Child Care

More than simply providing a safe place for children to stay while their parents are at work, child care providers play an important role in early childhood education and development. Trained child care providers can help children learn and grow in all areas of development: physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional.

A well-rounded learning experience for children in child care should include opportunities for indoor and outdoor play, exploration and discovery, creativity, music and movement, and language development. Providers can help support children’s learning by creating a stimulating environment and engaging in activities with them.

In order to provide quality child care, providers must have a strong foundation of knowledge in child development and learning. Awareness of children's individual differences and needs is critical, as is an understanding of how children grow and develop over time. Providers must be able to create safe and supportive environments that foster children's physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. They must also be able to plan and implement developmentally appropriate programs and activities that meet the needs of all children in their care.