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Facilitated  Work Group: Early Literacy in Informal and Kith and Kin Settings

Facilitator: Sandy Gellert, Technical Assistance Coordinator, Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Agency
Group Scribe: Susan Burkhardt, Information Specialist, National Child Care Information Center
Note Taker: Susan Walker, Information Specialist, National Child Care Information Center

KEY ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

Descriptions of Kith and Kin
The group consensus was that "kith and kin" is often described as unlicensed, informal, unregulated, illegal, legally unlicensed or legally unregistered child care. Kin refers to a relative, such as a grandparent, providing child care and who may or may not be paid for his or her services. Kith implies someone closer than a stranger, such as a friend or neighbor, who also may or may not be paid for his or her services. Kith and kin care has been around for centuries, and at some level most people have experienced this type of child care. A kith and kin provider is someone who may be receiving a subsidy for providing child care, if they are registered, or someone who does not receive subsidy dollars because they are unregulated. Gwen Morgan (Wheelock College) and the Bank Street College were mentioned as resources on this topic with regard to providing definitions of kith and kin.

The Importance of this Topic
Kith and kin care is on the agenda because of the concern that children in such care may not be ready to learn or ready for school. From a cultural perspective, some States have many families where English is a second language. Many of these children are in kith and kin settings and are from the same cultural background as the provider. This means that children are entering school who were born in this country but for whom English is a second language. School readiness is a real issue for these families and children.

Another reason for paying attention to kith and kin care is the link between local, State and Federal policies and parents' choices of care. As welfare reform, for example, results in more parents entering the workforce while their children are still quite young, parents often choose a kith and kin provider.

Parents have expressed a number of reasons for choosing kith and kin providers. It can be attractive because grandparents are now able to receive subsidy reimbursement. For some, especially a teen parent or low-income family, kith and kin care is more affordable. Others may prefer the use of kith and kin providers for infants and toddlers or because such care provides a more personal form of contact.

A final reason to focus on kith and kin care is that literacy development and school readiness cannot be put off until a child enters kindergarten. Research linking school readiness at kindergarten with later measures of success in school emphasizes the importance of the very early years of a child's development.

Reaching Out to Kith and Kin Providers
The group identified several barriers:

• Community rules or regulations may inhibit a person from getting regulated. For example, migrant workers want to get licensed but can't because they don't own their home or their landlord won't allow them to be licensed for child care. Yet they will still take in children and care for them.
• It is difficult to know where kith and kin providers are located.
• Since there is a lack of research about kith and kin providers and outcomes for children in their care, their importance in the community may not be recognized or appreciated.
• Kith and kin providers may not want to receive training because they don't consider themselves professionals. They look at what they are doing as helping out the family or being a good friend.

HIGHLIGHTS OF RECOMMENDATIONS

• Promote national awareness that family, parents, grandparents and friends have a huge impact on children's development, and that all caregivers can make a huge contribution to society by having a positive impact in a child's life.
• Promote national awareness that kith and kin care has an economic impact, enabling parents to return to and remain in the workforce.
• Early Head Start, Head Start and child care should collaborate with the Department of Education around Public Service Announcements on the importance of literacy and child development, particularly that literacy affects math, science and the basic functions of life, (e.g. driving a car). Use television and radio as major means of delivering the message, focusing on children engaged in literacy activities in natural settings.
• Provide or increase funding to child care resource and referral agencies, libraries, schools, hospitals and doctor offices to build partnerships in communities.
• Launch a national focus to target libraries and visiting nurses associations to get them involved in child care and literacy.
• Support colleges and universities, after-school programs, YMCA and Boys and Girls clubs in offering summer work incentives, including training, to encourage young people to get involved in their community to help with child care and literacy.
• Use employers to send home flyers in paychecks with information on child care, literacy, etc. Churches, employers and places of business can reach providers directly or through the parents.
• Build in evaluation and research funding by developing pilot projects and testing projects.
• Offer all caregivers teacher library cards. Take story time to the actual setting or caregiver (formal or informal). A business could donate a van, and the resource and referral agency and library could pack reading kits and provide families with the kits to borrow.
• Support a public awareness campaign geared towards informal providers.

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of Literacy in Early Care and Education Settings: National Leadership Forum Summary Materials