Valued childcare providers who are knowledgeable in children’s health and wellness, development and using research- based curriculum often become instrumental parts of a family’s village, helping raise children who know how to have healthy relationships and are exposed to new cultures and ideas. Lee says childcare providers are providing the educational components that help form children into who they will become, and they often become parents’ first point of reference when they have questions about parenting, their child’s health or development. “There is nothing like watching a child’s development firsthand,” said Lee. “You see those light bulb moments unfold.” Even for parents who don’t work outside the home, Lee advises it’s important for young children to have access to early childhood educators and other children so they can develop the skills to be successful as they begin school. Childcare centers deserve the same support from the community as other local businesses, adds Lee.
“To really shift the tide, let’s uplift [childcare providers] as another local business we should pour into,” said Lee. Lee suggests community members ask their local childcare facilities what donations they could provide that would be helpful, from Post-it notes to diapers. Families clearing out gently-used toys or books their kids have outgrown could donate them to a childcare facility. Grandparents or college students with extra time on their hands could offer to read to the children. Johnson hopes to see childcare providers band together to ensure the industry grows. She’d like to see Rainbow Fleet become a lab school, where early childhood education students and those interested in childcare services could observe, complete practicums and receive training from the lead teachers in their program. “We have to support each other,” said Johnson. As has become very clear during the pandemic, quality childcare is a vital part of keeping the economy running, and that means the community at large has a responsibility to
To find high-quality childcare near you, as well as tips for choosing the best childcare option for your family (or to find a local childcare facility or in-home provider to support), visit rainbowfleet.org, support the industry moving forward. “There’s not a simple solution,” said Koos. “It’s going to take money, time and creative thinking to figure out how we manage to provide childcare to those families where parents need to work in an environment where childcare employees can make a living wage.”
oklahomachildcare.org or childcarefind.okdhs.org/ childcarefind.
METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / MAR-APR 2022 45
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