Families: here are some questions to help you tell your story:

1. How do you support your child’s early learning at home? How do you help them grow and develop?
2. What do you love about your child's teacher?
3. How has Child Care Works (CCIS) helped you work or go to school and/or choose a child care/ early learning program?

4. How has your child care/ early learning program helped your child overcome any delays?

5. How has your child progressed because of quality early learning? What can your child do now?

Please include in your story:

• The name(s) of any programs that your child participates in, such as PA Pre-K Counts, Keystone STARS, Head Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, Early Intervention, Child Care Works (CCIS) or Parent-Child Home Program.
• What county you are from, so we can make sure your story appears on your county’s page.

1. How do you support your child’s early learning at home? How do you help them grow and develop?

Families are a child’s first teachers. Because young children absorb everything, every moment is a learning experience for them. Tell us what activities you do with your child at home, visiting friends, running errands or whenever to make an everyday moment a learning experience. We’d like to hear basic tips for other families as well as specific things you might do – maybe you’ve made up a song or story just for your child? Please also share how your child reacts and how your efforts are helping your child grow and develop.

2. What do you love about your child’s teacher?

Teachers play a huge part in a young child’s growth and development. They become a trusted adult in the child’s life – how many times has a young child wrapped his little arms around his teacher and said “I love you”?

Tell us how your child’s teacher has made a difference in your child’s life.

• How has the teacher worked with you to address a concern with your child or help your child continue to learn at home?
• Was your child shy when he/she first went to a child care/ early learning program and how did the teacher help your child feel comfortable? 
• Please share if your child’s teacher has taken time to earn or is currently working towards a credential or college degree while working.

Child Care Works (CCIS) provides subsidy to eligible families to help pay for child care as well as information to help families choose the right child care/early learning program for their child. Families who receive Child Care Works can continue to work or gain more education while their child is in child care. Families can also choose quality Keystone STARS programs that they might not otherwise been able to afford.

Tell us how Child Care Works has made a difference for you and your family.

Perhaps it’s made it possible for you to return to work or to go back to school so you can further your education and get a better job. How is this assistance helping you improve your family’s situation? Tell us how staff at your Child Care Information Services (CCIS) helped you choose a child care/ early learning program. How is your child doing?

4. How has your child care/ early learning program helped your child overcome any delays?

Because children’s brains and bodies are developing so quickly in the first five years, quality early education can help children overcome delays in development before they enter kindergarten.

We’d like to hear how quality early education made an impact for your child.

• Did your child have developmental delays before receiving quality early education (at home or in a child care/ early learning program)?
• Did the teacher/ program help you identify the delays, refer you to specialists for screenings? How has the teacher worked with you and others to help your child develop?
• How’s it going?

5. How has your child progressed because of quality early learning? What can your child do now?

Children make remarkable gains in language, numbers and social development when they receive quality early learning.

We'd like to hear how your has child developed while receiving quality early learning at home or in a program.

• What couldn’t your child do before that he/she can do now?
• Has your child amazed you with something they said or did?
• How do you feel quality early education is making a difference in your child’s life?

After your story is reviewed and published, you will receive an email that the story is live on the website. Make sure to share the link with friends, family as well as your legislators and school leaders. You can also post the link to your facebook page!

Please note that by submitting your story, you are agreeing that you have the authority to provide the story and agree to have it published on websites and printed materials. We reserve the right to make editorial and formatting changes to your story. If you would like your name and/or organization to be kept confidential, please write that in your story and it will be removed. We will send you an e-mail as soon as your story is published. Please add in the county or city you are from, so we can make sure your story shows up on your county's profile page.