- 63 % of all children under age five are in some type of regular childcare arrangement.
- One-quarter of these children are cared for in organized facilities consisting of day care centers (13 %) and nursery or preschools (6 %).
Michelle Smith and Renata Farmer, the Jackson and Knox County Family and Consumer Sciences extension agents, both certified childcare providers, partnered to provide trainings to personnel from 20 different childcare organizations including in-home day cares, licensed day care organizations, and Family Resource Youth Service Centers. Ninety child care providers attended a minimum of six hours of training. In the past, most of these participants had to travel to neighboring counties for these trainings. Trainings focused on stress management, organizational skills, child abuse prevention, communication with parents, nutrition in the center, working with children with disabilities, implementing literacy and activities, child development and assessment, teaching self-control and approaching discipline. Eighty-five percent of participants reported an increase in knowledge and 75% reported that they planned to put this knowledge to use in their childcare facility.
Evaluations from the trainings revealed significant improvements in knowledge among participants.
- 90% gained new knowledge of child assessments, including the Dial 3.
- 80% engaged in learning activities focusing on modifying toys and activities for children with disabilities
- 65% learned new approaches to dealing with conflict between childcare staff and parents
- 75% were able to implement literacy strategies in other daily activities
- 50% acquired new knowledge on the 2005 dietary guidelines and were able to implement nutrition and physical activity into their centers.
The majority of parents with children under the age of five in the U.S. utilize child care services. Organizations that provide such services are mandated by the state to attend trainings that help ensure quality child care. Trainings have been shown to increase knowledge and help provide the information necessary for child care providers to implement beneficial strategies and procedures. The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, and specifically the Jackson and Knox County offices have demonstrated a strong commitment to and record of excellence in helping child care providers fulfill their training requirements.