I would like to take time on this beautiful Labor Day to salute my fellow child care providers.We are not only teachers laying down the framework for reading, writing, and math.

 

We are CPR/first aid certified nurses caring for accidents big and small.

We are food service workers providing three meals to 14-25 children a day.

We are lawyers double checking our paperwork and being liable for every choice we make.

We are therapists for not just children who are learning social problem solving, but also to parents who come to us in tears for personal advice.

We are advocates for our children and our communities.

We place ourselves in multiple positions at a time, hardly every sitting down for a break.

We cannot dress nice because we leave covered in paint, glue, and boogers.

We allow a huge percentage of families to go to work and contribute to our economy.

We are at work before families even wake up so that they can be at work on time, and we are still there after their work has ended and they have commuted back to pick up their child. Sometimes they even go grocery shopping or get their nails done in between, but we are there supporing the growth of the next generation.

 

So even if your check doesn’t reflect it, even if your boss micromanages your every move, even when parents push their kids in the door without saying good morning, our society needs us, and today is a day for you to reflect on your importance.