Increasing the availability of quality family child care for infants and toddlers in the state’s underserved areas is the focus of pilot programs now underway in Northern Kentucky.
The work is being done by the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, in partnership with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Division of Child Care.
The initiative’s central office is in Covington, where an aggressive effort to attract participants is being spearheaded by Sandra Woodall, Team lead of Northern Kentucky 4C for Children, Amanda Greenwell, Director of NKY Center United Greater Way of Cincinnati, Child Care Aware, and Children’s Inc.
These organizations are working in partnership with Northern Kentucky University, SHP Leading Design, the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, and the Community Child Care Councils.
Focused mainly on developing groups of providers, the team is working on an ambitious program that includes increasing workforce development and building family and community awareness of early childhood options.
Training for participating family child care providers and developing relationships with community partners is a focal point that cannot be left out as it is an emergent aspect of the great work that is being done.
“We aim to increase our regional capacity to recruit and support high-quality early education by developing and testing innovative models to expand and sustain regulated family child care for infants and toddlers in underserved areas through collaboration with community partners working together,” Woodall explained.
“Quality early learning, when the brain is developing most rapidly, is the most important precursor to success in school and life,” said Brigitte Blom Ramsey, executive director of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence.
“We look forward to learning from the implementation of these pilots as we seek to contribute to national best practices to expand access to quality, home-based child care for more youngsters and their families.”
