The Best of Both Worlds: Partnering with the Community to Create the Guttman Center for Early Care and Education

Family child care is the oldest form of child care in our society. It originated in a community-based approach to educating children in which young children were communally cared for by extended family such as grandparents and community members. In this context, a child’s success in life was seen as the responsibility of the collective. However, these days, family child care providers are often among the least supported of early educators. Part of a vibrant community dominated by women but with more and more men joining the ranks, providers in New York City are dedicated to supporting children’s well-being, safety, and development. There are significantly more family child care providers across the country than child care centers, and family child care programs are more likely to serve infants and toddlers (Howard, Malik, Workman, & Hamm, 2018).