Think Small

🌟 Unique training series for Twin Cities child care providers! This 3-Saturday, Trauma-Responsive Care for Infants & Toddlers Series starts June 27:

✅ 18 hours in KCF IX: Trauma‑Informed Care
✅ 3 Saturdays only – June 27, July 18, August 15 (lunch included)
✅ $60 total
✅ In‑person, with other Twin Cities early educators

Yes, lunch is included, each Saturday! Don't miss this chance to grow with others and gain practical tools to use right away.

👉 Learn more and register here: bit.ly/3SuperSaturdays

Think Small Services, resources and advocacy for early childhood care and education in Minnesota. Our mission is to advance quality care and education of children in their crucial early years.

We had an inspiring gathering this week for a special presentation from our Todd Otis Public Policy Intern, Maddie Wolf. 🌟

Maddie has been working with Think Small throughout this legislative session and will soon graduate with her Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Minnesota. She shared what she’s been learning, from parent focus groups to a policy brief she developed as part of her internship, and how those insights can help strengthen early learning in Minnesota.

A big thank‑you to everyone who attended, including long‑time champion Todd Otis, our donors, and advocates who show up again and again for children and families. 💙

Together, we’re building a stronger early childhood system for Minnesota’s youngest children. 🌱

📢Heads up for Parent Aware rated programs!

Sign up the updated Parent Aware Participation Agreement before June 30 to keep your Rating.

Follow the link to fill and sign the agreement
⭐https://mndhs.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eg4ee6gZHmNL61E

A place that feels like home, and builds a strong foundation for learning. ❤️

See how Today’s Life School and Child Care is creating consistent, high-quality experiences for children, and how Think Small is helping them grow.

👉 Read the full story on our blog

A Second Home: How Today’s Life School Builds Quality Care A framed photo of past students and a poem titled “A Second Home” hangs above Director Roberta Root’s desk at Today’s Life School and Child Care in Eden Prairie, MN, reflecting the everyday reality for families ...

Don't miss this chance to save at Redleaf Press! 📖✨

✨ Educators, this one’s for you! Thank you for everything you do to build strong foundations for young children 💛

To celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, enjoy 25% OFF during our Educator Appreciation Sale (May 3–9)!

Use code THANKYOU25 at checkout! Find your new favorites today 📚https://loom.ly/qjEUgaI

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and Friday is Provider Appreciation Day. To every early childhood educator and family child care provider in Minnesota: thank you.

You are doing transformative work every single day: welcoming children into safe, nurturing spaces, helping them build language and curiosity, and supporting families in a time when so much feels uncertain.

In a national climate filled with headlines about fear, funding, and instability, it can be easy to miss what is happening quietly behind the scenes in homes and child care centers. But that work is powerful and life‑shaping.

From all of us at Think Small: we see you, we appreciate you, and we are committed to doing our part to make sure the systems around you reflect the importance of your work.

- Cisa Keller, CEO of Think Small

👉 If an early educator or provider has made a difference for your family, tag them in the comments or send them a quick thank you today. We'd love to see your stories!

What began as helping friends with child care grew into a career centered on supporting children’s confidence, relationships, and long-term success. Today, Monica runs a small, bilingual program where every child is known and supported.

During this week of celebrating educators, we’re grateful for her, and for the many educators like her making this work possible!
👉https://loom.ly/6O1elWk

From Architect to Family Child Care Provider: Monica's Story Follow Monica’s journey from architect to Minnesota family child care provider and see how Think Small supports quality early learning and kindergarten readiness.

Minnesota’s early childhood workforce is under strain and licensed family child care especially is feeling that impact.

In a new episode of amplifiED from EdAllies, Think Small’s Director of Data Research & Policy, Dr. Nicole Smerillo, joins hosts Margaret Sullivan and Josh Crosson to talk about why providers are leaving the field and what it means for children and families.

🎧 Listen:
➡️Apple Podcasts: https://loom.ly/vreVOWo
➡️Spotify: https://loom.ly/wzaca9Q
➡️EdAllies: https://loom.ly/2j7rmfI

If you’re thinking about more earth-friendly practices in early childhood settings, this quick guide (and other outdoor learning books) from Redleaf Press are worth a look! 🌎🌍
👉 https://www.redleafpress.org/Outdoor-Learning-C1479.aspx

🌍 This Earth Day, discover practical ways to make your early childhood program more sustainable—without adding extra complexity.

Creating Your Earth‑Friendly Early Childhood Program helps ECE leaders assess current practices, engage families and colleagues, and take meaningful steps toward healthier learning environments.

🌱 Explore this titles and other nature-based learning resources: https://loom.ly/8QwPAOM