Midwest Child Care Association

12/12/2023

Check out this website for a delicious recipe:

12/12/2023

Dear Colleagues:

Happy Holidays! At the Office of Early Childhood Development, we’re grateful for all you have done to support children and families this year and we’re honored to have had the opportunity to partner with states, tribes, territories, communities, and organizations across the country. Before we ring in 2024, I'd like to share just a few highlights from this past year.

We published proposed changes to regulations for both the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and Head Start. The CCDF proposed changes are designed to lower families’ child care costs and increase child care options, improve child care provider payment rates and practices, and make enrollment in the child care subsidy program easier and faster for families. The Head Start proposed changes are currently out for public comment through January 19th. If enacted, the new rules would mean increased salaries for Head Start staff and quality improvements for Head Start programs throughout the U.S.

We launched the National Early Care and Education Workforce Center, the first of its kind in the country, to fund research and technical assistance for states, municipalities, territories, and tribal countries looking to promote the recruitment and retention of a diverse and talented early care and education workforce.

We announced new Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, funding totaling over $24 million to 34 tribes and tribal organizations nationwide to create culturally grounded, evidence-based home visiting programs within American Indian and Alaskan Native communities and representing a significant increase in Tribal MIECHV funding throughout the country.

We collaborated with the U.S. Department of Education on an updated joint policy statement supporting the inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs to expand on and enhance the original statement from 2015.

We are excited to continue collaboration with each and every one of you as we continue the momentum in 2024! I wish you, your families, and communities a peaceful holiday, if you are celebrating one, and a very Happy New Year.

With appreciation,

Katie

Katie Hamm, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development

11/09/2023

Take Action now and ask your House Representative to co-sponsor the Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act of 2023! This bipartisan legislation was introduced by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Congressman Marc Molinaro (R-NY) to:
-Allow providers who are open for more than 8 hours in a day to be reimbursed for an additional meal (up to 3 meals and 1 snack).
-Align the calculation of reimbursement rates for family child care homes with that of centers by shifting to “food away from home.”
-Allow annual eligibility for for-profit child care centers to streamline program operations.
-Require a review of the CACFP Serious Deficiency process.
-Establish an advisory committee on CACFP paperwork reduction.
These positive changes would streamline and strengthen the CACFP in order to expand program participation and access to nutritious meals.

Send a letter to your representative to advocate for the improvement of the CACFP!

Take Action now and ask your House Representative to co-sponsor the Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act of 2023! This bipartisan legislation was introduced by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Congressman Marc Molinaro (R-NY) to:Allow...

11/02/2023

Easy Savings on Nutritious Meals

Infants need nutritious meals and snacks for a healthy start. Gerber’s CACFP creditable infant cycle menu helps make nutritious meal planning easy and delicious. To access the cycle menu, visit Infant Cycle Menu. And, for 2 weeks, save 20% sitewide on gerber.com with code CACFP20 at checkout. Offer available November 2nd-16th , 2023. Stocking up on meals and snacks has never been easier!

10/23/2023

10/23/2023

Fun idea!

MICROWAVE Halloween Playdough

https://teaching2and3yearolds.com/easiest-halloween-playdough/

09/29/2023

On Tuesday, the Child Nutrition Enhancement Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Greg Landsman and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici to permanently provide an additional 10 cent reimbursement for each meal and snack served in the , eliminate tiering of family day care homes, and allow family day care home providers to claim their own children's meals for reimbursement.

Learn more and send a letter to your representative in support of this historic bill at cacfp.org/child-nutrition-enhancement-act

09/28/2023

We've expanded our team! Geresia Tilson has joined Midwest as a Center Field Monitor.

"I was born in Arkansas. I spent half my life living in the South and the other half I’ve lived in Omaha Nebraska. I graduated in November of 2020 with my Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. I have 5+ years of experience volunteering and working in child care centers. I am excited to start my new journey as a Field Monitor with Midwest Child Care Association."

09/15/2023

Try this recipe for a new fall taste!

09/14/2023