Home-based childcare programs are an important part of the mixed-delivery early childhood education system. Outside of parental care, home-based, also known as family childcare, is the most commonly used primary care arrangement. Partnering with home-based childcare professionals is a critical component of supporting kindergarten readiness for all children. The River Hawks First 10 Partnership offers some great examples of ways that communities can meaningfully collaborate with home-based childcare professionals.
First 10 Partnerships bring together elementary schools, districts, early childhood programs, childcare programs, and community agencies to build systems of support for children and families. The River Hawks First 10 Partnership has also intentionally included local home-based childcare professionals in the planning and implementation of their activities to support young children and families.
Elevating the Voices of Home-Based Childcare Professionals
The River Hawks First 10 Partnership includes a home-based childcare representative who helps highlight home-based provider expertise and concerns. At the start of the 2024-2025 school year, the River Hawks team also hosted a community dinner to bring school district administrators together with local home-based childcare providers. The aim of the dinner was to discuss the ways providers could participate in First 10 activities that support the transition to kindergarten and family partnerships. The discussion identified opportunities and needs, including streamlined communication between the school district and providers.
Bringing First 10 to home-based childcare programs
Many First 10 Partnerships, including River Hawks, connect with home-based childcare programs by providing them with resources and materials, such as recommended books for three and four year olds and bookmarks that offer reading tips for families. Sharing resources among different early childhood education programs provides children with common learning and development experiences that support their readiness for kindergarten. These kinds of connections have also helped to initiate communication with home-based childcare professionals that can inform district planning for ongoing transition to kindergarten and family engagement activities.
Bringing together home-based childcare professionals can be challenging since they each serve small numbers of children, have limited time, and have their own approaches and challenges to supporting children and families. However, home-based childcare professionals offer valuable insights that support children’s learning and development. We are excited to see how First 10 Partnerships will continue to include home-based childcare professionals in their planning and implementation of activities.