find out that they are pregnant,” Vanessa Freytag said in the June 12 segment.

Fight Boredom with Family Fun

June 1, 2023

Ways to keep children learning through the summer months

School is out and summer is here. The next few months are an important time for families to find ways for children to continue learning throughout the summer. For many parents, you fear the words, “I’m bored.”

Here are some fun ideas that will make boredom a thing of the past: Read More about Fight Boredom with Family Fun »

Celebrating Child Care Providers in Southwest Ohio and Miami Valley

May 17, 2023

4C for Children delivers nearly 750 gifts on National Provider Appreciation Day

In-home child care providers often care for children whose parents work non-traditional hours like third shift and weekends. This type of care allows adults to go to work and provide for their families.

“This is a day to honor child care professionals who run in-home businesses to provide care for infants, toddlers, and children in our community,” 4C for Children President and CEO, Vanessa Freytag said. “It’s important that 4C for Children and others recognize their hard work and dedication.”

Take a look inside the special delivery in this video.

A ‘State of Crisis’ for Parents in Ohio

May 13, 2023

Child care staffing continues to impact programs, families

A recent 4C for Children survey showed due to the lack of teachers, there’s more than 4,000 children unable to be placed in child care programs in the Cincinnati and Miami Valley regions.

“The big problem is that we have a huge teacher shortage,” Vanessa said. “The survey results showed us that in this (Cincinnati) region alone, we’re missing more than 300 teachers. And of those teachers, each would serve six to 15 children, depending on what ages there are.”
Read More about A ‘State of Crisis’ for Parents in Ohio »

The Power of Quality Care at Fairfield Child Care Center

May 9, 2023

High-quality care for a developing child makes all the difference. It supports and nurtures the growth of early learning and emotional development and strengthens the relationships children make with other children and adults.

4C for Children lead specialist Tracy Schnirring recently coached a child care program that went the extra mile and increased their Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) rating to ensure that children in their care are receiving enhanced learning opportunities.

Tracy shares the impressive journey Creative Beginning Learning Center and their staff have completed.

Survey Results Show Little Change in Child Care Landscape

April 21, 2023

The data collected from a February 2023 4C for Children survey of local child care program administrators shows little change in the local child care landscape from similar data collected by 4C in 2021. Classrooms are still shuttered and a staffing shortage continues. These outages are resulting in more than 4,000 infant, toddler, preschool and school-age children in Southwest Ohio and the Miami Valley combined who can’t access quality early learning.

Child Care Issues are Impacting Businesses

April 11, 2023

The U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey reported in August 2022 that nearly 870,000 women have left jobs to care for one or more child under 5.

In a recent blog post featured on the Workforce Innovation Center, 4C for Children president/CEO Vanessa Freytag shares current child care trends like this and how these trends are impacting local businesses.

Supporting Families, Recruiting Child Care Providers

March 20, 2023

Finding an open child care seat is a struggle for local families. And finding qualified staff for child care programs in order to expand capacity is a struggle for local child care providers. When combined, these struggles have created a child care crisis in this region. 4C for Children in taking action by launching the unique Child Care Careers Program.

Recently, Local 12 News highlighted 4C for Children’s new program to rebuild the workforce in the community. In doing so, families and parents like first-time mother Roxana Holland will find it easier to find child care for children.

Parenting Hot Topic: Lean into Literacy and Local Libraries

February 28, 2023

Public libraries provide families with a welcoming environment to learn, connect with other families and find community resources. Libraries also help families prepare for school success, even before the child enters kindergarten. The bonus is public libraries are free resources.

Inside a library you’ll find books, media and activities that help children begin their literacy journey and promote a lifetime of learning. Read More about Parenting Hot Topic: Lean into Literacy and Local Libraries »

Q&A With the Conference Keynote Speakers

November 29, 2022

More than 450 child care providers attended the 4C for Children Leadership and Early Education Conference in October and were inspired and motivated by keynote speakers Maryum Ali and Dan St. Romain. The speakers shared stories and tips about social-emotional well-being and positive ways to assess children’s developmental needs.

Find out more about our next conference by signing up for our provider bi-monthly emails.