ASHLAND — Morning sunlight streamed through the windows of Foundations Community Childcare, where a gaggle of toddlers crowded around a three-foot-high gray mesh pyramid. Their tiny fingers clutched soft plastic balls — the kind you’d find in a ball pit. They hurled them towards the pyramid at close range, giggling and squealing with delight as […]
Solutions
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Tsakane Day Care: How one woman created quality early child care in her community
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — In the bustling township of Nellmapius in Pretoria, working parents often struggle to find reliable, quality childcare. In South Africa, townships are historically disadvantaged residential areas, initially created amid the racial segregation of Apartheid. One woman in Nellmapius has spent nearly two decades proving that excellent early childhood development doesn’t require expensive […]
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Eyes on Africa: Young moms rewrite their futures through home-based child care
ORANGE FARM, SOUTH AFRICA — In a modest home south of Johannesburg, 17-year-old Refiloe Motloung wakes before sunrise. While most girls her age are still dreaming, she prepares for her day at school — quietly packing her books and uniform so as not to wake her two-year-old daughter, Oratile. Refiloe is one of many teenage […]
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How two women embraced early childhood care in South Africa’s underserved communities
This story was written by Shirley Govender. Govender is a community media publisher and managing editor behind three independent, hyper-local community publications in the south of Johannesburg: Globe Post, Orange Farm News and Walkerville & Savanna City Times. JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — In Orange Farm, a low-income settlement south of Johannesburg, Sophie Mantoa Motloung, 53, opened […]
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Ubuntu in action: How one South African child care center is getting it right
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA — The smell of soft porridge filled the air as children tumbled out of taxis and into the arms of teachers at Mshengu Learning Centre. It’s 6:30 a.m. in Nellmapius, a township in the South African capital city Pretoria, and another day of Ubuntu child care was beginning. Ubuntu, the deeply rooted […]
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How a faith-rooted preschool in South Africa offers a model for safer, stronger early child care
LENASIA SOUTH, SOUTH AFRICA — In the heart of Lenasia South, the poorest region in the city of Johannesburg, one early childhood center is proving that community-led education can raise the bar for safety, trust and developmental quality. Wasalaam Nursery and Preschool was initially established in 1995 by a local couple. Today, it’s operated by […]
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Eyes on Africa: Where the state stops, the village begins
Discover how South African communities step in to provide child care where the state falters — explore these grassroots solutions now.
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It Takes A Village: A mid-series look at the child care stories shaping our community
Explore solutions to north central Ohio’s child care challenges and join the conversation to help shape your community’s future.
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From grief to action: How Richland County is using technology and education to prevent hot car deaths
Richland County launches free car seat sensors and reminders to prevent hot car deaths. Call Richland Public Health to get your safety kit today.
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Locked & unloaded: safe storage could curb firearm deaths in children
MANSFIELD — Gerald Skrumbellos knows the toll firearms can have in the hands of children. A friend’s brother died from an accidental gunshot wound around age 13. So when he stopped by the hospital and was offered a free handgun lock box, he decided to take it. OhioHealth hospitals across the state have been distributing free […]