With shared focus and 'small dents,' Valley childcare advocates see progress

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 08/17/2023 - 16:17
Kids toys

(Part 3 of a three-part series.)

Addressing the early childhood education challenges facing families and providers in the Wood River Valley requires money.

The United States is a major outlier among wealthier nations, spending on average $500 per year per toddler, while other rich nations spend an average of $14,000 per year, according to a 2021 study by The Hamilton Project at The Brookings Institution, a nonprofit think tank.

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IdahoSTARS Project - Cloned

The Foundation of Quality Care in Idaho

The IdahoSTARS project is a voluntary program that provides training in child development, education, health, safety and assessment of child care facilities based on national quality standards. It was established to increase parents’ access to affordable child care that meets their families' needs.

The high costs of childcare: Early childhood education critical for economy, community long term

Submitted by Idaho AEYC on Wed, 08/09/2023 - 16:06
Cleaning up blocks

(Part 2 of a three-part series.)

The need for affordable and high-quality early childhood education options in the Wood River Valley isn’t critical just for working parents or rapidly-developing young brains; it is a requisite for the entire community’s economic and societal health, according to local and national experts.

From a developmental perspective, a mountain of research shows that having fundamental language and social emotional skills before entering kindergarten can set the trajectory for the rest of a child’s life.

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Early-childhood education options lacking in valley

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 07/26/2023 - 16:18
Stacked block toys

(Part 1 of a three-part series.)

When the Hailey house that the Sweet Clover School called home for eight years was listed for sale last winter, director Stormi Kilcher immediately began looking for a new space but found viable options few and far between.

To date, she still has not found any attainable spaces, and all the families whose children attended Sweet Clover were forced to make other arrangements for the care and education of their pre-school-aged kids.

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