An Overview of the 28th National Family Child Care Conference

Located in Columbus, Ohio, City Kids Daycare has provided high-quality child-care services to families working throughout the downtown region for three decades. City Kids Daycare maintains memberships with several important industry organizations, including the National Association for Family Child Care.

The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) works towards enhancing and expanding the reach of family child care services throughout the United States. This past summer, the organization hosted the 28th National Family Child Care Conference at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago, Illinois. The conference consisted of numerous workshops across six distinct academic tracks, including health and nutrition, working with young children, community and family engagement, and family child care and the early care and education landscape. The NAFCC conference included the Family Child Care Awards ceremony, as well as keynote speakers Junlei Li, PhD, an early childhood education specialist, and Rae Pica, a child education consultant with nearly four decades of experience.

As in years past, the conference also featured a comprehensive exhibit call and extensive opportunities for professional and social networking. The 2019 National Family Child Care Conference has been scheduled to begin on June 19 in Orlando, Florida. To learn more about the upcoming conference or for a more comprehensive review of the 2018 event, please visit www.nafcc.org.

Coordinate a Trike-A-Thon for St. Jude

With locations in downtown Columbus, Ohio, and its suburb of Hilliard, City Kids Daycare offers childcare throughout the year to support parents in the workforce. City Kids Daycare also contributes to groups that benefit children, such as the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Trike-A-Thon.

The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital exists to provide care for children with cancer and other serious diseases, regardless of income, religion, or race. The Trike-A-Thon, one of its fundraising events, supplies funds for treatment as well as research efforts.

Those interested in coordinating a Trike-A-Thon simply register as coordinators on the St. Jude's fundraising website and manage the event online. Throughout the event, coordinators teach participating children how to safely ride tricycles using the curriculum provided and collect donations.

The fundraiser ends with the special Trike-A-Thon. This final event celebrates the funds raised and includes prizes for the children who show off the skills they learned.

For more information or to sign up to coordinate a Trike-A-Thon visit the website of the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital at www.stjude.org.

Muscular Dystrophy Association - Spearheading Frontline Research

With two locations in Columbus, Ohio, City Kids Daycare emphasizes a warm, supportive environment for children and is Ohio Daycare Licensing certified. Community involved, City Kids Daycare supports charitable efforts such as the Mid Ohio Food Bank food drive and Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) fundraisers.

Founded more than six decades ago, MDA has a major impact on neuromuscular diseases through supporting frontline research encompassing more than 40 related conditions. A focus is on therapies and biological advances that slow and halt degeneration of the muscles. Among MDA’s major breakthroughs have been funded scientific efforts that enabled the development of Genzyme’s Myozyme therapy, which addresses Pompe disease and has saved the lives of many patients.

Another MDA achievement has been the extension of the lifespan and quality of life of those with neuromuscular diseases. Previously, males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy rarely lived past their teens, and now some live into their 40s.

Over the decades, the vital work of MDA has expanded from pure research to oversight of clinical testing and the development of go-to-market strategies through the translational research program.