We recognize Ohio’s complex quality child care system requires a complex response to survive the devastating impacts of COVID-19 and to continue providing essential support to children, families and the state’s economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has quickly exposed the fundamental weaknesses of and threats to Ohio’s child care system that many families, early educators and employers have experienced over the past decades navigating a largely under-resourced system. There is no quick fix or easy solution for Ohio’s child care system as we move into the recovery period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Child care requires investment, time, attention and creativity to get through this crisis and help our state get back on its feet.
Child care professionals: we need your help to do just that as we continue to advance access, quality and equity for Ohio’s child care system. One of the most powerful advocacy tools is your experience and the stories that demonstrate the critical work you do every day for young children and their families. Please take five minutes to answer two key questions and share your story today. We will use and share what we learn from you with policymakers and stakeholders across the state to protect and honor your work and celebrate the difference it is making in the lives of our youngest and most vulnerable children.
This week, we partnered with the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services, Ohio Children's Hospital Association, and Vote for Ohio Kids on a webinar for families, caregivers, and early childhood professionals. During this webinar, participants had the opportunity to learn how to support child and family mental health during the pandemic. We are so thankful for our panel of experts who participated in the webinar:
Dr. Valerie Alloy, Lead, Early Childhood Mental Health Initiatives, Bureau of Children and Families, Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services
Stephanie Davis, Assistant Director, Office of Early Learning & School Readiness, Ohio Department of Education
Dr. Robert Ammerman, Pediatric Psychologist, Behavioral Medicine & Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and Scientific Director, Every Child Succeeds
Dr. Laura Maddox, Director of Center for the Young Child, OCALI
Erin Lucas, Director of Early Childhood Programs, Hopewell Health Centers
The webinar was recorded and is now available to watch and share online. In addition to the webinar, we released a toolkit to provide 10 mental health tips for parents and caregivers to utilize partnered with helpful resources to guide you through each tip.
Child Care Providers: We Appreciate You!
Today is Provider Appreciation Day and we want to let all child care providers know that we cannot thank you enough for all of the remarkable things you have done before and during this pandemic. Whether you are temporarily closed or providing pandemic child care, you are so incredibly important to our youngest learners, their families, and our communities. As we enter into the next phase in our pandemic recovery, we want you to know that we hear you, we support you, and we will continue to fight for you now and in the years to come.
Groundwork Resources for Providers & Families
We know there is a lot of information and resources swirling around right now and it may feel overwhelming to some. This is why we created two pages to centralize these resources for providers and families to include background information on COVID-19, financial assistance, grant opportunities, and activities for young children. We will regularly update both these pages as we receive more information, so keep checking back for the latest resources.
Do you have a resource that you would like us to list on our page? Please contact Julia Jackels at jjackels@groundworkohio.org to share your resource.
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