Advisory Counsel
About the Health in Early Care and Education Advisory Council
The Health in Early Care and Education Advisory Council (HAC) began in November of 2023 with a main purpose of bringing together early care and education (ECE) professionals to address childhood health in ECE settings. Co-led by Early Ages Healthy Stages personnel and an ECE professional, the HAC went through needs identification and prioritization processes to understand the most pressing childhood health issues from the perspectives of the professionals that work with children 0-5 every day.
In the spring of 2024, the HAC began working on a childhood vaccine messaging initiative to find ways to leverage the relationships that ECE professionals as trusted resources for parents and families. Through these efforts, the HAC has developed printed materials, videos, and social media messaging to help illuminate the need for routine, seasonal, and kindergarten readiness childhood vaccines.
The HAC is continuing to work to roll out the new childhood vaccine initiative, as well as to continue addressing the childhood health needs identified in the first phase of this work. It has been important to Early Ages Healthy Stages that the voice and perspective of ECE professionals is centered in the work.
Rashawn
Algee
Big Mamma Ray’s Childcare
Why is being involved in the HAC important to you?
It’s important for me to be involved in HAC so that I am more knowledgeable regarding vaccinations with factual information so that this may be away to reassure parent(s)/guardians that I work with or parent(s)/guardians that I meet that may have concerns regarding vaccinations. It’s important to try to stop all the misconceptions people have regarding vaccinations so I want to help make that happen by getting all of the facts regarding the benefits of vaccinations for parent(s)/ guardians who may be having a hard time deciding on if they want to vaccinate their child/children. This group can help me direct the parent(s)/guardians, I work with in the right direction when concerns do arise regarding vaccinations when I am not able to help them with questions or if they may have heard something from a source that may not be reliable.
Audrey
Brown-Sissoko
Tomorrow’s Leaders Daycare & Enrichment Center
Why is being involved in the HAC important to you?
My reason for becoming part of the initiative is to help those who have questions about childhood shots. When you learn you can better inform. Some people don’t know what to ask or are not aware why children need these important shots. Some listen to others who are not informed or are influenced by social media persuasion.
Daena
Gamble
Step Forward Head Start
Why is being involved in the HAC important to you?
The HAC consists of well-rounded partnerships with healthcare and community providers. It is important to be involved with HAC because our programs service many families, and we need to ensure that the families have the most accurate updated information when it comes to their children's health. Educating the families about their children's health involves providing them with accessible resources and information regarding their child's physical, mental and developmental well-being.
Joan M.
Hamm
Early Childhood Enrichment Center
Why is being involved in the HAC important to you?
I believe that the Health Advisory Committee focuses on the health and well-being of young families plus it allows early childhood providers a voice in available community services.
Michael
Ingram
Bedford Heights Daycare Center
Why is being involved in the HAC important to you?
Being involved in the HAC is important to me because it allows me to have a direct impact on the quality of education and care that children receive. As the owner of Bedford Heights Daycare, I understand how critical it is to foster environments that support children's growth, school readiness, and overall well-being. Being part of the HAC provides an opportunity to collaborate with other stakeholders, share insights, and advocate for the needs of both children and families. It also aligns with my commitment to ensuring that all children have access to the resources and support they need to thrive.
Betty
McNear
My Nana Too Family Childcare
Why is being involved in the HAC important to you?
I have enjyed being involved in the HAC brainstorming process and prioritizing the best practices for getting the information and hands-on resources out to our families and/or communities that we serve, whether we provide services as Family Childcare providers or center-based programs. During the past designated time period we worked on the importance of immunization, pros and cons, and myths, and lastly, the barriers for some demographics to overcome the challenges of being inclusive.
Jane
Pernicone
First Baptist Church Child Care Center
Why is being involved in the HAC important to you?
I am involved because I want all children to thrive.
Faith
Saunders
Wings2Fly Daycare
Why is being involved in the HAC important to you?
Working with HAC has been an opportunity to collaborate with other educators to analyze pertinent vaccines for proper growth of children 0-5 years. It also helps to ensure parents/caregivers of other resources that are available to them regarding the importance of wellness visits and vaccinations. I am looking forward to exploring more areas of growth and development in children.