My daughter Emily was 3 when my family and I moved back to Little Rock. I often quip that finding a quality elementary school for my son was easier than finding quality daycare for her. In my former professional life, I was an education writer for a policy group in Alabama, so I knew that Arkansas was leading the nation when it came to state funded pre-K programs. But there wasn't an online resource for early childhood education programs like there was for public and private schools. The process of finding a quality daycare with spots available nearly made me weep!

About a year ago, a colleague contacted me about a new program through the Arkansas Department of Human Services called Arkansas Better Beginnings. It's a voluntary quality-rating system for early childhood education programs. Many business leaders, policymakers and educators have been refining the program in an effort to continue to push for excellent early childhood education programs in our state. Starting this fall, parents looking for caring, competent day care options can access an online database of ratings. For up to date information, visit their website.

I tell you all this for a reason. This edition marks our second Guide to Early Childhood Education. There's a Cool Finds section on educational toys for preschoolers, an article about the importance of a multi-sensory education and a great profile section on some of the top preschool programs in central Arkansas.

KATV's Christina Munoz and her daughter Sydney Madsen grace our cover this month. Christina shares her parenting and philanthropic philosophies, as well as details on Dancing with Our Stars,an event benefitting the Children's Tumor Foundation.

You'll also find our 2010 Ultimate Guide to Field Trips in this edition. It's a great round-up of nearly 100 places where kids can learn outside the classroom.

Enjoy the September edition!