DSS Celebrates May 7th as Child Care Provider Day
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Danielle Jones
803-898-7248
Danielle.Jones@dss.sc.gov
DSS Celebrates May 7th as Child Care Provider Day
May 7, 2021 – The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) will join community organizations across the country in observing Friday, May 7th as Child Care Provider Appreciation Day. The Department encourages communities throughout South Carolina to celebrate their local child care providers despite a year of challenges for the child care community.
The Department’s ABC Quality program is seeking nominations from families to recognize their child care provider as a Child Care Hero for their role in supporting children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. ABC Quality encourages the community to join the virtual celebration on social media by posting a thank you message on Facebook and using #ThankYouChildCareSC in the days leading up to Friday, May 7, 2021.
“We would like to encourage parents, businesses, and community members to celebrate the child care programs in their community on Child Care Provider Appreciation Day,” said Michele Bowers, Director of DSS’ Division of Early Care and Education. “Child Care Provider Appreciation Day is an opportunity to recognize the courageous efforts of providers and say thank you to your child’s infant, toddler, preschool and/or school-age caregiver.”
Throughout the pandemic, child care providers have ensured that families across South Carolina have a healthy, reliable and quality learning environment to send their young children while working or attending school. In addition, child care providers collaborated with K-12 teachers to support school-aged children in remote learning classrooms.
The Department of Social Services has issued three rounds of child care operating grants to help child care programs that have had to close or have lost revenue due to low enrollments because of COVID-19. Please visit www.scchildcare.org for additional information.
ABC Quality, South Carolina’s statewide quality rating and improvement system (QRIS), connects families to early care and education programs with the support of an easy-to-understand A, B, and C rating system. To nominate your child’s provider as a Child Care Hero contact Sherrie Dueno at sherrie.dueno@dss.sc.gov.
To read the full proclamation from Governor McMaster, click here. Hear more on the difference childcare providers are making in the community as we celebrate Child Care Provider Appreciation Day in this video.
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