Logan County child-care providers honored at Hootenannies game night

At Hootenannies, the Early Childhood Council of Logan, Phillips and Sedgwick Counties turned Provider Appreciation Night into a game-night celebration, putting child-care professionals in the center of a local event with direct family stakes. In a county where dependable care can determine whether parents can work, the gathering recognized the people who keep early learning available across rural communities.

Provider Appreciation Day is observed each year on the Friday before Mother’s Day, and in 2026 that fell on Friday, May 8. ECCLPS used the occasion to thank the educators and providers who care for young children across Logan County, Phillips County and Sedgwick County, a regional reach that goes beyond Sterling and reflects how intertwined the three-county child-care network has become.

The council describes its mission as supporting high-quality early care and education opportunities for children birth to age 8 and their families. It also says it helps educators with professional development training, coaching and resources, a reminder that the work behind child care is not limited to classroom hours or home drop-off times. It depends on a workforce that needs steady support to remain in place.

That support matters because child care is not just a private family issue. In rural areas, the availability of openings, the stability of providers and the cost of keeping programs running all shape whether families can find care at all. Recognition nights like the one at Hootenannies also give providers a chance to step away from daily demands and be acknowledged in a more relaxed setting, even as the underlying pressures on the field remain real.

ECCLPS has made Provider Appreciation Day into a recurring tradition. In 2024, the council celebrated at the Elks with family child-care home providers and teachers from preschools and centers, and the night included a trivia challenge. In 2025, the celebration moved to McCauley’s, where Michelle McCauley provided dinner and comedians traveled from Denver to entertain attendees. The repeated events show a standing commitment to early-childhood professionals, not a one-time gesture.

The council’s regular work extends beyond appreciation nights. ECCLPS says its partner meetings are held on the fourth Monday of the month from September through May, and it holds professional development trainings on the same schedule. That steady calendar reflects the broader challenge facing Logan County families: keeping child care available requires ongoing investment in the adults who make early education possible.