Our Vision:
Knowledgeable, competent early childhood educators and caregivers who provide healthy, safe, nurturing environments for Arkansas’ young children in early care and education settings.
Our multidisciplinary team of health professionals from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is passionate about joining forces with our partners in the early childhood community. We provide health information that is current, accurate, based on best practices, and respectful of all cultures and health literacy levels.
All of our services are offered FREE of charge to early care and education providers.
PDR-approved training:
o Live training coordinated through Arkansas’ regional Child Care Aware Resource and Referral agencies.
o Online training available through our website.
Trained child care nurse consultant available to answer health questions from providers by phone or email, Monday-Friday.
Our team works with the AR DHS Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education and other community partners to develop initiatives to improve quality in early care and education settings across our state.
This project is paid for with a combination of state and federal funds through a contract with the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education.
Healthy Child Care Arkansas Team:
Maya Lopez, MD
Associate Professor, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
UAMS/ACH
Jayne Bellando, PhD
Professor, Pediatric Psychology
UAMS/ACH
Sandra Withers, APRN
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Child Care Health Consultant Instructor
UAMS Kids First Outreach Administrator
Susan McPeake
HCCAR Administrative Specialist