Dear Editor,

April is the Month of the Young Child. To help honor and recognize all licensed childcare and foster care providers in Garfield, Pitkin, and Eagle counties, a collaboration of nonprofit organizations are hosting a “Provider Appreciation Brunch” at the Hotel Colorado on April 27. This event is offered to early childhood teachers, licensed childcare providers, and foster care providers at no cost because the work we do is so crucial to the fabric of our communities.

Individuals from several nonprofit organizations have contributed a great deal of time and effort to make this a memorable event. While working on this committee I found out just how much of a need there is for licensed childcare providers and foster families. This will be the third brunch that these nonprofit organizations have hosted. As a licensed childcare provider, I know that the parents that I work with appreciate me on a daily basis, but this is a way for the community as a whole to show their appreciation and support for the work early childhood teachers, childcare providers, and foster care providers do.

Did you ever have a teacher that really made a difference in your life, or a childcare provider that had a big impact in your child’s life? If you have an early childhood teacher, childcare provider, or foster family that you would like to honor, you can make a contribution to the “Provider Appreciation Brunch” in that persons name. Please send contributions to the following address by April 20, 2003:

RFAEYC

c/o Karla Stukey

206 South 3rd St.

Carbondale, CO 81623

We would love to be able to add your name to the growing list of families expressing their appreciation!

Monica Connolly

Glenwood Springs