Idaho AEYC is excited to introduce our new “Waiting Is Hard” kits, designed for partners, businesses, and organizations where families often spend time waiting—like doctor’s offices, community centers, or other places families visit regularly. These kits are filled with simple, engaging activities that help reduce stress, spark connection, and turn waiting moments into opportunities for learning and fun. 

These kits are part of Idaho AEYC’s Strengthening Families initiative, which supports organizations in helping families build resilience and foster positive relationships. By offering these strength-based tools, the “Waiting Is Hard” kits help partners create a welcoming, supportive environment for children and their caregivers. These kits are intended for use in professional or community settings.

Idaho AEYC participated in the 19th annual Community Baby Shower on June 11, 2025, collecting donations at Albertsons stores to support local families. The event, hosted by 

(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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(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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Guest Opinion | Beth Oppenheimer

In case you haven’t heard, the state of child care in Idaho is in a precarious state. If you’re a working parent of a young child, there’s a good chance you’ve struggled to find affordable, reliable child care. If you’re a child care provider, it’s likely you struggle to hire and retain the staff to operate at a capacity that keeps your business solvent. We simply don’t have enough child care openings to accommodate every family who needs care. This affects workforce participation – placing financial strain on working parents – and limiting the pool of candidates.

The worst part is that child care access in Idaho is going to get much worse, before it gets better.

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