Parent Aware Standards, Indicators, and Categories: What Are They?
I’m at a stage in life where I have many friends and family members with young children, so child care comes up frequently. “I need somewhere to send them that is safe.” “I want them to be ready for kindergarten next year.” “I can’t afford child care!” I often ask them if they have looked…
Recent Posts
Supporting the Workforce Through REETAIN
The dynamics of funding in our early childhood education system creates quite a conundrum when it comes to wages for educators. For parents, the cost of child care can significantly strain their family budget. For educators, child care fees aren’t enough to fund a livable wage, which results in many leaving the work they love…
A Huge Passion for Early Childhood
I have been a member of National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) since 1980. That is 38 years, longer than almost anything else I have done in my life. What keeps me coming back is passion – a huge passion – not just for children and their families, but for the people…
Words Matter
When I first joined the early childhood education profession in 2009, my official title was “Child Care Worker.” This title was one step below assistant, and meant I was in a support role to the other staff and should never be solely responsible for the safety or supervision of children. In the years that followed,…
Parent Aware Cohort Summary
As the Rating Team Manager, I coordinate the Parent Aware Rating review process. We review hundreds of examples documenting school readiness practices that programs all over the state are using every day. It is always exciting to see the creativity and passion of so many family child care providers and center-based programs. The Full-Rating Pathway…
T.E.A.C.H. Makes College Possible
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA is a scholarship program that helps early childhood and school-age care providers increase their levels of education, compensation, and commitment to the field by earning college credits and degrees. T.E.A.C.H. program recipient Ndeye Anta Diop recently shared the following story with us: “I am from Senegal, and I have been living in…
Understanding the Parent Aware Experience
Understanding the experiences that child care professionals have with Parent Aware is the key to creating a program that is responsive to their needs. A recent survey conducted by Child Trends gives us the opportunity to learn more about these experiences. Child Trends surveyed Minnesota child care providers that participate in Parent Aware, that have…
Planning for Emergencies
With summer and severe weather season in full swing, I can’t help but reflect on our work with emergency preparedness. In Minnesota, we have our fair share of situations including tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, blizzards, floods, house fires, and gas leaks which require child care homes and centers to be prepared so that children are safe.…
End of Session Reflection
Reflecting on the outcome of this most recent legislative session, it is truly a test of the glass half-full or glass half-empty perspective. I land on one-fourth full, three-fourths empty, and disappointment over lost opportunities. The year started hopefully, with a new Governor and Lieutenant Governor who both support early education. Their budget had investments…
Friendly Help Finding Child Care
When parents seeking child care dial 888-291-9811, they reach a trio of friendly, helpful Child Care Information Specialists on the other end of the line. And now, they can reach this same help through our new online chat. We recently ask our specialists Jen Goinz, AnnaMarie Schluender, and Debra Spaeth what they love most about…