We know you’re doing your very best to create a safe, healthy, and engaging environment for the kids in your care. Even so, you may feel overwhelmed by the scale and significance of your work. You probably don’t have much time to research best practices in early care and education, much less put them into effect.

As a child care provider, you deserve support — someone to turn to in moments of confusion and difficulty, someone who can provide guidance and answer questions, someone who listens to you and responds to your needs. A Child Care Health Consultant can be your support system — a listening ear, an advisor, a coach, and a partner.

You’re in this work because you love kids. But you also need to earn a living and financially support your own family. The Child Care Health Consultant Network can advise you on effective business practices and offer referrals to useful community resources.

More importantly, we can equip you with the tools you need to make improvements — large or small — that support the health, safety, and well-being of the kids in your care. By stepping up the quality of your child care, more parents will send their kids your way — and recommend your business to their friends and family.

Your Child Care Health Consultant will help you improve your care in ways that best fit your individual needs, particular strengths, and unique child care environment.

Our highly trained and experienced Child Care Health Consultants have worked in the child care sector for decades and have even served as providers themselves. They are experts in the latest early care and education research and best practices, so you don’t have to be.

They can advise you on an endless list of topics related to health, safety, and wellness. Maybe you’ve always dreamed of putting a particular practice in place. Perhaps you want to create something completely unique for your child care environment. Or you may want to move beyond the basics and offer a higher quality of care.

Here are a few of the many topics the CCHC Network can offer guidance on:

• Improving playground safety
• Setting daily routines
• Designing activities to include children of all ages and abilities
• Administering medication safely
• Creating a checklist for staff to follow
• Perfecting drop-off and pick-up procedures
• Developing and posting rules for parents and kids
• Establishing hand-washing procedures to prevent illness
• Having difficult conversations with parents
• Educating staff or parents on screen time
• Providing referrals for children who may have developmental issues
• Accessing community resources
• Budgeting, insurance, taxes, and other business practices
• Protecting yourself from liability when accidents and illnesses occur

You set your own goals and focus areas. You decide how often to meet and how much support you want. We’ll never force you to meet specific goals or make changes you don’t want to. Best of all, the service is always free, with no hidden fees or extra charges.

Your experience with the CCHC Network may include:

• Brainstorming a list of topics you want to learn more about
• Having collaborative conversations about health, safety, and wellness goals (large or small)
• Creating a plan to meet those goals
• Learning about new research and best practices in the early care and education field, especially those that support the health, safety, and well-being of your children
• Getting referrals to regionally-based services and supports
• Participating in group learning opportunities to build connections with other child care providers in your area

With a partner and coach to guide you through challenges and help you reach your goals, you’ll never feel alone again.

Unlock your personal potential as the owner of a successful, high-quality child care business.

Collaborating with a Child Care Health Consultant doesn’t just benefit the kids in your care. It’s also a boon for your business. A higher quality program equals higher enrollment and more referrals, ensuring that you can keep your doors open and grow your revenue.

Here’s how you can benefit from the Child Care Health Consultation Network:

• You’ll receive tools and resources you need to reach your goals, both now and in the future.
• You’ll gain the confidence to use your new skills and knowledge.
• You’ll find it easier to follow industry best practices, better engage with families, and customize services for individual children.
• You’ll discover additional community resources you can turn to for support.
• You’ll become part of a supportive community of child care providers.
• You can market yourself to families as a provider who has access to a Child Care Health Consultant and that uses research-based best practices for the safety, health, and well-being of their children.

At an initial meeting with your Child Health Care Consultant to chat about your needs, tell us what you’re looking for. Ideas include:

• Advice on specific topics
  • Answers to thorny questions
  • Business counseling
  • Referrals to community resources
  • Monthly check-in calls
  • Innovative ideas that align with best practices
  • Support reaching goals large and small
  • A formal plan for a long-term project

Contact us to schedule your first meeting. Call 785-823-3343 or email cchc@ks.childcareaware.org