The Henry County Community Foundation (HCCF) is taking major steps forward in addressing one of the community’s most pressing issues: infant and toddler care. Through a collaborative effort closely coordinated with the Henry County Childcare Network, HCCF is playing a crucial role in expanding child care services and creating a collaborative of local child care providers to share best practices for family engagement and implement curriculum and assessments. As part of the Early Years Initiative, HCCF has been able to create a growing partnership that helps local providers expand and improve their services and meet the community’s demand for child care.
Efforts to help local providers expand their services and connect with other child care providers have been strengthened thanks to a close partnership with the Henry County Childcare Network (HCCN), a nonprofit that creates a web of quality care for all children. It is a training, resource and opportunity network for the county that works to bring together local organizations, providers and stakeholders to strategically address the need for quality early childhood education and care.
HCCF has participated in HCCN’s events that gather child care providers together for training. At one event, teachers enjoyed lunch, giveaways and a valuable presentation on fostering literacy in the classroom. Another event, the S.T.E.A.M Maker Fair, equipped educators with books and six innovative kits to enhance their teaching.
When providers come together to learn and collaborate with each other, it offers opportunities to address their needs. At past meetings with HCCN, providers had expressed an interest in increasing infant and toddler seats. In response, HCCF and HCCN created a grant application for providers to help meet their goals and increase seats for infants and toddlers, which are in high demand in Henry County.
One of the recent successes from these efforts has been the expansion of a beloved local child care provider who has served the community for many years. Holly Massengale, who operates Country Kids Child Care, a Paths to QUALITY™ Level 2 licensed family home, reported having 20 infants and toddlers on a waiting list. However, with the support of HCCF and the Early Years Initiative, she was able to build an additional site, adding 14 new infant and toddler seats, and hire additional staff. She now has two licensed family homes. She celebrated the expansion with an open house, giving the community a chance to see firsthand the impact.
HCCF’s support has also funded two more child care providers. Since joining the Early Years Initiative, HCCF has supported providers to add a total of 24 seats in Henry County.
While the foundation is still in the early stages of some of these efforts, the future looks bright. HCCF is focused on continuing to foster collaboration between providers and addressing the ongoing needs of the community. By working closely with local organizations and listening to the needs of both providers and families, HCCF is building a sustainable framework for child care services in Henry County.
Their work is not just about creating more child care seats; it’s about ensuring that every child in the community has access to quality care and education, setting them up for a brighter future.
No comment yet, add your voice below!