DBECA issues these recommendations:
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Increase childcare capacity for 0-2 age group by removing barriers for providers who want to expand their services and supporting new services, including additional licensed childcare facilities or individuals interested in providing certified family childcare in their home. The most common barriers are space and staffing.
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Increase wrap-around services for 3-4 age group, such as care before and after pre-K and transportation between services, to provide seamless childcare for a full workday. This would allow working parents to take advantage of high-quality early childhood education services.
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Increase quality for all age groups by improving staff access to quality-enhancing training and coaching services provided by Child Care Aware and Childcare Council of Kentucky. Partner with local higher-education agencies to incentivize more early childhood education graduates. Develop ways for the community to invest in quality improvements.
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Strengthen community understanding of the importance of early childhood development through public awareness campaigns, supporting providers’ efforts to educate parents, and supporting kindergarten-readiness initiatives across families not using regulated care.
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Develop a collaborative network of early childhood and family services, guiding families across providers to ensure their needs are met and reaching out to underserved families.
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Bring the price of care in line with the value of services provided to ensure adequate compensation of high-quality caregivers and foster quality-enhancing improvements. As prices rise, develop ways to subsidize the cost of care to ensure low-income families have access to services.
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Bring Head Start and Early Head Start to Boyle County by partnering with Bluegrass Community Action Partnership, the grantee of federal funding for Boyle County Head Start.
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Promote the continued diversity within provider settings so the children from different backgrounds learn and grow together.
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