Childcare Across the Nation

I think this is a really cute picture. It was taken by Jordan Barclay at the Freedom Festival. It's also for sale.

Here's an article from Jacksonville, Florida. I was curious about it because that's where my son and his family live. I found it interesting that they are going through this "fixer upper" mentality about child care just like we are in Evansville with the Welborn Foundation Grant.

I am aso curious as to why it took so long to discover why childcare is such a mess nation wide.

Here's the article:

By Mark Spain

First Coast News

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- The earlier children get off on the right foot to learning, the greater their chances for success later on in school."We know that children do better when they are prepared at an earlier age," said Susan Main of the Early Learning Coalition Of Duval, Inc.

The Oaks at Durkeville is one of 14 child care centers participating in the coalition's pilot program to improve child care facilities in Jacksonville. "It's gonna trickle down to the children. Our program is getting a boost and we are better equipped," said Charlene Gross of The Oaks at Durkeville.

By utilizing a five-star rating system, with one being the lowest and five being the highest, parents can easily determine where their child's facility stands. "The five star center is the epitome in the field. But we've set the bar really high and don't expect many centers to reach it right away," said Main.

The coalition evaluates the centers on everything from ratio and staff compensation to professional development and parent and family involvement. There are eight areas viewed for the evaluation. "We're gonna be looking for every opportunity to build this program and help parents and students learn. We're going forward in a big way," said Main.

The Early Learning Coalition hopes to include 100 centers in an additional pilot program. Participation in the program is purely voluntary.