Family Fun Fest took place on June 3rd at Downtown Canton's Centennial Plaza. It was a beautiful day filled with games, food, and plenty of sunshine and community resources, as there were more than 20 area vendors/ organizations in attendance. Shoutout to our partner Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health & Family Success Network for making this event possible.

The Early Childhood Resource Center--along with the National Fund for Workforce Solutions (NFWS)--recently hosted a System Change Road Show event, welcoming our fellow NFWS Network Partners from

Baltimore, MD; Des Moines, IA; and Pittsburgh, PA. This gathering allowed us to deepen connections with our peers and share lessons learned to help address barriers to quality jobs in the child care industry.

This National Fund for Workforce Solutions initiative aims to co-create solutions that reflect each community’s needs; with the goal of expanding access to care; attracting and retaining more educators and providers through job quality interventions; and advancing equity in a field where women and people of color make up the vast majority of the workforce.

Our Summit County SPARK families recently embarked on an exciting adventure to the Akron Zoo. This outing was more than just a fun day with the animals—it was a day of learning and laughter that was a meaningful extension of our mission to promote healthy child development and strengthen families.

Tune in to hear, Maria Spencer talk about how investing in early education shapes stronger communities from the start.

Thank you Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries for making this a platform for us to spread the word and educate.

>>> Listen now!