Family, Friend and Neighbor Appreciation Week

Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) Appreciation Week Sept. 8-13, 2024

Family, Friend and Neighbor Appreciation Week is an opportunity to celebrate the over 5 million FFN caregivers who look after 11.5 million children each year. The celebration of FFN Appreciation Week intentionally begins with National Grandparents’ Day to recognize the millions of grandparents who support our communities and care for young children. We invite you to help us raise awareness and show gratitude for the invaluable contributions of FFN care and caregivers to our communities and society.

What Is Family, Friend and Neighbor Care?

Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) care is a broad term encompassing home-based child care provided by caregivers who typically have a previous relationship with the children for whom they care. They are the grandmothers, nanas, aunties, abuelitas, family, friends and neighbors who care for children. Family, friend and neighbor care makes up the majority of home-based child care in the U.S. with one in four children in the U.S. under the age of 5 being cared for by a grandparent some or all of the time their parent is at work.

2024 FFN Appreciation Week Schedule

Sunday, Sept. 08: National Grandparents’ Day! Celebrating Grandparents as FFN Caregivers.

MONDAY, SEPT. 09: Are You an FFN Caregiver? Who Are the FFN Caregivers All Around Us?

TUESDAY, SEPT. 10: All Grown Up With FFN Care

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 11: FFN Care Meets the Development Needs of Children

THURSDAY, SEPT. 12: Building Policy Momentum for FFN Care

FRIDAY, SEPT. 13: FFN Care Is a First Choice for Many Reasons!

Webinar: Building Policy Momentum for FFN Care

Policies that support family, friend and neighbor care are gaining momentum on the state and federal level. Hear from FFN caregivers, policymakers and advocates about how you can help build the momentum.

Digital Toolkit

Each day of FFN Appreciation Week has been assigned a theme to shine light on different aspects and issues regarding FFN care. The digital toolkit contains social media posts, graphics and templates to help you create more awareness and increase visibility of family, friend and neighbor caregivers during FFN Appreciation Week.

VIDEO SERIES

Our new video series will spotlight FFN care and caregivers.

Who Are FFN Caregivers?

Family, friend and neighbor caregivers are all around us! Meet a few of the remarkable FFN caregivers and hear their stories.

FFN Caregivers Provide Loving Care

FFN care meets the developmental needs of children due to the nurturing and responsive relationships.

Cosponsors

Join Us As a Cosponsor!

Cosponsors are important to helping to create more awareness and increase visibility of family, friend and neighbor caregivers. Join as a cosponsor of FFN Appreciation Week and we will include your organization’s logo on this page and on any related communications. In addition, cosponsors will receive an FFN Appreciation Week toolkit with t-shirts, signs, and other goodies to help engage your audiences during #FFNAppreciationWeek!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is FFN Appreciation Week?

Family, Friend and Neighbor Appreciation Week was created to build awareness, increase the visibility and show gratitude for the invaluable contributions of FFN care and caregivers to our communities and society.

2. When is FFN Appreciation Week?

FFN Appreciation Week is intentionally celebrated during the second week of September with National Grandparents’ Day to recognize the millions of grandparents who support our communities and care for young children.

3. Who are FFN caregivers?

Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) is a broad term encompassing many types of caregivers, typically those who have a previous relationship with the children for whom they care. They are the grandmothers, nanas, aunties, abuelitas, family, friends and neighbors who care for children. These caregivers may be paid or unpaid and may not view themselves as providers.

4. How do children benefit from FFN care?

Nurturing relationships are the biggest need for the development of young kids’ brains. Early experiences affect the quality of brain development by establishing either a sturdy or a fragile foundation for all of the learning, health and behavior that follow. Home-based settings, inclusive of FFN care, are the ideal settings to develop, support and nurture these relationships.

5. Why do families choose FFN care?

Parents choose FFN care as a first choice for a variety of reasons. FFN care is preferred by immigrant and Dual Language Learner (DLL) families. FFN care is also more flexible and accessible for rural families, who are less likely to use child care centers than families living in urban and suburban areas.

6. Why is it important to increase awareness around FFN care?

Family, friend and neighbor (FFN) providers are the mainstay of the American child care sector. Over 5 million FFN caregivers look after 11.5 million children including 5.8 million children ages 0-5.

Additional Resources

If you have any additional questions or would like any additional information on how to get involved, please email us at venette@homegrownchildcare.org.