On behalf of our community’s most precious resource, the Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) in Winston-Salem has spent the past 30 years working diligently to guide families along the path to finding safe, caring child care.
As always, fall has been a busy time for CCRC, as they recently relocated their offices and hosted their successful Corks & Crayons: An Evening of Early Education at the Mansion on Main Street this past September.
“CCRC hosts events year round that everyone can support, such as Corks & Crayons, our Children’s Champion Luncheon and Double Good Popcorn Sales,” said Board President Ashlynn King. “The proceeds from these events help to support the needed work that this organization does. Quality child care resources should not be optional – this work is needed, this work is necessary and this work needs the continued support of our community.”
“We owe the event’s success and impact to the community’s generous support,” shares Executive Director Katura Jackson. “This event had multiple objectives – to shed light on the challenges confronting early education in our community and state, to showcase the valuable services and support offered by CCRC and to provide an avenue for donations to further our mission and vision.”
While locating quality child care is always a challenge – especially in rural areas – the CCRC focuses on educating parents on what to look for as they navigate child care options. The staff also works to clarify all choices available in the community, guide parents in understanding child care rates and policies, and provide data relating to child care trends. Parents will be educated on the average cost of child care by type of facility, the average weekly cost of child care by zip code and the number of child care spaces available in a particular zip code.
“This is all available to guide parents in making an informed choice that feels right for their family’s situation,” said Katura. “There’s no ‘one size fits all’ option when it comes to the best child care.”
The Child Care Resource Center team collaborates with other local agencies to educate community leaders about child care issues, working closely with both state and national children’s organizations who foster initiatives designed to enable all children to develop to their fullest potential.
The CCRC serves Alleghany, Ashe, Davidson, Davie, Surry, Wilkes, Yadkin, Stokes and Forsyth counties with their full range of services and also offers Nanny Solutions services in Guilford, Alamance and Randolph counties. Designed to help families who prefer the popular option of finding an individual to care for their children at home, the center offers guidance throughout the entire nanny interview process – from pre-screening to interviewing and employing a nanny. At a cost of $300, this service includes a one-hour intake session with a parent specialist, a search of qualified applicants and pre-screening phone interviews.
Three main goals continue to guide and inspire the Child Care Resource Center:
Engage Families by providing tools to help parents find quality child care – including questions to ask providers and information on North Carolina’s quality rating system for child care programs.
Enrich Child Care by providing professional development and onsite coaching to child care professionals, including skills such as CPR/First Aid, cultural competence, early inclusion, child development, developmentally appropriate curriculum and managing challenging behaviors.
Enhance Communities by advocating for quality child care and for adequate wages for child care professionals. Early learning experiences set the groundwork for future learning, and they stress the link between quality child care, school readiness and future workforce preparedness.
For more information on the educational and community services provided by the Child Care Resource Center, and how you can encourage advocacy, visit childcareresourcecenter.org or come by their new offices at 102 W. 3rd Street, Suite #750, Winston-Salem, NC, 336.245.4900.
