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Resources for Child Care Providers to Promote Lifelong Learning

Building Brain Activities  children playing with toys

Children learn and practice important executive function skills through games and playful activities. For babies and toddlers, play can start to build brain architecture and the foundation to lifelong learning and healthy development. Use the tools in the 4C for Children quality practices library to support the following skills: 

  • Focus attention 
  • Strengthen working memory 
  • Develop self-control 

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Celebrating Child Care Providers in Southwest Ohio and Miami Valley

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. 

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A ‘State of Crisis’ for Parents in Ohio

Working mother caring for child at homeChild 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.”
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The Power of Quality Care at Fairfield Child Care Center

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.

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Ways to Thank Your Child’s Teacher

When you are at work, school or other events, child care providers are there for your children, providing quality care and critical early education. Without their hard work and dedication, our lives would look very different.  

Celebrate and thank the early childhood educator in your life every day, but especially on the day set aside especially for them: National Provider Appreciation Day on May 12. 

Here are a few quick and easy ways you can show your gratitude:

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Survey Results Show Little Change in Child Care Landscape

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.

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Supporting Families, Recruiting Child Care Providers

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. 

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