You Have A Choice!

Finding High Quality Child Care in Your Community

Baby’s Brain: Quick Facts

In the first few years of life, 700 new neural connections are formed every second

85% of a child’s core brain structure is developed by the age of four

If babies' bodies grew at the same rapid pace as their brains, they would weigh 170 pounds by one month of age

Children Are Born Learning

We’re born with all the neurons that we will

ever have, and in the first few years they’re

learning how to talk to each other.

Feeding the Brain

Children who attend high quality child care

settings are feeding their brains with healthy food.

How do parents find high quality care?

Discussion Questions:

#1. What are some ways you have found child care for your children in the past?

#2. What were some of things you were looking for in a provider?

• Nurturing and supportive relationships between children and adults

• Care and education that meets each child's individual strengths and needs

• Facilities that are safe, well-organized, and have age-appropriate resources

What does quality look like?

What does quality look like?

Providers that: • Support the development of the whole child

• Develop open communication and partnerships with families

• Embrace diversity

Finding Quality Child Care:Early Achievers

• Early Achievers provides unbiased information about the quality of child care and early learning programs through an easy-to-understand rating system

• All programs must meet Washington’s requirements for health and safety—one of the strongest in the nation

How does it work?

• Evaluation and Measuring Quality• Informing Parents• Supporting Providers

Committed to Quality

By joining Early Achievers child care providers are signaling their desire to

enhance their program quality

Washington’s Quality Standards

The model supports facilities to build a strong foundation at Levels 1-2, then gain points by meeting standards that are in line with their program philosophy at Levels 3-5. The model supports continuous quality improvement at all levels.

Find Quality Child Care Near You

Contact Child Care Aware www.wa.childcareaware.org

Check DEL’s web site www.del.wa.gov

Two Important Next Steps

1. Sign-in sheet. Please be sure to sign in! None of this information will be shared with anyone.

2. Follow-Up Call. Some of you will receive a follow up call.We would like to talk to you about this presentation and how impacted where you ultimately sent your children.

Questions