Illinois AEYC is proud to call Rhonda Costa one of our own.  Rhonda has served as a volunteer on the Illinois AEYC Governing Board in various capacities for many years.  We appreciate her and her dedication to Illinois children and families.  We are proud to share the below article from Secretary Hou at DHS…

Today, we are able to honor and celebrate them on National Provider Appreciation Day. Celebrated annually, this special day recognizes child care providers, teachers, and other educators of young children everywhere. As many essential employees have continued to work through the pandemic, including employees across our agency, these providers have continued to be trusted and reliable advisors. We are excited to spotlight two of them in today’s Community Bright Spots. 

Caring Place Child Care Center (Rhonda Costa, Director), Urbana, IL

Located at the Carle Hospital in Urbana, the Caring Place fosters the development of children in a safe, nurturing, non-pressured atmosphere that provides several types of care: full day care, drop-in care, after school, and school age summer camp. Like many providers, the Caring Place has been impacted in providing these services, but is moving forward fiercely under Director Rhonda Costa’s guidance. Rhonda’s 40 years of experience in the early child care field, including 15 as director of the Caring Place have served the organization well during the pandemic.

Caring Place is open as an Emergency Child Care Center, providing care for hospital employees, as well as keeping spots available for community members. 

In addition to being the director, Rhonda is the President of the local Chapter of the Association for Education of Young Children (AEYC) and offers training for other child care providers through the local Child Care Resource & Referral Agency.  

In honor of today, Rhonda recognized and treated her staff throughout the week. There have been many celebrations, including a parent organized Fiesta Café, which provided a treat for staff and financial support for a local small business. Additionally, Rhonda provided staff with breakfast this morning to kick off Provider Appreciation Day. 

Thank you, Rhonda for caring for some of Illinois’ young citizens. We are fortunate to have providers like you supporting our residents.