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Families in Northwest Florida struggling to afford childcare
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Childcare is really expensive, and it is getting more expensive every year, and finding enough money in your pocketbook for childcare can be challenging. Some parents are choosing to leave work and stay home.
“From a business standpoint, it’s expensive to run a childcare center just like any other business,” said Tami Valdez, Community development and special programs director at Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida. “You’ve got rising minimum wages, you’ve got increasing insurance fees. So it’s just it’s inflation is hitting all businesses right now.”
However, there is a school readiness program that uses state and federal money.
“This funding provides childcare for families who qualify,” said Valdez.
School readiness funding allows families access to affordable childcare, easing financial burdens and making high-quality learning programs accessible.
“There is a need, and I think now the support families need it even more because living is very expensive right now,” said Valdez. “I feel like a lot of families are in the position where do I pay for childcare? Or do I work? So apply for our school readiness program and let us see if we can get you qualified and then we can help you pay for childcare.”
The Early Learning Coalition has seen more people using the funding.
“90% of a child’s brain is developed before they hit kindergarten. Giving the children an early learning opportunity is very important so that they’re when they when they are ready to enter formal schools, they’re ready to learn,” said Valdez. “Everything the cognitive, the social skills, everything that they will get within a childcare center is very important to get them going on that learning path.”
Helping families make the decision to work easier.
“They’re able to pay rent, pay mortgage, put food on the table,” said Valdez. “It’s just giving them some financial support on the children’s side. “We’re giving them a formal early education. so that’s very important.
The readiness learning program serves seven counties, Bay, Washington, Holmes, Jackson, Calhoun Gulf, and Franklin.
To apply and see if you are eligible for this funding, you can head here.
The Importance of Imaginative Play in Early Childhood
Picture this…
A toddler is standing in the kitchen, hard at work, emptying the cabinets. They are pulling pots, pans, spatulas, and wooden spoons from their respective places. All the while, they are smiling up at you with a strainer on their head ready to bang away at the bottom of the overturned cookware!
Or
Opening a cabinet in your newly stocked classroom to find a toddler-sized police officer uniform, a little doctor’s white coat, a miniature chef’s hat, or maybe even a tiny shopping cart filled to the brim with cardboard and plastic grocery goodies!
Can you imagine? Well, these scenarios are ideal for fostering imaginative play. Imaginative play – also called symbolic play – happens to have several benefits at each stage of early childhood. From what seems like random banging of rattles during the infant stage of development, through the parallel play in the classroom kitchen stage of preschool, early childhood is the perfect time for caregivers to facilitate the benefits that symbolic play offers. The truth is that children learn to solve problems, coordinate, cooperate, and think flexibly during imaginative play.
As childcare providers, you can help to grow these emergent skills by prioritizing pretend and imaginative play opportunities in your classrooms.
Here are a few activities that can help you get started:
- Storytime– Allowing children to participate in storytelling can help build their imaginations, too. Have students start, or finish, the stories you tell in class. Asking questions such as “What do you think will happen next?” can also boost engagement.
- Dolls & Puppets– Make sure you encourage your students – both girls and boys – to explore their imaginations using dolls, action figures, and puppets. These can be stuffed, or even made from paper.
- Themed Dramatic Play Boxes– Create a variety of themed dramatic play boxes (or bins or baskets) that feature materials that can let children be creative. The Childcare Lounge has some great idea on themed boxes here.
In the meantime, take some time to read the Healthline article about the importance of Symbolic Play in early childhood.
Arts and crafts at ArtKidDoo
ArtKidDoo came back to Shivers Park in Chipley this past Saturday giving the youth of our community an opportunity to express themselves in a child-friendly environment.
This free, community-wide festival featured a range of hands-on arts and crafts activities, games, and entertainment by local artists. It was an opportunity for children of all ages to engage in creative activities while parents explored resources offered by community partners. More than 25 local non-profit agencies, civic groups, and businesses have volunteered to host booths and help provide an enriching experience for everyone.
Children attending ArtKidDoo had the chance to express their creativity in a variety of ways, including painting a police car, coloring, and meeting animals at the petting zoo. Activities such as inflatable axe throwing, games, and a photo booth also added to the fun, along with various arts and crafts stations where children created “make and take” crafts.
According to the Early Learning Coalition art is not just fun—it is essential to child development. Research shows that art activities support early brain development, helping children build cognitive, social-emotional, and multisensory skills. Engaging in art fosters creativity, boosts self-esteem, and aids in mastery of skills that are important for lifelong learning and success.