There have been a lot of efforts recently to formally include family child care into Head Start programs. These efforts included the development of Head Start Family Child Care Regulations by the Office of Head Start in Washington, DC. These new regulations provide a framework for Head Start and Early Head Start programs interested in implementing a family child care program option. This is an exciting development for those of us in the family child care community. The question is whether enough has been done to help programs see the value of including family child care as a viable option for families? I would like to share a personal story.
As working parents I remember my wife and I looking at all options when choosing where my child would be placed in child care. We visited private child care centers, church day care programs, and family child care providers. We chose family child care because of the home atmosphere, adult child ratio, and the proximity to my workplace. We learned that families need options. Family child care has historically been left out of those conversations, particularly in Head Start and State Pre-K programs. However, the tide seems to be turning a bit, which means that the advocacy work of the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) and our partners is paying off. The Office of Head Start has made it possible for family child care providers across the country to be included at the table, but there is more work to be done. We have to find ways to educate local programs about family child care and NAFCC Accreditation. Family Child Care is the final frontier. There are many program directors and administrators who are just discovering family child care and we must be ready to provide them with information, invite them to visit our programs, and share our success stories. Let’s talk about ways this can happen. Please share your ideas and thoughts about working with Head Start and Early Head Start programs in your area.
