To help children Make the Grade...help the parents!

When I first became aware of the not for profit child care coordinating agency called 4c for Children, I was looking for quality, I repeat quality daycare for my first son Roman. Any parent who has ever had to look for daycare for the first time you know how gut wrenching, overwhelming and frustrating it can be. And that's just to come up with a list, before you even set foot inside a facility to tour it.
4C in a nutshell is a child care resource and referral agency for the region, with a data base of more than 2,600 child care options in the region, and it also offers a star-rating system for these child care options, in both Ohio and Kentucky. I found several different options with my list from 4 C and I was on my way. Some of them worked out, some of them didn't but it helped prevent me from running around like a mad woman and focus on what my main needs were for my children and who could offer that. 4C was a life saver. But my relationship with 4C didn't end there.
4C not only provides regular training and technical assistance , that encourages professional development of child care providers, they are also a great resource for parents who are looking for a way to support the educational needs of their infant- pre-k son or daughter at home. Tonight's Making The Grade is one great example of that, offering tips and suggestions on how spending time with your children can be turned into a fun yet educational experience for them. It's part of their mission, to help prepare children for Kindergarten.

When it comes to spending time with your children, it's as much about quality as it is about quantity. In our busy lives having a resource available at our fingertips that beefs up our parenting skills so that we're making the most of our time with our children, is a gift the agency is giving to our area. It's helped strengthen my parenting muscles, a personal trainer for Mommies and Daddies. But my relationship with 4C didn't end there.

Any working parent who has had to put their child in a daycare setting knows that sometimes you need someone to be an advocate for you, while you are an advocate for your child. When there was a critical issue with my sons' daycare that my husband and I felt we were not getting a resolution with, 4C was there.
I remember the call, I was at my wit's end, I was frantic and I needed some support and direction. A 4C manager, took my call and listened like it was the first time she had ever heard of a complaint like this before, but we both knew it wasn't. She was calm, empathetic, supportive, reassuring. She pointed me in the right direction, offered to follow up and suggested a temporary solution while we fix the long term problem. She told me everything was going to be o-k, she was a mother too and understood. She told me, I was doing the right thing. I wanted to cry, SOMEONE was on our side! SOMEONE understood the tug-war struggle parents feel who want to do the very best for their children! And that SOMEONE was there to support us. 4C is part of my village now. Let it become part of yours.
4C for Children is not only an advocate for children, they are an advocate for parents. If you've never checked out all they have to offer, I strongly suggest you click on their website www.4cforchildren.org, or give them a call (513) 800-256-1296.

If you've watched tonight's story, tell me what you think about it. I'd love to hear your parenting tips on helping your child Make the Grade!