Family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) providers are grandmothers, aunts, other close relatives, or parents who care for unrelated children of friends or neighbors in addition to their own. In many states, these providers are exempt from licensing regulations and operate outside of publicly funded payment systems. They may be paid informally by families or not paid at all to offer child care. The recommendations presented here emerged from focus groups Erikson Institute conducted with FFN providers to learn how networks are responsive to the strengths and needs of the FFN sector. The recommendations can help inform FFN providers’ efforts to advocate for network supports that meet their needs.
Promising Practices for High-Quality Home-Based Child Care Networks: Family, Friend, and Neighbor Providers’ Recommendations
The Case for Home-Based: Why States Should Consider Inclusion of Family Child Care Homes in Mixed Delivery Pre-K Systems
Family child care (FCC) is often a first choice for families who prefer to keep their children in mixed-aged groups together in one setting. Many states, however, do not include FCCs in their mixed-delivery system which eliminates this option for most parents. This blog post examines why states should consider including FCC in mixed-delivery pre-K systems.
Healthy-Me Practices for Mental Wellness
Mental health is especially challenging and important during times of great uncertainty. In this blog post, home-based providers and caregivers share their healthy practices toward positive mental wellness.
