Podcast

Milestones is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building brighter futures, nurturing growth, and creating pathways to success for the early childhood community. Since 1977, Milestones has supported families, child care providers, and educators with comprehensive resources that strengthen early learning across Central Minnesota and beyond.  Join Priscilla Weigel as she talks with Milestones Executive Director, Jeremey Schreifels to hear more about their work across Minnesota. 

Through programs such as the Shared Services Alliance, CACFP Family Child Care nutrition sponsorship, Parent Aware coaching, Early Learning Scholarships, and Family, Friend & Neighbor (FFN) support, Milestones connects the early childhood community with tools and funding that promote quality care and education. As a regional partner of Child Care Aware of Minnesota, Milestones also offers robust Professional Development and training opportunities to help providers grow their skills and their impact.

🌟 Learn more about Milestones
🔗 www.milestonesmn.org
📱 Follow on Facebook: facebook.com/MilestonesMN
✨ Join the mission to support the early childhood community—because together, we’re building brighter futures.

Our CICC Podcast, Inclusion Matters is celebrating!  The 300th episode of this podcast is now available.  

The first origins of Inclusion Matters started back in the early 2000’s with some rudimentary equipment and an idea to spread the word about creating successful inclusive environments for young children.  

Today, in 2025 we are on the brink of our 30th anniversary and still sharing content that highlights and supports quality early childhood care for all children.  Tune in to listen to some highlights from our many years of broadcasting Inclusion Matters.

Sarah Hawley RN, BSN, PHN of Minnesota Child Care Health Consultants joins us again to discuss safety in child care, this time related to summer outdoor play.  We discuss safety in the sun, bug bites and ticks, skinned knees, and ways to prepare your setting and the children in your care for the safest summer outdoors. 

Inclusion Matters hosts a conversation with our own CICC Program Manager, Kellee Nelson and we explore nature play.  Kellee highlights the health and educational benefits of playing in the mud, offering young children in our care the important experience of being outside in nature, being curious, getting messy, and having fun!

Sarah Hawley RN, BSN, PHN of Minnesota Child Care Health Consultants is back with us again to discuss brain building in early childhood.  She shares important research about this critical time of brain growth and how we as early educators can foster lifelong success for the children in our care. 

We welcome our strong partner Sarah Hawley RN, BSN, PHN of Minnesota Child Care Health Consultants back again for a conversation about injury prevention in the early childhood setting.  We discuss key techniques that promote safe care for all young children and their adult caregivers.