This is a letter that was sent out by 4C for Children’s President/CEO Vanessa Freytag to the communities served by 4C. We are committed to supporting the child care providers and children in the Miami Valley region. See contact information below.
Dear Friends of 4C for Children,
The Memorial Day tornadoes that struck the Miami Valley region were devastating. Among those impacted by the devastation are many child care programs who are struggling to regain their footing. 4C for Children serves as the state designated resource and referral agency for all licensed child care programs for 15 counties in the Miami Valley and the Cincinnati regions. In that role, we are asking you today to help these programs in their moment of need.
You may be wondering about the need for basic supplies such as general hygiene items, diapers, wipes, etc. 4C is part of the national Child Care Aware of America network, which among many other things provides disaster recovery services and resources to those in the child care arena. They are working with our Miami Valley leadership to deliver thousands of diapers and wipes to those impacted. So those needs are taken care of, as is the need for water.
What emergency services can’t provide are the day-to-day materials critical to the ongoing early childhood education for the children in care. You have heard us say many times that young children learn through play—and much of that play is done through art and project activities. The child care providers in the Miami Valley are expending thousands of dollars to replace food lost in power outages and repair property damage like broken windows and fences, etc. They simply do not have the funds to purchase the learning supplies that were destroyed in the tornadoes.
Our staff connected with Miami Valley child care providers to develop this list of needed supplies:
- Glue Sticks/Bottles
- Construction Paper
- Crayons/Markers/Colored Pencils
- Large Pencils/Ink Pens
- Blue Painters Tape/Scotch Tape
- Chalk
- Googly Eyes/Sequins/Pompoms/Glitter
- Pipe Cleaners
- Yarn
- Safety Scissors
- Printer Paper
- Water-based Paint/Paint Brushes
The Miami Valley child care programs urgently need this help. Please consider making a donation between now and Friday, June 21. Our 4C for Children team will begin delivering donated items to child care programs the last week of June.
Donations will be accepted Monday through Friday at these 4C for Children locations:
Cincinnati
2100 Sherman Ave (Third Floor)
Cincinnati, OH 45212
8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
513-221-0033
Dayton
1000 N Keowee St.
Dayton, OH 45404
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
937-723-2730
If you are or know of a licensed child care program/provider in need, please connect them with Lisa Babb, Miami Valley Strategic Director, 937-723-2713.
Thank you for your compassion for and generosity to the child care teachers and the many young children in their care.
Vanessa Freytag
President and CEO
4C for Children