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Oak Park proclaims Provider Appreciation Day to honor early childhood providers
Summary
The Village of Oak Park issued a proclamation recognizing May 9, 2025 (and each year the Friday before Mother’s Day) as Provider Appreciation Day to recognize early childhood care and education providers; the village cited past ARPA support to local providers.
Vicki Skamen, village president of Oak Park, presented a proclamation declaring May 9, 2025 and each year thereafter on the Friday before Mother’s Day as Provider Appreciation Day in Oak Park.
The proclamation says early learning and care providers “support children's growth, development, and educational advancement and create a positive economic impact for families and communities,” and notes that the village supports providers through public-health coordination, small business grants and other local measures.
Mary Reynolds, identified in the meeting as the executive director of the Collaboration for Early Childhood, thanked the board and described the day as “a national celebration of the workforce that makes childcare in our community possible.” Reynolds said the village’s work during the COVID-19 pandemic included directing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to local providers: “Lucia, your commitment and unwavering advocacy for ensuring that ARPA dollars reached our early care and education providers meant that 34 early learning providers in our community during COVID received crucial support that helped them maintain affordable tuition, retain qualified staff and enhance the safety of their learning environments.”
Skamen told the board and audience that the proclamation was not a formal agenda item requiring a vote but that she considered it an honor to present the recognition. The proclamation text included language asking community members to acknowledge providers’ work and encouraged continued village support to sustain the viability of early childhood care and education.
The board did not take a formal vote on the proclamation itself during the meeting; it was presented as part of the president’s welcome and honoring of outgoing and incoming trustees.
The village pointed to ongoing supports in the proclamation (coordination with public health, small business grants and other local efforts) but did not specify amounts for those local supports beyond Reynolds’s statement about ARPA assistance to 34 providers.
The board and the Collaboration for Early Childhood asked residents with children in childcare to thank providers during the recognition week.
