Nashville's Current Early Literacy Landscape

Access to affordable and high-quality childcare is essential for working families, and it has significant implications for the overall economic and social well-being of a community. However, in Nashville, there is a shortage of childcare spaces, which has made it difficult for many families to access the care they need.

Currently, there are over 16,000 children under the age of five in Davidson County, but only around 12,000 licensed childcare spaces. This leaves many families scrambling to find childcare options that are affordable, accessible, and meet their needs. Additionally, many families in Nashville live in childcare deserts, where few or no childcare options are available.

The lack of affordable childcare also has implications for the workforce, as many parents, particularly mothers, are forced to leave the workforce or reduce their hours to care for their children. This not only limits their earning potential but also has long-term effects on their career trajectory and retirement savings.

Investing in childcare is a critical step toward addressing these issues. By increasing the number of licensed childcare spaces, expanding access to quality care, and investing in the workforce, Nashville can create a more equitable and prosperous community for all families.

Moreover, a robust investment in childcare can have a significant economic impact on the city. According to a National Women's Law Center report, every dollar invested in childcare generates $2.78 BILLION in economic activity, including increased wages and tax revenue.

In conclusion, Nashville needs more childcare spaces and a robust investment in the childcare industry. Increasing access to affordable and quality childcare can create a more equitable and prosperous community for all families while also boosting the city's economy. It is time for Nashville to prioritize this critical issue and invest in the future of its families and workforce.

Books That Help Address Childhood Trauma

-"A Terrible Thing Happened" by Margaret M. Holmes - This picture book is designed to help young children who have witnessed a traumatic event to express their feelings and start to heal.

-"The Invisible String" by Patrice Karst - This book tells the story of two siblings who learn about the invisible string that connects people who love each other, even when they are far apart. It can help children cope with separation anxiety and loss.

-"The Way I Feel" by Janan Cain - This colorful picture book explores a wide range of emotions that children may experience, including fear, anger, and sadness. It can help children develop emotional awareness and resilience.

-"The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog" by Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavitz - This book is written for adults but provides insight into how childhood trauma can affect a child's brain development and behavior. It offers strategies for helping traumatized children heal.

-"A Kids Book About Trauma" by Laura Miller - This book is written for children aged 5-12 and explains what trauma is, how it can affect children, and what they can do to feel better. It provides practical tips for coping with trauma in a child-friendly way.

These books can be helpful resources for parents, teachers, and mental health professionals to support children who have experienced trauma.

2021 Child Care Affordability

Childcare prices remain high. At a time when prices for a number of goods have increased, childcare prices continued to outpace inflation in 2021, according to CCAoA’s Child Care Affordability Analysis.  

This is terrible news for families who struggle to afford child care. This is also bad news for employers and communities, who benefit from widespread access to affordable, high-quality child care. Unfortunately, past public investments have not been enough to fully support the system and have created a precarious situation for child care, one that relies heavily on families to foot the bill. While recent investments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic may have helped to stabilize some of the supply of child care, the system and the families it serves are still fighting toward thriving. 

The lack of affordable child care has particularly hard-hit women. Recent findings from the RAPID-EC survey indicate that 40% of female respondents had left their jobs or cut back on their work schedules due to childcare constraints. When families don’t have access to affordable, high-quality child care, children miss meaningful child development opportunities, employers face losses as they struggle to find workers, and our economy sees overall challenges.

CCAoA’s Child Care Affordability Analysis found that in 2021:  

• The national average price of child care was around $10,600 annually. This would comprise 10% of a married-couple family’s average annual income and 35% of a single parent’s income.

• The increase in childcare prices slightly outpaced inflation, much higher than the inflation rate in prior years.

• In most states, the price of child care for two children exceeded annual housing payments by 28% to over 100%.

• Similarly, the price of child care for an infant in a center exceeded annual in-state tuition at a public university in 34 states.

• Child care for two children in a center would cost a childcare workforce professional anywhere from 56% to over 100% of annual income.

• Child care was more expensive than most other household expenses, such as housing and health care, in all U.S. regions.

• Affordability of Child Care for Families In all states, the price of child care in most settings, for most age groups, remains higher than what is considered affordable. In Tennessee: The median income for a married couple is $89,801, which means center-based child care for an infant would use 12% of family income. The median income for a single-parent family is $26,782, which means center-based child care for an infant would use 40% of the family income.

Catalyzing Growth: Using Data to Change Child Care

Tennessee Ranks 36th Overall in Child Well-Being

The newest data from KIDS COUNT is out, and Tennessee ranks 36th in the nation overall for child health and well-being currently:

21 percent of children in Tennessee live in poverty

29 percent of parents lack secure employment

61 percent of young children aged 304 are not in school

65 percent of 4th graders are not proficient in reading

37 percent of children live with single families

11 percent of children live in families where the household head lacks a high school diploma.

The date is precise. Tennessee needs to support child well-being to make our city a quality place to raise all children. As our nation continues to change, children of color create most of the child population. The future of our country depends on equitable resources for all children. We must invest in our youngest citizens to ensure that Tennessee is known for creating healthy families.

https://www.aecf.org/resources/2022-kids-count-data-book

https://assets.aecf.org/m/databook/2022KCDB-profile-TN.pdf

Tennessee Childcare is in Crisis

 The child care sector is in crisis. Child care is unaffordable for many families, and the low wages paid to care workers exacerbate supply issues. A thriving child care sector is crucial for children, families, and the economy. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) recently released child care and early education proposal for inclusion in a federal budget reconciliation package. The proposal would lower families’ costs, expand the supply and quality of child care and preschool, and raise wages for the child care and early education workforce. Central to the proposal is a $72 billion investment in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), the primary federal source of child care assistance for low-income families. CCDBG reaches only 1 in 7 eligible children due to insufficient funding.  CLASP analysis shows an estimated one million+ children nationally could benefit from the CCBDG investment. Even more, would be reached through investments in preschool and Head Start.2 345678910 The Murray-Kaine proposal will allow more of Tennessee’s children access to quality child care, help reduce the high costs of child care, and raise wages for the child care workforce.  

With this funding, Tennessee would be allocated an additional 

 $266,436,645. These funds would allow childcare providers to reach up to 8- percent more children with this proposed funding. Tennessee currently can serve 38,000. However, with the new funds, 30,439 6 estimated additional children with access to CCDBG through the proposal. With the average cost of care in Tennesee at $10,826 for infants and $9,940 annually for toddlers, these funds are critical. 

https://www.clasp.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/HELP-Committee-CCDBG-Reconciliation-Proposal-Factsheet_May-2022_final.pdf

BEING BLACK IS NOT A RISK FACTOR

Black children’s lives matter. Unfortunately, Black children in the United States of America face a dual reality: growing up in the “land of opportunity” while also experiencing the reality of racism and inequities that impact their daily lives. However, there are crucial policies that we can pass to ensure equitable care for black children.

1. Maintain Child Tax Credits and Income Supports

2. Address Racial Disparities in Wages and Career Advancement Opportunities

3. Invest in Black-Owned and Black-Led Businesses, Organizations, and Institutions

4. Expand the Family and Medical Leave Act

5. Expand Health Insurance

6. Expand Universal Access to Early Care and Education

7. Address Harsh and Unfair Discipline Practices

8. Ensure Equity in Early Intervention and Special Education

9. Ensure Culturally Responsive Curricula and Practices through Workforce Development and Training

DID YOU KNOW?

79% of Black households have at least one parent who is employed. This is similar to White homes (80%) based on the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey. Unfortunately, employment does not always translate to higher income or wealth. This is because Black people, compared to White or Asian people, are less likely to work in management, professional, and related occupations—the highest paying major occupational category.

Almost 80% of Black families of preschoolers read to their children at least four days a week or tell a story. Early home literacy practices positively affect children’s early language and literacy and later reading achievement and school outcomes. Even amid social and economic challenges, according to data from the US Department of Education, National Household Education Survey, almost 8 out of 10 Black parents read to their children more than three times a week; tell a story; teach letters, words, and numbers; or engage in arts and crafts.

Black parents support positive social identity and high educational expectations. Black parenting is about transmitting positive messages about children’s cultural background, heritage, and identity and holding them to high expectations related to their behavior and academic learning. In line with Afrocentric parenting, Black parents emphasize values in their childrearing practices, such as family interconnectedness, independence, obedience, behaving well, and respecting others.

Black children have strong oral narrative and storytelling skills that are part of their cultural roots and support their learning. Oral language and storytelling skills are part of Afrocentric practices, and there is evidence that these skills are related to later reading achievement.vi Studies show that oral language is a robust skill set of Black children compared to other children and predictive of their early literacy and later school achievement.

More Black children ages 3–5 can read words in a book compared to other children. Data from Boston, Massachusetts, showed that 16% of Black children could read terms in a book compared to 8% of White, 3% of Hispanic, and 4% of Asian or Pacific Islander children. Furthermore, 38% of Black children in this age group recognize all letters of the alphabet, and 69% can count to 20 or higher.

references: https://equity-coalition.fpg.unc.edu/resource/black-child-national-agenda-america-must-deliver-on-it

The State of Babies in Tennessee and Nationally

The mental and physical well-being of our nation’s babies and toddlers are potent indicators of our nation’s overall health. But the State of Babies Yearbook: 2022 shows that all is not alright for the littlest among us. The 2022 Yearbook reaffirms that families with infants and toddlers continue to struggle without a robust national policy agenda for babies that prioritizes the economic security, health, and early learning needs of babies and their families. The consequences of years of inaction reverberate, and many parents and primary caregivers today still do not have what they need to ensure a strong foundation for their children – the next generation.  

The 2022 findings show the longstanding disparities in good health, strong families, and positive early learning experiences, draining our nation’s future potential and leaving families to fend for themselves. These disparities show the barriers Black and brown babies and babies in families with low-income face daily due to historical and current structural inequities. Our responsibility – and the responsibility of our country’s leaders – is to enact comprehensive, permanent, and vital child- and family-focused policies. We urgently need to build and strengthen the systems our babies need to thrive. 

• Fifty-two percent of the nation’s babies are children of color, which includes Hispanic (26 percent), Black (14 percent), Asian (5.5 percent), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9 percent), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (.2 percent) and Multiple Races (5.2 percent) of babies. Because of historical and structural inequities resulting from systemic racism, American Indian/Alaska Native, Black and Hispanic children are more likely to be poor, have early adverse experiences, and live in unsafe neighborhoods or unstable housing. American Indian/Alaska Native and Black infants are more likely to be born too soon or too small, which persists even in highly ranked states.

• Access to quality early learning experiences was challenging before the pandemic. COVID-19 continues to have severe implications for babies’ early learning and development, both in the home and in increasingly stressed childcare settings.

• The first three years of life shape every year that follows. Though every baby is born with unlimited potential, opportunities to grow and flourish are not shared equally, reflecting past and present systemic racism and barriers to critical resources. When babies consistently have what they need for positive cognitive, physical, and mental health – including safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments – they are building the foundation for the rest of their lives. But when babies consistently do not get what their growing brains need to thrive, they don’t develop as they should, leading to lifelong developmental, educational, social, and physical challenges.

• To do better for our babies and our nation’s future, we need Congress and state leaders to seize the opportunity to create the forward-looking, family-centered policies that our government has lacked. Policymakers need to prioritize babies through policies built on the science of brain development and budgets that put babies and families first.

• Invest in high-quality childcare

• Enact permanent paid family and medical leave

• Permanently expand the Child Tax Credit.

• Expand Early Head Start

• Invest in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

• Transform systems for solid family support

State of Babies TN

Tips for Building Resilience in Children

By focusing on and modeling a few easy tips, you can build resilience in your child—and bolster it within yourself—by concentrating on and sporting a few easy tips!

Practice Optimism

Believe it or not, optimism isn’t just a mindset; it’s a skill fueled by grit and determination! With a bit of modeling from trusted grown-ups and a lot of practice, kids can learn to approach life through a hopeful lens.

Adults can:

• Save the doomsday talk for kid-free moments of venting with other grown-ups. Set an optimistic example for kids by stating positive thinking and language aloud even when life is challenging.

• Start a daily gratitude practice as a family to help everyone focus on finding silver linings in any circumstance. Start like this: “Tell me three good things about your day.”

Promote Healthy Risk-Taking

In a world where playgrounds are made “safe” with bouncy floor materials and helicopter parenting, it’s essential to encourage kids to take healthy risks. What’s a healthy risk? Something that pushes a child to go outside of their comfort zone but results in very little harm if they are unsuccessful. Examples include:

• Trying a new sport.

• Participating in the school play.

• Striking up a conversation with a shy peer.

When kids avoid risk, they internalize the message that they aren’t strong enough to handle challenges. When kids embrace risks, they learn to push themselves.

Resist the Urge to Fix It and Ask Questions Instead

When kids come to their parents to solve their problems, the natural response is to lecture or explain. A better strategy is to ask questions. By bouncing the problem back to the child with questions, the parent helps the child think through the issue and develop solutions.

Help them manage their emotions.

Emotional management is key to resilience. Teach your kids that all emotions are OK, Lyons said. It’s OK to feel angry that you lost the game or someone else finished your ice cream. Teach them that after feeling their feelings, they need to think about what they’re doing next.

If your child throws a tantrum, please be sure to be clear about what behavior is appropriate (and inappropriate). You might say, “I’m sorry we’re not going to get ice cream, but this behavior is unacceptable.”

Tennessee Children at Risk of Health Coverage Loss. Here’s What Our Leaders Must Do.

The pandemic has brought no shortage of challenges to our country in the past two years. However, one silver lining has been the uninterrupted access that children have had to health coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). According to a report by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families (CCF), nearly half of all children in the United States are insured through these programs. In Tennessee alone, more than 986,574 children—or 50% of our children under age 19—are enrolled in TennCare and CoverKids.

Having Medicaid coverage has meant that families at McNeilly Center for Children have had access to essential care and increased economic security during an otherwise very tumultuous time. 

But in the coming months, thousands of children in families that we serve are at risk of losing this foundational coverage as Tennessee begins to roll back from the continuous coverage requirement that has been in place during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and resume pre-pandemic operations. At this point, Tennessee will redetermine eligibility for all TennCare enrollees, including many children, parents, and pregnant mothers.

This shift represents the largest challenges to public health coverage in a decade. And it could be disastrous for our children if Tennessee is not thoughtful and proactive in its approach to confirming children’s Medicaid eligibility and supporting those who are no longer eligible in the transition to other sources of coverage. In fact, a report by Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families estimates that nearly 7 million children nationwide are likely to lose their Medicaid coverage and are at considerable risk of becoming uninsured or experiencing a disruption in coverage. 

Children routinely lose coverage when Medicaid renewals occur, sometimes for something as small as a renewal letter getting lost in the mail. Studies show that when kids lose coverage, they’re more likely to have unmet health care needs that can interfere with their success in school—and as we continue to grapple with record-high inflation and a public health crisis, interrupting access to care for even short periods could have severe repercussions for the financial security and long-term health outcomes of Tennessee families. When health issues arise in uninsured families, they often face financial strain from covering large medical bills or forego seeking treatment altogether. 

Collaboration and thoughtful preparation will be central to this transition. We urge Tennessee to take the time to get this right and make sure that no child becomes uninsured. As states begin to resume renewal operations, we urge them to consider the following strategies to process renewals and keep children covered effectively:

• Proactively update contact information for parents

• Provide clear and linguistically appropriate information about the renewal process

• Boost capacity of customer service to meet the increased need for assistance

• Pause disenrollment if the state is unable to keep up with the demand for help 

• Take additional steps to follow-up with children and families at risk of losing coverage due to missing information 

McNeilly Center for Children is ready to be a partner in the effort to keep Tennessee’s children covered. We know there is strength in numbers, and we are committed to working together to ensure every child has access to the care they need and the opportunity to lead healthy lives.

Fighting Racism with Preschoolers

I can remember my journey into parenthood as a bit overwhelming! There is a lot to navigate. What kind of child care will we need? Breastfeeding or formula feeding? Is this poop normal? There’s a lot to learn as a new parent. What size diapers are right? Will my child thrive? And the most important thing of all—how do you raise a child who understands right and wrong, justice and injustice?

When you think of your baby or toddler, it may seem like they’re too young for issues like antiracism, justice, and equity. But race is part of a child’s life from day one. Here is a place to start—five facts about how children come to understand differences, starting from birth:

1.   Children notice difference
This ability starts from a very young age—as young as three months old. As children grow, they notice a wide range of differences, including skin color, facial features, voice, hair color/texture/length, assistive equipment like a wheelchair, etc. Children notice and name these differences as a necessary and expected part of development.

2.   Differences should not be used to stereotype
Our race and ethnicity are part of who we are and give us a sense of pride and belonging. But it’s important to know that race is more of an idea than an actual thing. This idea of race has been used, across history, to grant unfair privilege to some groups and cause harm to others.

3.   RACISM IS TAUGHT
Our kids are learning from us all the time, even when we think they aren’t watching. We all have biases (ideas about other groups), and these ideas are passed along to our children through everyday interactions. Parents’ attitudes about race are reflected in children’s attitudes about race, beginning in early childhood.

4.   Bias in race start early
Soon after, preschoolers between 3 and 5 may use race as a reason to include or exclude children from play and other activities.

5.   Diversity is crucial!

Attending a diverse preschool and building cross-race friendships increases the chance that children will enjoy cross-race friendships and show less racial bias when they enter school—all the way through third grade.v On the other hand, research has found that white children in primarily white preschools show more stereotypes of other racial groups.

Talking to our children about antiracism is part of our responsibility as parents. But this path forward isn’t always easy. It can be hard to recognize our own biases toward other groups. Re-thinking our views on race may mean that relationships with family or friends change in significant or painful ways. Reaching out for support can help us do this hard and necessary work.

Words Matter, Actions Matter. Serve on MLK Day 2022.

The 2022 MLK Day of Service is almost here – and Americans across the country are rolling up their sleeves in service. Are you ready to get out and serve?

I know that here at McNeilly, we are getting excited about the opportunity to spend the day working to build our community and spend our time reflecting on Dr. King’s practices and thoughts on education.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is a defining moment each year when Americans across the country step up to make our communities more equitable and take action to create the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream. While Dr. King believed The Beloved Community was possible, he acknowledged and fought for systemic change. His example is our call to action.

How will we meet that call to action?

Making time to volunteer for MLK Day of Service is a great way to engage with your community while honoring the legacy of Dr. King. Whether you plan to clean up a public space, mentor a young person, or engage in dialogue to explore ways to address inequity, foster inclusion, and improve access, honor Dr. King’s legacy through service.

Pledge to serve in his honor.

Would you be willing to participate? Sign up to volunteer!

·         Join us Monday, January 17th, at 9 am for a day of service

·         Not able to make it on  Monday? Please search for other opportunities on our website!

Be sure to share your thoughts and photos from your volunteer service that day:

1.        Share photos, videos, and posts about your service with #MLKDay and tag @TheKingCenter on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

2.       Connect with other volunteers and check in on the    @AmeriCorps Facebook page

3.       Follow @AmeriCorps and @TheKingCenter on Instagram for the latest MLK Day updates and resources.

While much work remains to fulfill Dr. King’s dream of a Beloved Community, service can help unify Americans of different backgrounds and experiences. We can build more equitable and just communities to underpin racial equity, expand civic opportunities, and foster respect for individual differences through service.

How will you step forward and serve this MLK Day?

Tennessee Families Need Affordable High-Quality Child Care

Under the best of circumstances, it's hard enough for parents to juggle a job while raising young children. Having safe, stable, and nurturing child care is the key that allows so many families to make it all work. But with quality child care largely unaffordable or otherwise unavailable, too many families do not have the child care they need.

As a working mother to a preschooler and as the provider to almost 200 children each day with my team, we have seen and felt the impact that unstable childcare can directly have on a family's income, ability to rejoin the workforce, stress, etc. and more. Not only have we provided care to our own families,s but we also ensured that our youngest citizens and their families had had regular care. Throughout the pandemic, our team has preserved and only become stronger and more resolved in our passion for early childhood education. We are committed to deepening our knowledge of ACES, social-emotional learning, and advocating policy change for our field.

Families need access to quality and affordable child care that supports their babies' healthy development. And child care isn't just important for children. In 2019, 61 percent of infants and toddlers had mothers in the workforce. But to work, parents need to know that their babies are well-cared for by individuals with passion and knowledge. Safe, quality child care gives them the peace they need to focus on their work and provide for their families. Child care has a tremendous benefit to our financial system, creating a total economic impact of nearly $100 billion per year.

For too long, child care has been challenging to access, especially for those who need it the most. Infant and toddler care cost more than college in 30 states and the District of Columbia, and many families with low incomes can't benefit from the current child care tax credit. Even if they did, the maximum tax benefit doesn't come close to the actual cost of care. Despite the high cost of infant care, few families receive financial assistance. The federal Child Care and Development Fund serves only 4.2% of infants and toddlers in families with low or moderate incomes.

COVID-19 and the subsequent economic crisis have made it even more difficult, if not impossible, to obtain high-quality, affordable care. As a result of the pandemic, many providers were forced to close, unable to make the economics of providing child care work. Providers who stayed open dealt with long months of under-enrollment and increased costs of keeping young children safe and healthy, along with the uncertainty of the pandemic we all experienced. Child care providers aren't getting the support they need from our elected officials in our state.

As the child care system rebuilds, we cannot return to it. For infants and toddlers, child care is second only to the interactions with their families in shaping the foundation of babies' early brain development. Robust public funding is imperative for a system of high-quality programs and providers that are accessible to all families. I strongly urge our local officials to invest in this critical system and provide high-quality, affordable child care for working families during the hours they need it. Child care providers also need the support, training, and compensation to do their essential work. Tennessee's current and future workforces, and our local and national economies, depend on it.

Alyssa Dituro Executive Director

A Thought For December

If you want children to learn to clean, you need to clean alongside them. Telling preschoolers to clean while you stand by and watch strikes me as futile. They will learn best with you modeling how. They will learn best when they have your adult companionship. They will know best when they realize cleaning is essential to you and not simply something relegated to them.

If you want young children to do their homework (hopefully, this is NOT an issue with preschoolers.), you should consider setting them up at the dining room table with you as you work through bills or your office work. Giving children this studious example is very wise - you are modeling how to focus and work quietly. You are available to help them through their frustrations and mental roadblocks. You may convey a genuine love of learning - how important is that?


If you want children to learn to cook, you need to have them working alongside you when you are in the kitchen. I love working side by side with my own four-year-old as we soak potatoes, mix cornbread, or fix a salad.

The next couple of weeks will bring many family togethernesses, with schools closing for winter break and holidays. What an excellent opportunity to be alongside your children, doing something together that you hope they will find engaging...something that will be so automatic and acceptable to them in later years that they will say, "It's just what we do!"

Halloween Safety!

Costume Safety

To help ensure adults and children have a safe holiday, fda.gov has compiled a list of Halloween safety tips. Before Halloween arrives, be sure to choose a costume that won't cause safety hazards. All costumes, wigs, and accessories should be fire-resistant.

If children are allowed out after dark, fasten reflective tape to their costumes and bags, or give them glow sticks.

Opt for nontoxic Halloween makeup over masks, which can obscure vision; always test makeup in a small area first to see if any irritation develops.

Remove all makeup before children go to bed to prevent skin and eye irritation.

When They're on the Prowl

Here's a scary statistic: Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year. Lack of visibility because of low lighting at night also plays a factor in these incidents

A responsible adult should accompany young children on the neighborhood rounds.

If your older children are going alone, plan and review a route acceptable to you.

Agree on specific times children should return home.

Teach your children never to enter a stranger's home or car.

Instruct children to travel only in familiar, well-lit areas and stick with their friends tell your children not to eat any treats until they return home, and take care to avoid any food allergies.

Children and adults are reminded to put electronic devices down, keep heads up, walk, and run across the street.

Join kids under age 12 for trick-or-treating.

When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls. Choose face paint over masks when possible. Masks can limit children's vision.

Self-Care for Families and Caregivers

September is National Self-care Month!

As caregivers of children, families, and educators, always hear how important it is to take care of themes less and take time. However, in practice, that can be hard to accomplish. Lack of transportation, lack of funds, and a society that values busyness over centeredness make it hard for those who most need to take time for themselves. As the pandemic continues, we at our McNeilly Center for Children are invested in supporting our families and educators' mental well-being. Check out some of these tips below to help you carve out a few minutes for yourselves!

1. LISTEN TO MUSIC
One of the best ways to energize yourself is to turn on your favorite song. We all know. There is no need to set aside time to find some joyful music moments. Play your favorites when you are working, cooking, and anything else. Even better? Find some tunes that you can listen to together. A new soundtrack that is out is the Lin-Manuel Miranda "Vivo" one! It has something for the whole family and an all-star multicultural cast.

2. DO A DIGITAL DETOX How often do we rely on screens in our modern daily lives? When we do not allow our minds time to rest, we cannot create the silence we need to really be with ourselves.

A digital detox might help you reset some of your habits, and it could also be good for your kids.

Methods for Digital Detox
Unplug your device for an hour every night
Set aside one weekend a month to step away from your smartphone
Make a rule to keep your phone out of your bedroom

3. PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

Whether you care for children professionally or as an in-home caregiver, the day-to-day care of children can be tiring at times. Writing down your dreams and plans for the future (for yourself and the children) can help you remember the bigger picture of your life and find more joy in the present. 

4. CALM YOUR SENSES

Did you know adults experience sensory overload just like children? Florence lights, loud offices/homes, and more can lead to overwhelm. Spend a few minutes with dim lights, breathing in cool air, or smelling scents that calm you. Set a timer for a few moments each day to take a few sensory reset moments and see the difference! 

5. PRACTICE GRATITUDE 

When was the last time you wrote down the things in your life you were grateful for? Too often, it is easy to focus on the bills and stress of life. Write down things that make you happy, like the smile of the children you care for, your health, and more. 

Read to Succeed at McNeilly!

It's a new school year for the Read to Succeed program at McNeilly Center for Children. Our educators and children are eager to get our year going! For the month of August our students are focusing on becoming a School Family and getting acquainted with the school day. One of the goals for the Read to Succeed Program is to prepare educators for success. In effort to make this possible the role of an Instructional Coach was developed. As one of the instructional coaches, I am responsible for bringing evidence-based practices and strategies into the classroom by working with administration and supporting teachers. My goals are to increase student engagement, improve student achievement and build teacher capacity. Another important aspect of my job is to partner with families by providing workshops and Kindergarten transition support.

We are looking for to having a fun filled, engaging, and successful school year!

Early Childhood Education Advocacy

The first three years of a baby’s life shape all the rest. In that short time period, babies form more than one million new neural connections every second. That’s a whole lot of brainpower.

Over the last ten years, I have seen firsthand how nurturing experience with caregivers, families, and the community, allow children to thrive and reach their full potential.  

America’s future depends on quality child care. It not only fuels our country’s economic engine by allowing parents to work, but also builds the workforce of the future

That’s why ZERO TO THREE created the Think Babies campaign: to make their potential our national priority.

When babies don’t get what their growing brains need to thrive; they don’t develop as they should. This leads to poor life-long developmental, educational, social, and health challenges. Every minute we waste not making our voices heard, another child runs the risk of not ever reaching her full potential. That’s not good for families, and that’s not good for our future.

We need to 

• MAKE SURE EVERY FAMILY WHO NEEDS IT HAS ACCESS TO QUALITY, AFFORDABLE CHILD CARE FOR THEIR INFANTS AND TODDLERS THAT OFFER ONE-ON-ONE RELATIONSHIPS WITH CARING ADULTS AND STRONG EARLY LEARNING EXPERIENCES.

• GIVE PARENTS DEDICATED TIME TO BOND WITH THEIR BABIES IN THE EARLIEST MONTHS, WHEN SO MUCH OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT IS AT STAKE.

• REACH PARENTS WITH THE RESOURCES AND SERVICES THEY WANT AND NEED TO NURTURE THEIR BABY’S HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT AND SET THEM UP FOR A HEALTHY LIFE.

• ENSURE FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS TO NUTRITION AND OTHER HEALTH SERVICES THAT CAN GIVE THEM A HEALTHY START IN LIFE.

Here at McNeilly Center for Children, we see examples daily of how access to high-quality childcare allows our families to thrive. We recently had a parent finish their degree through our family empowerment program and become employed because they had access to childcare.

• Quality child care can set children living in families with low-income on a path to:

  • Higher reading and math achievement;

  • Complete elementary and high school on time;

  • Attend and complete college;

  • Increased earnings;

  • Greater employment; and

  • Better health as adults.

These are the ingredients to give babies enriching early experiences, promote healthy brain development from the start, and create a better future for our nation.

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Easy Ways to Beat the Heat This Summer

It is the start of summer here in Nashville and at McNeilly! Outside of the heat, the easiest way to know it is summer at preschool is 1. the smell of bug spray and sunscreen and 2. all the bright-colored clothes that start parading through the door! Is summer not the best time to be a child?

Summer can be hard to keep our little learners occupied; they have more energy, the days are longer, and it is hot! Water play is one of the best ways to keep cool. It is also a great way to incorporate sensory play, science, and fine motor skills during summer's more relaxed curriculum days.

Sponges are one of my favorite ways to beat the heat! Packs of sponges are incredibly cheap and versatile. You can use them to set up a toss game or even draw targets on the house and throw wet sponges at them! Sponges are also great for relay races. Try running with a sponge between your knees or on your head. Have you played  “Pass the Sponge” with a group of kids?  Have all the kids line up and lay down on their backs with their feet in the air.  Put a wet sponge between the first child’s feet and show them how to pass the sponge to the next child using only their feet.  Kids continue to pass the sponge along the line using their feet only – and they get really wet doing it!

Do you have some extra buckets or bins lying around? The easiest activity for your little one is water transferring! Have them practice walking, jumping, or hopping with a bucket of water to see if they can transfer it. This activity can be used to practice color mixing and more!  Bonus? Children do not care what state water is in. If you have ice cubes, your little one can practice fine motor skills by using tongs to transfer! 

"Paint” with water: Another idea involves using clean brushes and rollers, a bucket of water, and your driveway, fence, or balcony. Of course, there will probably be just as much water on them as on their “canvas,” and that is okay!

 Toy washing! This one is so simple. Use the kitchen sink or some big storage tubs and set up a washing station. 

 With its new, irregular schedule, summer allows us to try new things and create new learning opportunities for our children! So, what is your favorite way to get creative with water?