To the editor:
All this month, I have been celebrating the Month of the Young Child, delighting in the joy of my young grandson, and reflecting on when my own children were young.
Thirty years ago, I watched my two sons learn, blossom and grow as a direct result of the two high-quality childcare programs they attended, first in a private home and then in a center- based setting. I owe much to the talented childcare providers who helped my boys learn how to solve problems, build social skills, and regulate their emotions – valuable “soft” skills that increased their resilience and prepared them for life.
Studies consistently show that rich and engaging experiences in a child’s formative years provide a solid foundation for the development of crucial life skills — skills that will help them to not only become successful students, but responsible, civic-minded adults. In that way, investing in quality early childhood education has signifi-cant lifelong benefits for individuals and for communities.
Today, young families — in Leelanau County and across the country — are struggling to find childcare that they can afford. Let’s work to expand access to high-quality early childhood education that ensures our littlest citizens have the best chance at a bright future — for all of us.
Barbara Duvall Suttons Bay Board Member, Leelanau Children’s Center
