Many families throughout the United States use family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) care. FFN providers are essential members in the early childhood education (ECE) ecosystem, along with licensed, center-based and home-based care. They provide care that is valued by parents and fill gaps for care in locations with limited licensed ECE programs. However, FFN providers and the strengths and contributions they offer to families and children are often overlooked by policymakers and other stakeholders because they frequently operate outside of the public systems. Home Grown contracted with Mathematica to conduct the Understanding the Strengths of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Child Care project to identify the strengths and limitations of FFN care and the needs of FFN providers. The study also aimed to inform considerations for future measures to assess FFN quality.
Report: Understanding the Strengths of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care
The celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month is particularly important for the early care and education (ECE) field. For over 25 years, Jacqueline Chávez has provided child care to her community as a family child care provider.
La celebración del Mes de la Herencia Hispana es particularmente importante para el sistema del cuidado infantil. Por más de 25 años, Jacqueline Chávez ha brindado cuidado infantil bilingüe a su comunidad como una proveedora de cuidado infantil familiar.
Over the past several months, the Home Grown team has worked with provider leaders and our advisory communities to develop a set of principles for what a universal child care system should look like when it fully includes home-based child care. The result is our first draft of a shared vision: Universal Child Care, Built From Home.