PHOENIX — After a challenging year for the child care workforce, Arizona’s early childhood agency, First Things First (FTF), invites Arizonans to show their gratitude for the state’s early care and education providers through the #ShareTheCareAZ campaign.
Throughout the month of May, FTF is recognizing the state’s child care workers, preschool teachers and friend and family caregivers who help our youngest children learn, grow and succeed. Everyone is invited to visit the Share the Care AZ page, FirstThingsFirst.org/sharethecareaz/ for simple ways to show support to this essential workforce.
FTF is asking community members to share the #ShareTheCareAZ video: youtu.be/v7scZvSetko on their Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and tag their favorite provider or center with a personal note — just be sure to use #ShareTheCareAZ and tag First Things First when posting.
The nurturing relationships that child care workers, preschool teachers and friend and family caregivers build with our children are critical to the healthy development of babies, toddlers and preschoolers.
More Arizonans now realize that the child care workforce is an essential family support and an engine of our economy. This past year has made clear that a lack of quality child care impacts workforce participation and job stability.
As the pandemic caused the abrupt shutdown of many child care and home-based centers, the importance of child care providers to families, to communities and to Arizona’s economy came into clearer view over the past year.
For example, more than half of the nearly 1,000 child care providers who participate in FTF’s Quality First program had closed by mid-March 2020. Now, despite drastically reduced enrollment and expensive increased health and safety measures, many centers are determined to serve families who need safe, trusted child care in order to continue working.
Despite the many challenges of the past year, the child care industry has kept a positive attitude, said FTF Senior Director for Early Learning Ginger Sandweg.
“Overall, their spirit is really positive,” she said. “One owner told me, ‘When I’m starting to have a pity party, I go into the classroom and those children give me hope.’ It’s a mental break. The children are opportunities to find joy and comfort in the nitty gritty of what we do every day.”
While the last year was challenging for everyone, the resilience and dedication of early educators renewed our deep appreciation for those who provide child care and the essential role it plays. Especially in uncertain times, early care and education providers offer families critical support when they need it most.
Make sure to follow FTF on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter because we’ll be posting and sharing gratitude for caregivers throughout May. The goal is for every caregiver in Arizona to feel the appreciation, because, by caring for our children, they’ve been caring for us all.
