May 8, 2009 is the 13th Annual Provider Appreciation Day! How Will You Celebrate!?
Provider Appreciation Day was founded to recognize child care providers, teachers and other educators of young children everywhere. Momentum and support for this event has grown since 1996, when it began, and recognition has steadily grown to include individuals and government organizations throughout North America, Europe and Asia. It is truly an international effort!
This year’s Provider Appreciation Day is Friday, May 8 (always the Friday before Mother’s Day). It’s a day when individuals (mothers, fathers, grandparents, neighbors) and community leaders can network with child care and early care and education groups to plan events, schedule media coverage and issue proclamations. We ask you to begin now to contact parents, community groups, child care agencies, government leaders and others so that anyone who wants to support child care providers and educators of young children will have the opportunity to participate in the important recognition events in your community.
Where are the events in your community? They are the ones YOU organize and make happen. There are so many ways to recognize “providers”. The website, www.providerappreciation.org, lists a multitude of suggestions for events that can be hosted by both organizations and as individuals. The Web Site also has a link to view past and current events by state to give you resources and ideas when you are organizing events or other organizations in the state you may want to contact.
Some suggestions include:
Organizations
• Plan a luncheon or dinner honoring child care providers
• Hang banners or posters
• Ask government officials to sign a proclamation
• Purchase a new piece of equipment for a program in honor of the day
• Organize a spa day
• Send a press release to your local newspaper
• Invite neighboring early childhood organizations to join you in your celebration
Parents
• Send flowers, cards or a handwritten note of appreciation
• Bring breakfast or lunch for your provider and for the kids
• Work with your child to create a special remembrance
• Give your provider a paid day off, a raise or a bonus….or that special spa day
• Inquire if your employer provides scholarships for toys, equipment or training that you can sponsor as a parent
• Write an editorial to your local newspaper
Choose a way that will help you show providers and all educators that their efforts do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. This is also a perfect opportunity to keep the importance of child care and early education in the minds of the community and government officials as well.
To learn more about the ongoing initiatives of Provider Appreciation Day, visit the national Web site jointly sponsored by the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) and the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC). The site has links to templates of sample press releases, government proclamations and news testimonials that you can adapt to send to your local newspaper, radio or other media outlet to let them know about Provider Appreciation Day and any special events you may have planned.
Please let us know at www.providerappreciation.org of any community or state events you become involved in so that they can be posted on the Web site. Help this be truly a community and national movement to recognize and give thanks and appreciation to the hundreds of thousands of child care providers who contribute to the most crucial years in a young child’s life.
