I celebrate Miss Jen and Miss Karen!
During this "Week of the Young Child", I was reminded that our Y is part of a much larger community of dedicated professionals who are "the workforce behind the workforce" as Speaker of the House, Ryan Fecteau, put it.
Yesterday, more than 100 childcare professionals, advocates, and students gathered at the State House to recognize our state legislature for passing a childcare workforce bill unanimously. (News link below)
Over the past 15-20 years, so much brain research has come out showing the importance of quality interactions in early years. Did you know that more than one million neural connections are formed every second in the first few years? Those connections lay the foundation for future success. As we grow, we can continue to add neural connections, but at a much slower rate! Thank goodness we are recognizing how important our early childhood educators are!
In our Little Learners' classroom, Miss Jen and Miss Karen epitomize quality interactions. Watch Miss Jen say hello as a child walks into the room, asking them to share something about the morning. See Miss Karen light up on the playground when a child brings something to show her. These children bask in the attention and interaction they are given. And it shows as they go on to Kindergarten. We hear about the success our friends have when they get to school.
It is easy to take Miss Jen and Miss Karen for granted because they make it look so easy. My trip to the State House reminded me how special they and all childcare workers are. Not only do they give parents peace of mind about their child's safety. They give the children a step up into success. And they provide Maine with a strong workforce for the future.
Join me in celebrating the important work our childcare workers do. And help us continue to raise up the workforce behind the workforce!
Links referenced:
コメント