Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/a-policy-agenda-for-the-future-of-child-care/5025344/
What do parents, employers and policymakers have in common? They are all talking about the importance of child care. Without access to high-quality, affordable child care, the opportunity for equitable early learning opportunities, economic stability for families, and economic growth for communities will remain out of reach.
Our communities need comprehensive policies that are child-centered, family-engaged, equity-driven and community-focused. Child Care Aware® of America takes these policy goals as our guiding principles to ensure that we engage policymakers in creating a child care system that serves all constituents: children, families, providers and the community. We partner in our work with over 400 child care resource and referral agencies across the country that provide child care referrals and other parenting supports, trainings and technical assistance for child care providers, and other efforts to increase the quality and availability of child care.
Child-Centered Policies
Child-centered policies can take many forms. Quality early childhood education nurtures the whole child, including their social, emotional, physical and cognitive development. Early childhood educators take a holistic approach to educating young children, building close, positive relationships with each child in their care. Studies show that access to high-quality care can help close the kindergarten achievement gap, ...