The principals in Caring for Kids have provided reliable and helpful resources for hundreds of thousands of caregivers and teachers since 1979.

Our legacy spans almost 25 years, beginning with the creation of First Teacher Magazine. Founded by former teacher and veteran of the educational publishing industry, Lisa Schlakman, First Teacher Magazine was developed in response to early childhood educators' (including licensed daycare and preschool) urgent need for relevant and useful information to enhance the learning experience of children. Our team of experienced contributing experts—including teachers, parents, and teaching artists—has created a comprehensive library of early childhood resource books and learning programs for major educational publishers, including Random House and Addison Wesley. These materials have been used by hundreds of thousands of people around the country (see list of materials in sidebar).

In 1994, we launched Everyday TLC, a weekly newsletter to support the huge family child care market—one that had been virtually overlooked and was in desperate need of resources to support their day-to-day work with infants, toddlers, preschool children, and after-schoolers. Until EverydayTLC, family childcare providers had traditionally been thought of as little more than babysitters and there were little or no resource materials geared specifically to their professional needs. (Everyday TLC and First Teacher Magazine merged in 1999 to offer a single, all-inclusive printed resource.) EverydayTLC was quickly identified as an excellent early childhood resource by providers, trainers, and administrators.

In 1999, in response to the growing use of PCs in homes, schools, and libraries, we began the process of creating FamilyTLC.net. Taking three years to create, FamilyTLC.net is the product of 25 years of research and early childhood development experience. (To preview the website, please click the following link: www.FamilyTLC.net)

In 2001, Cooking Up Learning, a nutrition education series was developed in response to requests from local USDA food program sponsors for an affordable learn-at-home training option for family childcare providers.

In 2002, Caring for Kids, Inc was formed in response to the need for free and low-cost materials for families and caregivers. Caring for Kids will create and distribute these high quality materials with funding from foundations, corporations, government agencies, and individual donors, who believe as we do in the importance of family involvement and positive learning in the lives of children. Lisa Durkin is president of the new non-profit company, a natural next step in a career that has been dedicated to helping families and caregivers enrich the lives of young children.

With the coming of the internet, EverydayTLC became available online in the Summer of 2007. In 2008, the EverydayTLC Early Childhood Institute was formed to offer CURRICULUM, TRAINING and COMMUNITY to the hundreds of thousands of child care professionals who have been loyal subscribers to our publications over the years as well as those who have done our workshops and trainings.