Early childhood experiences are the foundation for all future learning. That’s why United Way is working with local child care centers to help them provide safe, high-quality care that prepares young children to learn. Besides supplying parent and staff training, mentoring and educational materials, United Way is recruiting local organizations to help child care centers through the United Way Days of Caring community service program. (More photos.)

In September a crew from AT&T/CWA Local 6201 gave a facelift to the Kid Care Child Care Center in East Fort Worth. They installed room dividers to separate different age groups. They also painted the center’s kitchen, office and breakroom. CWA members Weetor Williams and Tuyna Alexander coordinated the project.

Sixteen PepsiCo employees braved an unseasonable spring heat wave to install a new playground fence at ABC Day Care in Arlington. They also brought in pea gravel to even out the playing surface of the playground. When PepsiCo contacted Home Depot about the project, Home Depot provided the supplies at half price. The PepsiCo team enjoyed the experience so much that they showcased the project at a national meeting to encourage other PepsiCo employees to tackle similar service projects. The local project was organized by PepsiCo employee Becky Michaels.

Iron workers from IWLU Local 263 donated a Saturday’s worth of time and effort to do much-needed repairs and refurbishing at St. Matthew’s Greenbrier School, a Clayton YES! early childhood center in Fort Worth. Twenty-two iron workers quickly went about the task of removing child-sized cubbies and preparing the classrooms for painting. They painted six classrooms and a dozen cubbies, replaced missing floor tiles and put new caulking in the children’s restrooms. Project organizers Steve Anthony and Ron Smithorman of Local 263 said the iron workers took on the project to show their union’s commitment to help the community.

Machinists who are members of IAM & AW Local 776 have been using their skills for the past 30 years to produce one of the U.S. military's finest aircraft: the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Union members Danny Cooke, Pauline Ramos and Charlie Galupi recently used those skills to help the Toddler's Den, an all-day and after-school child development center in East Fort Worth. Taking on the challenge with the same enthusiasm that machinists apply to building aircraft, they removed a playground fence that had seen better days and installed new poles, rails, gates and fencing. Now the playground is divided into three separate areas so children of all ages can play outside safely at the same time. Toddler's Den director Cynthia Tatum thanked the IAM & AW members for volunteering their time and told them the project could not have been done without their help.