[451] National Provider Appreciation Day May 7

May 3, 2010
Contact: Debra Simpson, 615-898-5448

NATIONAL PROVIDER APPRECIATION DAY May 7

MURFREESBORO—Child-care organizations and parents across the globe are joining together the Friday before Mothers’ Day, May 7, to celebrate Provider Appreciation Day. Provider Appreciation Day is a special day to recognize child-care providers, teachers, school-age program staff, child-care center directors and staff, and all those who work with children in a variety of ways and are responsible for their education and care. It is estimated that there are nearly 2.8 million child-care providers in the United States and that nearly 12 million under age 5 are in their care.
Every day, 5069 child-care providers care for children under the age of 5 in Tennessee. May 7 is the day to recognize the hard work and dedication of providers and to acknowledge their contributions to high-quality care.
"It takes a special person to work in the child-care field, and these individuals often go unrecognized," says Debbie Simpson, director of the Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA) office at Middle Tennessee State University. "This day offers an opportunity for parents to show their child-care providers their appreciation."
Started in 1996 by a group of volunteers in New Jersey, Provider Appreciation Day is appropriately celebrated each year on the Friday before Mother's Day. The founding organizers saw the need to recognize the tireless efforts of providers who care for children of working parents.
To learn more about Provider Appreciation Day or for ideas on how you can thank your child- care provider visit www.providerappreciation.org or www.naeyc.org. To learn more about TECTA, visit http://frank.mtsu.edu/~tecta.
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