Parents and Teachers: The Most Important People
As Fred Rogers so aptly put it, “The most important people in a child’s life are that child’s parents and teachers. That means that parents and teachers are the most important people in the world.”

Parents of children in the Greater Pittsburgh region have come to rely on the Metroguide to help them resolve any number of questions. What does day care cost in Greater Pittsburgh? Where are child care centers close to home? To one’s job? How do you select a child care center?

What’s more, we know how taxing a relocation can be for parents with children. And we’re here to help. How could it be otherwise? After all, Pittsburgh is the home of Fred Rogers, whom Pittsburghers grew up watching on TV. He never stopped helping parents, and neither do we.

Resources With a Caring Attitude
Fred Rogers passed away in 2003, but his caring and child-related work lives on in Family Communications, Inc. (FCI), the company he founded to produce his TV show, Mr. Rogers, over three decades. FCI is a not-for-profit organization that provides a wealth of practical information for parents. At FCI’s website, www.fci.org, be sure to click on Resources for Parenting to find a host of parenting topics ranging from child care and fears, to learning
and literacy.

Looking for specific child-care centers or programs? A number of trusted organizations are ready to help. Through its vast databases, the United Way provides free information on centers and programs located throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. Just point your browser to www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org. Under the heading, “Find Help Connections,” click on “Search HelpConnections.” Next, click on “Topic Search,” enter a keyword search for “child care,” select a neighborhood and zip code, and view the list of choices.

Best of all, you can search geographically by selecting a specific county, a specific section of the county (North, South, East, or West), or a town. If that’s more work than you’d like to do, just call the United Way Help Line at 412-255-1155.

The website of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, www.dpw.state.pa.us, provides another valuable resource for parents. When you get to the site, click on “Get Help with Child Care” to find information. There, you’ll find information on a number of child-care topics from Frequently Asked Questions about Child Care and the Child Care Facility Online Directory and much more.

While at the site, you can learn about Child Care Information Services (CCIS) centers located throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. The State of Pennsylvania sponsors the CCIS program to provide a resource and referral service to help parents learn about what to look for in quality child care. CCIS can also assist parents in need of help to pay child-care costs. To find the CCIS closest to your neighborhood, go to www.dpw.state.pa.us, click on Get Help with Child Care, then click on Child Care Information Services.

The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) is a statewide, non-profit  organization dedicated to facilitating the provision of quality early care and education to the children of Pennsylvania. Through its website, www.pacca.org, this organization offers information on a variety of child-care topics such as the cost of child care, finding child care, and recognizing quality child care. The PACCA website also provides links to national child care organizations, state and regional child care advocacy organizations, and Head Start related organizations, to name just a few. Child Care Aware, a non-profit initiative, is committed to helping parents find the best information on locating quality child care and child care resources in their communities. Child Care Aware achieves this by raising visibility for local child care resource and referral agencies nationwide and by connecting parents with the local agencies best equipped to serve their needs. Visit Child Care Aware on the net at www.childcareaware.org or call toll free at 800-424-2246. When you browse the website, click on “Child Care Connector” to find the child-care resource and referral agency near you. Plus, you can view a number of informative videos on topics ranging from caregiver interaction, caregiver to child ratios, and health and safety.

If a child is beyond the day-care years, parents should check with their churches or their children’s schools for after-school programs, clubs, and sports for students to participate in.

Personal Visit: A Must
Whether your children are three or 13, Greater Pittsburgh offers a wide selection of organizations to choose from. But whatever your choice, make sure to visit your organization of choice to experience the facility firsthand, meet the caregivers there, and resolve all your questions before enrolling your child.mg