Thank an Early Education Teacher

Today is National Provider Appreciation Day and we want to talk about a way to show gratitude for those teaching our youngest learners. Voice your support for early education teachers by reminding everyone that daycare is an outdated term that doesn’t reflect today’s child care.

The word daycare dates back to France in the mid-1800s as a means of caring for the infants of working-class women. During World War II, the first U.S. government-sponsored child care was created after women were encouraged to join the workforce as their husbands went off to war.

The subsidized care ended in 1947 when veterans returned and the women were forced to give up their jobs, but the terms daycare and child care have been used interchangeably since then. Today, the word daycare can be polarizing for those who work in the early learning profession.

As the early education industry evolves, many descriptions exist for the type of care and education for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. With the increased awareness about the rapid, critical brain development in the first 5 years, there’s more focus on professional development for child care providers.

Caregivers who know that the first five years build the foundation for later academic success, work hard at creating positive interactions with the children in their care. They are doing something that will help that child grow and develop.

Parents of new babies might not know anything about what type of child care they’ll want or need. But you can help them understand by using terms like child care and early childhood education. It will better reflect the work that is going on in the field.

As the chief program officer for First Things First Amy Corriveau puts it: We are trying to help families understand that we don’t take care of their day. We are taking care of their children.