Family Child Care Heroes Gather for Annual NAFCC Conference

SAN FRANCISCO, June 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than 700 family child care educators and advocates from across the nation arrive in the Golden City this week to celebrate the accomplishments and look toward the future during the National Association for Family Child Care's (NAFCC) 32^nd annual conference that kicks off Tuesday with pre-conference workshops.

This year's highly anticipated event, held at downtown's Hyatt Regency, is full of educational workshops, inspiring keynote speakers, crucial networking opportunities and industry support. Organizers say this next era of family child care is the "Golden Era" in anticipation of in-home providers finally getting the recognition and compensation they deserve after being heralded as heroes during the pandemic after giving parents across America the ability to continue working, even during the darkest days of COVID-19.

"It's an exciting time for NAFCC as we continue to grow, adapt and improve. Our organization is confronting a time of many changes, and we are meeting these changes during a time of larger nationwide and global unrest," said Dr. Louis A. Finney, Jr., NAFCC President and Board Chair. "The world of family child care is an exciting area in which to work, and we will continue to meet and bring inspire people together in forums like this, to ensure our organization remains at the cutting edge of industry standards and member expectations."

During this week's conference, Finney, President and CEO at Smart Start of Forsyth County in Georgia and founding President of Next Level Learning, will hand over the reins of the NAFCC Board to President-Elect, Dr. Ellaine B. Miller, who serves as the Training and Curriculum Program Leader for Think Small Institute and is a nationally recognized leader and expert in early child care education.

Additionally, NAFCC's incoming Executive Director, Erica Phillips, will be formally introduced to those in attendance. Phillips, who officially takes on the role in mid-July, comes to the organization from All Our Kin, a Connecticut-based nonprofit supporting and training family child care providers nationwide, where she has served as President since 2014.

"We welcome her commitment to and expertise with family child care," said Miller. "She is a true champion of the work."

Along with a host of panelists and speakers in the industry, on Saturday Yessika Magdaleno, a child care provider and advocate for more than 20 years, will deliver the keynote address.

"My goal for all providers is to have a voice in the child care industry and be properly recognized as an Early Childhood Educator," she said. "This purpose motivates me to work in representing the providers."

Sherron Field, who trains early childhood educators through Kansas State University, is a six-time attendee of the annual conference and accompanying a group of 10 providers from her state using a grant covering all expenses.

"I'm really excited for us to have them attend the national conference which is typically not financially feasible for family care providers," said Field. "It's a way to connect with the organization that they are getting accredited through, but also a chance for them to see a broader picture of what family child care really is."

About National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)

The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) is a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to promoting high quality child care by strengthening the profession of family child care for nearly one million paid home-based early learning programs, serving nearly 40% of the 6.7 million children who receive care from a nonrelative on a regular basis. Since 1982, NAFCC has been supporting family child care throughout the country as educators make the intentional choice to offer high quality early care and education in their homes. NAFCC is 3,071-members strong and collaborates with local, state and national organizations to increase the awareness of and improve the quality of family child care. The Washington D.C.-based organization strengthens the profession by advocating for the needs of practitioners and the families they serve, providing an identifiable national voice for all members and promoting a professional accreditation credential which recognizes and encourages high quality care and education in home-based settings. To learn more, visit NAFCC.org.

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• News Release: National Association for Family Child Care Meets for Annual Conference

Lisa Davis
Vistra Communications
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LisaD@ConsultVistra.com