WCAAP Early Learning and Child Care Resources
The Washington Chapter of the AAP is dedicated to promoting quality early experiences for young children in all settings. This includes enriching time at home as well as quality, healthy and safe child care/preschool. Greater than 60% of young children are in some type of out of home care and many spend more hours there than their own homes. Early experiences are formative and lasting.
Below is a list of resources for both providers and parents:
Support families in providing a rich home experience:
Promote reading and early literacy:
Reach Out and Read – www.reachoutandreadwa.org: learn more about this program or start your own in your office
Literacy resources for pediatricians from the AAP – www.aap.org/literacy: includes handouts for parents geared to each well child check
Promote enriching early brain development at home:
Talaris Research Institute – www.talaris.org, with the parent materials at www.ParentingCounts.org including a fabulous online developmental timeline for parents
Zero to Three – www.zerotothree.org: many parent and caregiver resources, plus hand outs for pediatricians to give at each well child check called Healthy Minds and wonderful booklets called The Magic of Everyday Moments
Support quality, healthy, and safe out-of-home care:
Help families find childcare – Child Care Resource and Referral – www.childcarenet.org: our state office, but they can link you to your local, who can provide your office with posters and handouts
Help families evaluate/improve their child’s early learning setting – National Resource Center For Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education – http://nrckids.org: very rich website, well used by parents that includes suggestions for how they can help improve their child’s school
Head Start Resources – http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/For%20
Parents Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (Washington State’s subsidized child care/preschool) - www.del.wa.gov/care/find-hs-eceap
For Pediatricians asked to consult about health/safety in childcare, Head Start, ECEAP (many doctors/nurses are asked to casually sign off Health and Safety Plans, be sure to know what to look for and do a visit):
Coalition for Safety and Health in Early Learning – www.cshelwa.org
AAP Section on Early Education and Child Care – www.healthychildcare.org
National Resource Center For Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education – http://nrckids.org
For Pediatricians interested in advocacy and policy work in this area, contact Danette Glassy, MD, FAAP at dglassy@wcaap.org or Jill Sells, MD, FAAP at jill.sells@reachoutandreadwa.org