As you rush from your shower through breakfast to child care and finally your desk tomorrow take a breath or longer to thank the teachers who care for your kids.
Tomorrow is National Provider Appreciation Day, 24 hours to recognize the critical role child care teachers and directors play in the lives of our kids, even if the marketplace doesn’t fully recognize their value.
Bring lattes, muffins, sandwiches or maybe flowers to their classrooms. Or, you can download certificates of appreciation on Washington State Child Care Resource and Referral’s Web site. Maybe your kids will want to help create a note.
“Child care providers and those who care for children are really the unsung heroes in our children’s lives,” said Debbie Price, who directs the organization’s marketing and special projects. “It is one of the most underpaid occupations in the country.”
In fact, a child care center teacher earns roughly half what a public school kindergarten teacher takes home, $20,925 a year compared to $40,330, according to the child care group’s report “Child Care in Washington State.”
Here are a few things the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies suggests doing tomorrow:
Groups and Organizations
- Call local restaurants, retail stores, and grocery stores to request gift certificates for the child care providers you work with.
- Plan a luncheon or dinner honoring child care providers.
- Purchase a new piece of equipment in honor of the day.
- Pay for a scholarship or a day off for staff to attend an early care education conference or workshop.
- Invite staff and parents to partner with you to plan a program-wide event.
Parents:
- Bring breakfast or lunch for your provider and for the kids.
- Work with your child to create a special remembrance.
- Buy something for your provider's play area.
- Give your provider a paid day off, a raise, or a bonus.
The full list of ideas is available at the NACCRRA’s Web site.
