The Role of Play in Early Childhood Curriculum
With kindergarten readiness on the minds of parents, K-12 teachers, and legislators alike, the pressure to prepare children for standardized testing and stringent elementary school schedules is an increasing concern among many early educators. This has sometimes led to a bias against the use of formal curricula in early childhood programs and classrooms. Many have…
Recent Posts
Improving the Parent Aware Experience through Surveys
As another Parent Aware Full-Rating Cohort is wrapping up, the Quality Improvement team at the Child Care Aware of Minnesota Coordinating Office is preparing a post-Cohort survey to send to programs that participated in the July 2019 Cohort. This is the fifth consecutive survey we have offered. All programs that participated in either Building Quality…
The Importance of Self-Care
I had the privilege to attend the annual Child Care Aware of Minnesota Institute in early November. The Institute is a professional development and networking opportunity for all Child Care Aware staff and select partners from across the state to connect, grow, and learn. This year’s theme, “It’s All About You,” focused on wellness, self-care,…
Professional Development Advisors Are Here to Help
Have you ever thought about getting your CDA or a college degree in early childhood education, but didn’t know what the options were? Or maybe you wanted more information on child care topics, but didn’t know where to start? Have you thought about joining Parent Aware and wondered which trainings would count towards your Rating?…
Minnesota Hosts National Child Care Aware Leadership Institute
Minnesota had the pleasure of hosting the national Child Care Aware of America Leadership Institute on October 6 – 9 in Minneapolis. This annual event drew over 150 leaders from 37 states that work in the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) field. Across the nation, we focus on increasing access to high-quality, affordable child…
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…
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…