Ensuring
Excellent Early Childhood Caregivers
The Michigan Community Coordinated
Child Care (4C) Association promotes and advocates for the
optimal care and development of Michigan’s children and families
through the statewide 4C network. The Michigan 4C Association
provides a statewide focus to support the work of the local/ regional
4C offices by conducting research; coordinating services; and
managing business, foundation, and government contracts.
What Is the T.E.A.C.H. Project?
The Teacher
Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) Early Childhood®
Michigan Project is an educational scholarship opportunity for
child care center staff and family child care providers. T.E.A.C.H.
links education, compensation, and commitment to improving the
quality of early childhood care and education programs for children.
Community colleges around the state are partnering with Michigan
4C and the T.E.A.C.H. project to offer specialized coursework
for child care providers.
Goals of the Project
- Improve the quality of early childhood care and education—in
child care centers, group homes, and family child care homes
- Increase the education level of child care providers
- Increase compensation of child care providers
- Decrease the turnover rate of child care providers
- Promote individual professional development
- Create a model of partnership for improving the quality of
Michigan child care programs
“Beginning
in the earliest years, communities must provide opportunities
so all of our children come to school ready to learn.”
Tom
Watkins, Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction
|
The educational level of caregivers is one of the most critical
indicators of the quality of a child’s experience in child
care. The T.E.A.C.H. project assists caregivers in going back
to school to gain additional education. The project also addresses
two important issues: the low wage of child care providers and
the high turnover rate in the child care field. These issues are
addressed by increasing compensation to caregivers with more education
and requiring participants to remain in child care for an additional
time period following their training.
Everyone Benefits from This Project
Child Care Programs
- Gain staff members who are knowledgeable about appropriate
early childhood practices
- Gain a recruitment and advertising tool
- Experience reduced staff turnover, helping to improve staff
quality and marketability
Participants
- Increase their knowledge and skill level
- Receive increased compensation for the completion of coursework
- Experience increased professional status and job satisfaction
- Receive support and encouragement for their professional development
Children
- Form relationships with caregivers that have made a commitment
to the field
- Benefit from caregivers who are specialists in early childhood
development and are sensitive to the needs of the very young
For more information or for a list of participating community
colleges, contact: The Michigan
Community Coordinated Child Care (4C) Association, 839 Centennial
Way, Lansing, MI 48917, (517) 351-4171 or (800) 950-4171, www.mi4c.org. |
