Recognizing Child Care Providers
Provider Appreciation Day
Recognizing Child Care Providers
May 12, is Provider Appreciation Day, a day to honor child care providers for the amazing work they do. It’s about recognizing all those who teach, care and nurture children — not only for the vital service they provide, but for the lifelong impact they have on the children.
Early care and education professionals rarely get the credit they’re due for the crucial, undeniable role they play in preparing our children for health, happiness and education. Research is clear about what happens in a child’s brain before kindergarten, and how early care and education professionals can prepare children for success. From birth to age 5, positive interactions with teachers can influence a child’s brain architecture, creating a firm foundation for future learning, social-emotional and physical health.
Research indicates children who spend time with high-quality teachers early in life are more likely to do well in school, find good jobs, and become valuable members of society. Research has also shown that taxpayers receive a significant return on investments in high-quality early education, due to improved educational outcomes, increased workforce participation, and a reduction in crime.
Child care providers are the workers that make work possible. It is so important that we commit to increasing compensation for the folks who care for and educate our children, who are currently some of the lowest paid but most heavily relied upon professionals in our workforce.
Our early care and education system, which was failing to meet the needs of families and providers long before the pandemic, is currently propped up by funds that are set to expire soon. Join us in celebrating Provider Appreciation Day by committing to better fund the child care workforce and finally treating providers like the professionals they are. It’s the absolute least we can do.