Why the Crisis?

We hear the question constantly, "Who knows a good daycare for my child?" Even if we do have the name of a trusted caregiver to pass along, chances are pretty high that they will not have any openings...possibly for years to come.

Why are we in such a crisis when it comes to care for our most valuable assets, and what is Cultivate Early Learning doing to change the narrative?

1. Teaching is undervalued. We all know the saints who are public school teachers do not get the respect or the pay that they deserve, but for early childhood educators, it's even worse. Hard to imagine, right? Many are unfamiliar even with the term early childhood educator, much to their dismay, the uninformed tend to call them "baby-sitters," which conjures images of a teenager sitting on her phone while kids watch TV. Despite the fact there’s a large body of developmental neuroscience and psychology research showing that the first three years of life are a uniquely critical period for a child’s brain development, attachment, and later outcomes, these professionals fail to be recognized.

2. Low Wages Prevail. No matter the level of education an early childhood educator has, they are likely to be paid little more than minimum wage in a traditional daycare center or school. In a commercial childcare center, the overhead is so great that even when charging families almost $2000 a month per child, there simply isn't enough left over to pay all of the staff a livable wage.

3. DCFS Standards are Complicated. Being fully licensed is the first step to opening a high-quality daycare program, but licensing is a long, frustrating, and complicated process. The standards that a provider must follow are oddly specific and non-sensical in some areas and unfortunately vague in other areas. For example, a provider may care for up to 8 children, but only 5 of them can be under 5 years old, and only 2 of them can be under 30 months old. So, even if one has an opening in their program, the new child to fill that space must be the same age as the opening that is available. This also forces providers to care for older children in the same space as infants, which leads to many safety issues including toy hazards, developmentally-appropriate play, and multiple sizes of daycare furniture, bikes, and seating. But, it's oddly vague about what types of drugs can be used in the daycare home, or what level of criminals can occupy the home during daycare hours. Hmmmmm???

And, this is where Cultivate Early Learning Programs come in.

We have a home daycare model that combines the reliability and education of a daycare center with the comforts of home, interactions with siblings every day, and the relationship with a single caregiver for a child's first 5 years of life. Healthy attachment. High Learning Standards. Incredible Providers. Building relationships.

Since 2007, there have been seven different home daycares with roots in the Cultivate Early Learning System. Many of the educators began as assistants at Little Friends Family Childcare and saw that they could start a thriving business that would give them independence, work they could be proud of, and grow the next generation of children into loving and respectful humans.

With the low overhead costs of an in-home daycare, educators can remain affordable for families, while making a living wage for themselves. Being licensed also creates eligibility for on-going grants, scholarships and services from the Childcare Resource and Referral Network in Bloomington, IL.

At Cultivate Early Learning, we raise the bar on basic licensing standards. We don't settle for simply running water and phone that works, (a few standards that some home daycares fail to meet) but we only accept providers who understand what it takes to create an environment that enriches and inspires children. We value problem-solving, trial & error, curiosity, and an experience-rich culture in each of our programs. We meet children where they are and through relationship and observation, provide them with just the right tools to continue on their natural path of learning.

We believe that the solution to the childcare crisis is NOT another million dollar daycare center. The solution is a network of high-quality, licensed home daycare providers that work together for training, support, resources, curriculums, accountability, flexibility, and family support, under the guidance of Cultivate Early Childhood Programs to grow a generation of children who know they are loved beyond measure, are capable of great things, and are safe to explore, learn, dream and grow!