In Depth Interviews with Valley Village Childcare, the Teton Literacy Center, and the Children’s Museum of Cheyenne
These three organizations are hard at work providing the best in early childhood education to the great state of Wyoming. Read their full interviews from our article on the importance of providing accessible, safe, high quality education for all.
The Children’s Museum of Cheyenne
Blog Contributors:
Monica Jennings Woodard, MA Organizational Leadership
Children’s Museum of Cheyenne Education Committee and Board Member
Former Prekindergarten Teacher, former K-12 Project Leader for Literacy Development
Heather Kibler, Learning Specialist
Wyoming Early Childhood Professional Learning Collaborative (WYECPLC)
Children’s Museum of Cheyenne volunteer
Why is it important to make stable and reliable early learning and childcare opportunities accessible to all?
From birth through 5 years of age, a child is developing rapidly.
This is a critical time period where social/emotional, cognitive, language/communication, and movement/physical development occurs; how a child develops during this timeframe is an indicator of and predictor of future development, as this time period is the foundation. It is the precursor to social and academic success. It is so vital that the Center for Disease Control (CDC), while working with subject matter experts, both clinical and non-clinical, have developed a "Learn the Signs" campaign designed to foster parent/guardian involvement in developmental monitoring. This allows parents/guardians to healthily engage with their children, and identify early developmental delays or other areas of concern so that intervention may be provided. ♥ [Source: www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/index.html]
Reliable early learning and childcare opportunities include creating opportunities for parents and caregivers to interact with children; they also help teach parents/guardians how to do so in lifelong, impactful ways that help children reach milestones of development.
Reliable early learning and childcare opportunities include creating opportunities for parents and caregivers to interact with children; they also help teach parents/guardians how to do so in lifelong, impactful ways that help children reach milestones of development. Having stable and reliable early learning and childcare opportunities eliminates gaps in milestone monitoring, as well as allows caregivers the opportunity to identify areas of concern quickly. “The connections in a baby’s brain are most adaptable in the first three years of life… and are the foundation for learning, behavior, and health." Many of the same early learning and childcare opportunities also provide both intervention and acceleration opportunities for children to grow and develop. ♥ [Source: www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/whyActEarly.html]
Early childhood education provides a critical foundation for a child's lifelong learning journey. Accessible early learning opportunities can have several key benefits for children:
♥ Cognitive Development: Early education fosters cognitive development, enhancing skills such as problem-solving, language development, and creativity.
♥ Social and Emotional Skills: It helps children develop important social and emotional skills like empathy, cooperation, and self-regulation, which are crucial for their overall well-being.
♥ School Readiness: Quality childcare and education prepare children for formal schooling, giving them a head start in academic achievement.
How do these opportunities benefit… the child?
Opportunities allow for continuous engagement with the child.
While parents/caregivers are truly the first teachers, having early childhood opportunities increases the team of individuals stimulating brain development and monitoring for developmental milestone achievements - this can allow for early intervention. ♥ [Source: www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/index.html]
Knowing that these opportunities promote high school graduation and positive contribution to society, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Administration for Children and Families is rooted in Head Start, designed to promote growth for children birth to age 5, and is “centered around early learning and development, health, and family well-being,” which are all vital to a child’s beginning and serve as indicators of quality of life as they age to adulthood.
♥ [Source: www.acf.hhs.gov/ohs/about/head-start]
…the parents and family?
Parents and family need to have safe, reliable environments for children. Quality opportunities include the family in the developmental process.
Further, if parents/caregivers have to work to be economically sustainable, they need to be assured their child is continuing to progress and develop in ways that support healthy development. This allows for working caregivers to focus on their tasks at hand, which allows for maintaining employment that financially supports the home.
Accessible early childhood education also has positive effects on parents and families:
♥ Workforce Participation: When parents have reliable childcare options, they can participate more fully in the workforce, contributing to economic stability for the family.
♥ Peace of Mind: Quality childcare offers parents peace of mind, knowing that their child is in a safe and nurturing environment, allowing them to focus on work or other responsibilities.
♥ Family Engagement: Early education can involve parents in their child's development, providing resources and guidance for effective parenting
"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood."
…the community?
Early childhood education is indeed an investment.
The community benefits from countless hours of direct engagement via reading, play, and problem solving with young learners. Benefits are seen years later in the classroom, in academic settings, in jobs as teens and adults, and more. The social/emotional development alone can yield mentally healthy teens and adults who see themselves as part of a community, and foster the willingness to become involved with a myriad of things, such as community beautification projects or volunteerism and mentoring.
It is important to provide access to stable and reliable early learning for our children, families, and community because studies have shown that providing rich learning opportunities for early learners will lead to a solid foundation of learning, which in turn supports learners for the rest of their lives.
The impact of early learning opportunities extends to the families by creating deeper connections within family culture. When we ignite our early learners’ minds to seek discovery and elevated learning, our community will reap the benefits as they begin to grow and extend their learned experiences into real life applications that support the overall health of the community.
The Cheyenne Children’s Museum will be a part of this foundation by offering educational invitations that support the holistic development of the child.
We want to see elevated learning opportunities that extend beyond our program for children, families, and the community. The Cheyenne Children’s Museum is going to offer children an environment that is not only inviting and educational, but rich with playful learning opportunities that are based on the STEAM model. Our focus is to create a place for children, parents, and the community to have an opportunity to explore play-based cognitive experiences, where hands-on interactions become the source of curiosity and development. We aim to encourage learning through a multi-faceted, hands on discovery.
Additionally, the Cheyenne Children’s Museum will allow parents to see the wonder and joy that comes with learning something for the very first time. Our goal is to create an environment where families are excited to learn alongside their children, by providing a place for everyone to seek growth and discovery.
As we think of engaging children, families, and the community we are reminded of the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) three core considerations; individuality, commonality and context. We first want to consider the individuality of those who will be coming into our doors; who they are, what do they value, and what do they want to discover? Second, we want to consider the commonality of the community. What makes our community strong, unique, and what ties us all together. Finally, we want to ensure we understand the context of our community, essentially what makes our community unique from other communities. By considering these three ideas we are able to ensure our program offers a rich learning environment that is tailored for our community that will encourage continued learning for the rest of their lives. ♥ [Source: www.naeyc.org]
Accessible early childhood education has broader community benefits:
♥ Reduced Achievement Gaps: Quality early learning helps narrow educational disparities, ensuring that all children, regardless of their socioeconomic background, have a more equal start in life.
♥ Decreased Crime Rates: Studies show that investing in early childhood education can lead to lower crime rates in the long term, as it promotes positive social behaviors.
♥ Economic Growth: A well-educated workforce benefits the local economy by attracting businesses and increasing productivity.
What kinds of obstacles stand in the way of accessible early learning and childcare opportunities?
Many states have shifted to preschool accreditation to ensure that all facilities have not only oversight but support for how and when to help children achieve developmental milestones. Wyoming has been working towards this.
One obstacle is that the learning experience in one facility may not be of quality compared to another. An obstacle that many parents face is financial. If one can afford for one childcare provider over the other to keep their children, it is not guaranteed that the level of education/stimulation for healthy brain development is of quality. Further, to be a parent who is engaged takes a level of creativity that is often impacted by exhaustion. Many families are focused on basic needs, like food, electricity, heat, and a place to rest. Forming the habit of speaking to young children while getting ready outside of giving directives, if they are age appropriate, can be difficult. If they are not age appropriate for receiving directives, just getting the diaper changed and getting out the door is common.
A major obstacle is getting time with parents/family to encourage them, meet them where they are, and provide tools.
Communities just as Head Start, must focus on family well-being and realize that so many opportunities for accessible learning occur within the home.
Obstacles to early childhood learning opportunities include:
♥ Affordability: High costs of childcare and preschool programs can be a significant barrier for many families.
♥ Accessibility: Limited availability of quality childcare facilities, especially in underserved areas.
♥ Workforce Shortages: A shortage of qualified early childhood educators can impact the quality and availability of programs.
♥ Policy Gaps: Inconsistent regulations and policies across regions can create disparities in access.
How can we help make early learning and quality childcare available to all?
Children’s Museum Of Cheyenne is committed to removing financial barriers for families for access to the museum.
Further, aside from the devoted early childhood play spaces where families/caregivers are encouraged to engage, the museum education coordinator will ensure programming and/or play experiences focus on not just the child, but support for the caregiver via modeling and providing other resources that can be extended to home play. The education coordinator will be trained on developmental milestones, and will serve as a connector for parents who may need additional community support. Programming will include early childhood focus events as well.
To make early learning and quality childcare available to all, solutions may include:
♥ Subsidized Programs: Government subsidies or financial assistance can make early childhood education more affordable for low-income families.
♥ Expansion of Facilities: Investing in the construction of more childcare facilities, especially in underserved areas, can increase accessibility.
♥ Professional Development: Supporting the training and development of early childhood educators to improve the quality of programs.
♥ Advocacy and Policy Reform: Advocating for policies that prioritize early childhood education and address existing gaps in accessibility.
“In the hand of a newborn babe, lies the seed of the next generation.”
Why is it important to make stable and reliable early learning and childcare opportunities accessible to all?
There are no ‘do-overs’ when it comes to training, nurturing and encouraging early brain development in babies, infants and toddlers.
These are the years where vital skills are learned. In early childhood development, children are dependent on parents, family members and other caregivers as their first teachers to develop the right skills to become independent and lead healthy and successful lives. How the brain grows is strongly affected by the child’s experiences with other people and the world. Children grow best in a safe environment, protected as best as possible, from neglect, chronic stress and any sort of abuse. They need an environment with plenty of opportunity to play and explore.
Exposure to stress and trauma can have long-term negative consequences for the child’s brain, whereas talking, reading, and playing can stimulate brain growth.
Ensuring that parents, caregivers, and early childhood care providers have the resources and skills to provide safe, stable, nurturing, and stimulating care is an important public health goal. When children are at risk, tracking children’s development and making sure they reach developmental milestones can help ensure that any problems are detected early, and children can receive the intervention they may need.
How do these opportunities benefit… the child?
In providing children with opportunities for play and exploration, children build necessary skills for language development, motor skills, cognitive thinking, and rationalizing.
They develop specific interests and skills. Exposure to educational toys and books helps free the child’s brains from stress, making it more susceptible for learning and expanding. Speaking with and to children through stories and songs helps strengthen communication skills, which puts them on the path towards learning and success in school.
…the parents and family?
Through Early Childhood Education and Quality Childcare opportunities, parents receive an added training in how to communicate and teach their children.
This is particularly helpful with first time parents who sometimes need added information on the different parameters of their child’s brain growth, timing and needs. In quality childcare, parents are given the assurance that their child is in a nurturing environment that allows for enough play and exploration that their child is not stunted in their communication and socialization skills.
…the community?
The community benefits from Early Childhood Education and Quality Childcare opportunities by helping to grow a healthy community of children who are ready for preschool and/or pre kindergarten.
Children who have developed good communication and socialization skills experience an easier process for learning. Additionally, providing quality child care opportunities encourages young families to seek out communities where they can confidently work and contribute to positive and economic growth.
What kinds of obstacles stand in the way of accessible early learning and childcare opportunities?
Money! There is never enough funding for early learning and childcare opportunities.
♥ Money for quality childcare facilities that have the necessary room to teacher ratios. Facilities that have quality play areas and equipment for play, exploration, and sensory experiences. ♥ Money to adequately pay the staff. These professionals have an average wage of $30,210. ♥ Money for continued education of childcare staff.
Then there is the challenge of lack of parent engagement and communication, ongoing safety and protection, lack of resources, teacher burnout and staffing shortages (since 2020, 8.4 % of childcare workforce has left for other professions), and changing technologies.
Parents without access to technology aren’t able to receive instruction they need, leading to lack of connectivity.
How can we help make early learning and quality child care available to all?
It would be an answer to a dream if families were offered childcare for free, or at least on a sliding scale of affordability. But then, how do we pay for quality teachers/staff?
As our tuition at Valley Village Childcare does not cover all expenses at our facility, we depend heavily on grants and donations.
Teton Literacy Center
Blog Contributor:
Lina Collado, Director of Outreach
Family Partnerships and Program Development
Why is it important to make stable and reliable early learning and childcare opportunities accessible to all?
Early childhood is extremely important in creating the foundation for a child, prior to entering Kindergarten.
Having accessible, low-cost opportunities is crucial for parents to be able to afford to place their child in an early learning environment (especially here in Teton County with the high cost of living). It also needs to be accessible because there are so many long wait lists and so many centers don’t have space. Being able to have that stable and reliable opportunity is so important. And in particular, access to pre-primary education is a basis for acquiring foundational learning including literacy, numeracy, and very important socio-emotional learning.
How do these opportunities benefit the child?
It is proven that early childhood experiences affect the development of the brain's architecture, which provides the foundation for all future learning, behavior, and health.
A strong foundation helps children develop the skills they need to become well-functioning students and adults. When children are healthy, safe, and learning well in their early years, they are better able to reach their full developmental potential as adults and participate effectively in economic, social, and civic life. According to UNESCO, providing Early Childhood Education and Care is regarded as a means of promoting equity and social justice, inclusive economic growth, and advancing sustainable development. It creates that foundation for the family as well as for the community. ♥ [Source: www.unesco.org/en]
…the parents and family?
Early childhood education benefits the parents and the family by supporting their child and developing a strong foundation to become well-functioning adults.
Another way it benefits the parents is having the confidence and trust that their child is safe and taken care of, while also in an environment where they will thrive, learn, and connect with other children. So it gives the parent the piece of mind and supports the family to thrive as positive members of the community.
…the community
Early childhood benefits the community by creating future, good citizens...
...and community members who thrive.
What kinds of obstacles stand in the way of accessible early learning and childcare opportunities?
There’s many obstacles, especially early learning is something that is not adapted, especially in the United States, as a requisite – for example preschool is not offered everywhere.
Some obstacles are the high cost of living, especially here in Teton County, and that is a big obstacle for providing early learning and child care opportunities because there are more teacher shortages, the high costs of childcare options, and low wages for teachers and early childhood educators. And these really stand in the way of creating a space with high quality educators. To be able to have that child come in and thrive, you want to get the right person in the door and that is someone who has a passion and wants to connect with a younger generation and not being able to not be able to find the correct staffing is a huge obstacle. And again, especially in Teton County, when a parent is going to have a child, they recommend the parent put the child on waitlists even before the child has been born just because there is such a lack of child care opportunities. The low average of the cost for child care per month is $1,500 per child within the community.
How can we help make early learning and quality child care available to all?
Understanding how important early experiences and relationships are to lifelong development is one step in supporting children and families.
The next step is to apply that knowledge to current practices and policies. Another solution to help make early learning and quality available to all is making Early Childhood educators and caregivers be a transforming force. Be someone that everyone can identify and can identify how important these people are so they can be adequately supported and empowered to play their part because their part is crucial to the future of our children and also the community.
There are two interviews we have on early childhood educators with our teacher Marina and a parent and our teacher Becca with her student Harper, on the importance of early childhood. These videos say more than anything because they really provide the insight of why all this is important and who benefits from this… and it’s anyone and everyone. It’s not a specific demographic, it’s not a specific population. It’s just a universal importance that we need to prioritize and support. That’s why showing your support is so important through conversations, blog posts, fundraisers, and more - we can all benefit from high quality early learning opportunities!
