Guest Blogger – Ruth A. Harvey, Executive Director – Chemung County Child Care Council, Inc.- Elmira, New York

Vroom provides interactive tools and resources that highlight the science behind early brain development, showing parents how they can turn everyday activities like bath time and meal time into opportunities that build their children’s brains. The Vroom Partnership at Child Care Aware® of America is made up of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies who educate and provide Vroom resources to families, providers, and organizations in their communities so they too understand the importance of brain development during the first five years of life. Learn more about Vroom here.

The Chemung County Child Care Council, a NYS Best Practice, Child Care Resource and Referral Agency is pleased to share Vroom in our community.

Below are some ways that we have shared Vroom:

• Included Vroom in trainings offered specifically to Infant and Toddler Teachers
• Including Vroom materials in packets provided to parents searching for child care
• Including Vroom posters and materials in our lobby area
• Sharing Vroom activities on our Elmira Family Resource Center’s Facebook page
• Including a Vroom display and materials on our agency table at corporate events
• Including a Vroom display, materials and activities at community events
• Sharing the Brain Development Basics and Vroom materials with parents applying for the Child Care Subsidy Program
• Sharing Vroom with NYS Legally Exempt Child Care Providers who provide care for subsidy eligible children of family and friends
• Sharing Vroom App cards and explaining Vroom while explaining all of the services of the agency while conducting job interviews

In addition to the above we have shared Vroom materials with the other Child Care Resource and Referral agencies in our region and have included Vroom as one of our on-going activities for our Regional Infant/Toddler project.

We were also able to share Vroom with members of our Chemung County School Readiness Project which includes local hospitals, youth mental health agencies, department of social services, head start, home visiting, and child screening agencies.

Feedback that we have received from parents and providers include:

• They are very happy that Vroom is FREE and they will NEVER be charged for using the app
• They love that they only have to put in the child’s first name and date of birth thus they feel it is a secure program to use and that it “follows” the child to age 5
• They have used the Vroom App at bath time; while out to dinner with their children; and when their children appear “bored” they just request a Vroom activity.

“While our time for serving as an official Ambassador for Vroom will end in September we plan to continue sharing the Vroom message for years to come. Our hope is that all young children in our community will experience the benefit of Vroom brain building activities as they grow and learn.”

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