As you are well aware, quality child care plays an important role in the health and well-being of children and their families. As we near the end of 2020 and the unprecedented challenges it has brought us, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for the dedication, hard work and compassion shown by all of you, our local child care providers and partners.
Each day, you work diligently to provide a safe environment for our kids to learn, grow and be meaningfully connected to others. We know that everyone working in child care has made the health, safety and well-being of children their top priority. We also recognize that this year, this has meant taking extra measures and precautions to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in your workplace. I can only imagine how this has altered your regular routines, and truly recognize the additional efforts being put in place this year to protect the health and safety of everyone in the school environment.
As you continue the vital work of educating and enriching the lives of local children, it is imperative that you too are taking steps to protect your own mental health and well-being. This year, taking steps to boost your mental health is especially important. It is normal to feel stress during uncertain times, and many people are feeling overwhelmed by the pandemic and the corresponding impact on their personal and professional lives. Please know there are supports available within our community. A complete list of mental health resources and services can be found at hpePublicHealth.ca.
On behalf of the entire team at HPEPH, I want to thank you, child care providers and partners! You are truly making a difference and improving the lives of children and families. I sincerely wish you a wonderful, safe, and well-deserved holiday season. I encourage you to take steps to celebrate safely in order to protect your own health, and the health of those you care about.
Our team looks forward to continuing to work together in the new year and beyond.
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