Training Calendar Correction

The Foundations training for 1/15/09 is on a THURSDAY - not Monday.

The SIDS class for 1/06/09 is already full.

CHILD CARE SCAM ALERT!!!

I use Craigslist as a tool to promote Child Care Answers regularly. I have an account there that is tied into my personal email address. Yesterday I got this email in my inbox:

My name is Fain Jeff,I was looking for someone to take care of my daugheter and son when i return to the state and someone introduced craigslist.com to me and i saw your ad on there as a Childcare and Babysitter,i am interested in you as my babysitter/Childcare.My kids name is Juliana and Ben,i would like you to take care of them while i am at work in you Location ,i use to stay in United Kingdom but i am moving to your location because i would have a contract with Boss Perfume down there,i work as a model and the contract will last for 1 month,i want you to take care of them very while i am at work.I go to work 10 am and i get back by 4pm,i will like to know if you will take care of them in your child care centre/Home or in my house where i would be staying in the state,i am confortable with any of the ways,my kids (Juliana and Ben) is 4 and 2years old and i will send you some picture of me and them as soon as everything is considered a deal,i will also like to know how much you charge to take care of them for 1 month and the time i need your service is 10 am to 4 pm.Get back to me with the amount and i will be glad to update you and make the payment in advace to show you how serious i am.Regards and Waiting for your reply.
Fain Jeff

I replied that if they were truly interested in our services they should check out our webpage. I replied from my work email via the internet from home. When I got to the office this morning, this was in my inbox:

Hello Gist,
Nice hearing from you again, and thanks for taking ur precious time to reply my mail and am also happy to hear about ur wonderful family,i know My kids won't be bored and will have play mates to play with while am away for my work,this indeed is great and i will like to employ ur service in taking good care of My kids (Juliana and Ben), am okay with the cost and terms of your weeking service charge , I believe me and My kids will be happy to meet you, mostly, I would appreciate we relate in total trust, honesty and God fearing,Sincere lady like myself. I am Okay with the cost of ur time service like i have said earlier and to be swift about this, I'm making the payment ahead of my arrival for every preparation you would like to do, be done without any delay so you should be starting your work as soon as we arrive in the state in a Jan 5th, cos we are hoping to be in the state before next weekend.
The duration of the childcare will be from Monday - Wednesday 8am to 5pm for a 1 month and I will be dropping them off and picking them later in the day.My Little kids is considered nice and potty trained, friendly and easy to get along with and well brought up kids, from a christian home and I'm sure you would love to have them in your child care home.
My husband is from the United Kingdom and he travels alot as he is into Engineering,I will have my husband send you the payment in form of cashier checks/ money orders which will be sent to you by my husband's client who is in the states, because my husband is currently in France doing some other business, On reciept of the payment please deduct your charge for the Daycare/childcare, then foward the balance to our family Travel agent in United Kingdom who will be helping us process our flight papers as soon as he receives the fees. I still need to augument on some expenses to facilitate my travelling arrangements to the state.

I want you to get back to me with your contact information for payment, e.g Name to which the checks should be made payable to, and the address it should be mailed to, including your cell phone number as well.
Regard to your wonderful Family.......
Thanks

Really? This really upset me - so I called the local FBI office today and asked them what I should do. They told me to cease all communication with this person, and then report the incident via ic3.gov.

As veteran computer user I was quickly able to spot this as fraud. What worries me is that in these tough economic times with so many of our friends in child care with declining enrollment, they might grasp at this straw hoping it will help them, only to discover that it is a life-line attached to lead weights that will drag them further to the bottom! Here are some things to look for to detect fraudulent requests:

1. Poor grammar. 90% of these scam artists are outside of the US and English is not their native language. Look for mis-used words, incorrect spelling, or just wrong sounding terms.


2. An offer that is just too good to be true! Remember if it sounds too good to be true - it probably is.


3. A request that involves anything outside of the United States. This person claimed to be a model - why is "she" coming to Indiana in the middles of the Winter?


4. Cashing a check/money order/cashier's check and sending the balance or overage somewhere. Really? Why would they ask you to do that? Can't they just send you the correct amount? Here is what happens: You get a check, cash it, send them a money order for what is the overage, and then a couple of days later your bank calls you and tells you that the check you deposited was fraudulent and you are responsible for making up the difference. Sometimes hundreds or thousands of dollars
   

If you have any questions please call Child Care Answers Database Manager at 317-518-7674 or email me.

Back to Work

Many of us are returning to work today, for a few days at the least. If you are a parent and need temporary care - because your child care provider is closed this week for vacation or another reason, please give our referral specialists, Vicky or Cathy a call. We have a list of providers that specialize in temporary or emergency care, just for times like these! If you have to work New Year's Day and need someone who is open Holidays, we can find that too.

Cathy or Vicky can be reached at 631-4643.

Have a safe, happy and prosperous New Year!!

New Insights on SIDS

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the biggest killer of babies over one month old in developed nations. What SIDS actually is, though, is a mystery. Recently, some chance observations may shed light on causes. According to The Economist (July 5, 2008), post mortem data from SIDS victims has revealed that nerve cells which regulate basic bodily functions, including breathing and body temperature, are more numerous and less mature than they are in other babies. Those cells communicate using a messenger molecule called serotonin. Recently, Italian researchers who were investigating serotonin's role in aggression found that changes in serotonin levels frequently resulted in death from abnormally low heart rate and hypothermia. This research suggests that genetics may explain some cases of SIDS. In the past explanations have concentrated on environmental factors such as smoking habits of parents and babies' sleeping positions. These conditions certainly are involved in SIDS deaths. However, research on possible genetic factors may make it possible for babies to be screened for those at risk, giving parents a alert to take suitable precautions.

Leadership Connections- May 14-16, 2009

Start the new year out right with a professional development plan! Join us at the luxurious Westin Chicago North Shore for the highly acclaimed Leadership Connections. The conference is designed for center directors, lead teachers and supervisors, trainers and consultants, technical assistance specialists, and family child care providers. Participants will experience three stimulating days of training, exhibits, networking, and fun. Total conference package is only $375 before February 1, 2009. Register online now »
A full-day of great preconference activities is also available on Wednesday, May 13. For more information including sponsorship opportunities, download a brochure or contact Donna Jonas at (800) 443-5522, ext. 5058 or donna.jonas@nl.edu.

Family Child Care Institute- February 28 and May 16, 2009

Meeting the needs of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children is one of the biggest challenges faced by family child care providers. This institute will help practitioners create indoor and outdoor environments that align with the criteria in the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale-Revised (FCCERS-R) and family child care accreditation. The institute will be conducted over two days, The first day will focus on indoor environments and will be held at the McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership in Wheeling, Illinois. The second day will be held in conjunction with the Center's Leadership Connections conference at the Westin Chicago North Shore in Wheeling.
Funding is provided by IDHS. Participant's portion of the training cost is only $75 for one day or $120 for both days. For more information, download a brochure or contact Debra Trude-Suter at (800) 443-5522, ext. 5056 or debra.trudesuter@nl.edu.

2009 Training Calendars are available!

Check out our Newsletters page at childcareanswers.com - you can download the entire newsletter there, or go to the Training page and see what is in store for the coming quarter!

Guidelines for outside play in inclement weather - BRRRRR!

Hi everyone! You know that as I am writing this blog entry it is all of 6°F the wind is blowing from the NW at 9-10 MPH and the wind chill is -7°. All this information just by going to weather.com and typing in my zip code. For parents and providers it is important to know when the conditions are safe for little ones to be outside playing.

Here is what the state guidlines say:

"■ 470 IAC 3-1.1-38 Activities for healthy development
Authority: IC 12-13-5-3
Affected: IC 12-17.2
■ (b) Opportunity shall be provided for children to play outdoors daily except when:
(1) the severity of the weather poses a safety or health hazard; or
(2) when there is a health related reason documented by a parent, legal guardian, or
physician for a child to remain indoors.
♦ Intent:
To meet the developmental needs of children for vigorous outdoor play. (Caring
for Our Children) Children shall play outdoors daily when weather and air quality
conditions do not pose a significant health risk. Outdoor play for infants may
include riding in a carriage or stroller; however, infants shall be offered
opportunities for gross motor play outdoors, as well.
Weather that poses a significant health risk shall include wind chill at or below 25
degrees F and heat index as identified by the National Weather Service.
Air quality conditions that pose a significant health risk shall be identified by
announcements from local health authorities or through ozone (smog) alerts.
Such air quality conditions shall require that children remain indoors where air
conditioners ventilate indoor air to the outdoors. Children with respiratory health
problems such as asthma shall not play outdoors when local health authorities
announce that the air quality is approaching unhealthy levels.
○ Assessment Method:
Observe to see if children play outside. Interview the caregiver to determine
when and how often children are outside for play. Review the home’s daily
schedule for outside play."

Or to put it another way - today is TOO COLD for children to playing outside. The Iowa Dept. of Public Health has a great chart on their webiste to help determine if conditions outside are right for play.

If you have any questions please feel free to call us and we will get you the answers you need.

Cancelled Events for 12/18/08

Due to the impending inclement weather we are unfortunately forced to cancel events for this evening:

1. Foundations to Indiana Academic Standards


2. Safe Sleep (SIDS) Training


3. Paths To Quality Intro Session
   

If you were scheduled for any of these events, we apologize for any inconvenience, please call us to reschedule your training session.

Child Care Forum on Craigslist

Did you know that there is a section on Craigslist that is exclusively devoted to child care? Parents can go there and look for child care providers, providers can post that they have openings and we occasionally post there touting our services.

Here is where to find some information about Craigslist: http://www.craigslist.org/about/factsheet

Here is the child care forum for Indy: http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/kid/

Child Care Answers Holiday Office Hours

Child Care Answers hopes that you have an enjoyable holiday season. Our office hours will be altered during the Holidays. Please see below for office closings:

December 24th - We will close at noon

December 25th - Closed all day

December 26 - Closed all day

January 1 - Closed all day

BECOME A CHILD CARE PROVIDER - CONVIERTASE EN UN PROVEEDOR DE CUIDADO INFANTIL

BECOME A FAMILY CHILD CARE PROVIDER
You Can Have:
* The satisfation of self employment
*The enjoyment of caring for children
*The convenience of working at home

CHILD CARE ANSWERS (CCA) Resource and Referral can provide support services including:
*Assistance in locating families in need of child care
*Provision of technical assistance and information on running your business
*Information about professional growth opportunities
*A resource library with videos, books, activity totes, etc.
*Networking opportunities with other professionals
*Orientation Traininning - Required by state to receive license
*Child Developemnt Associate (CDA) Trainning
*CPR/First Aid/Universal Precautions Trainning
Call us:
M,T,W: 8:00am-5:00pm
Thursday: 8:00am-7:00pm
Friday: 8:00am-2:00pm
Child Care Answers
Child Care Resource and Referral Agency
Serving Hamilton, Hendricks, Johnson & Marion Counties
317 631-4643 1-800-272-2937


CONVIERTASE EN UN PROVEEDOR DE CUIDADO INFANTIL
Usted Puede Tener:
*La satisfacion de ser independiente
*El placer de cuidar niños
*La comodidad de trabajar en casa
CHILD CARE ANSWERS (CCA) Recursos y Referidos puede proveerle servicios de apoyo que incluyen:
*Asistencia para localizar familias que necesiten cuidado de niños
*Suministro de asistencia técnica e información para iniciar su negocio
*Información sobre crecimiento profesional y oportunidades
*Un recurso de biblioteca con videos, libros, juegos, etc.
*Red de oportunidades con otros profesionales
*Orientacion y entrenamiento requerido por el Estado para recibir la licensia
*Child Developement Associate (CDA) Trainning (Credencial de Asociado)
*CPR/First Aid / Universal Precautions Training (Resucitacion Cardio Pulmonar), Primeros Auxilios/Precauciones Universales
L, M, M: 8:00am-5:00pm
Jueves 8:00am-7:00pm
Viernes 8:00am-2:00pm
CHILD CARE ANSWERS
Agencia de Recursos y Referidos para el cuidado infantil
Sirviendo los Condados de Hamilton, Hendricks, Johnson & Marion
317-631-4643 para español opcion 6

Latino Community Development

Friday, December 19, 2008, 10:00AM -6:00pm

Indiana State Fairgrounds (Toyota Blue Ribbon Pavilion)

We are reaching out to the business community in order to gain support for this very worthwhile event. Available resources (churches, services, programs etc.) provide medical, legal assistance and education with the belief that this will lead the community to a better life. Our desire is to share the spirit of Christmas and put smiles on the thousands of children that are in need.

Estamos invitando a los negocios de la comunidad para apoyar este evento magnifico que vale la pena. Recursos disponibles (Iglesias, Servicios, Programas etc), medicos, asistencia legal, educacion con la creencia que esto los conducirá a una mejor calidad de vida. Nuestro deseo es compartir el espiritu de la Navidad y poner sonrisas en los miles de niños que estan necesitados.

Tdap Vacine Recommended for Many Adults

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a serious infection that spreads easily from person to person. It is most contagious before the coughing starts, so the most effective way to prevent it is through immunization.

The Center for Disease Control recommends that adults 19 - 64 years receive a single dose of Tdap in place of the Td booster previously recommended for adults.

The CDC also recommends that all adults in close contact with infants younger then 12 months of age receive a single dose of Tdap.

Adults can spread pertussis to infants who have not yet had all their vaccines, even before a cough develops. Infants have the highest rates of pertussis complications and death.

Facts about Pertussis for Adults:

• Pertussis, is a serious infectious disease that has been on the rise in the United States over the last decade.
• Protection against pertussis from early childhood vaccines wears off, leaving adults and adolescents at risk for infection.
• Early symptoms of pertussis are similar to the common cold or bronchitis and may include runny nose, sneezing and low-grade fever. Spasms of coughing then become progressively worse.

Indy Chapter of IAEYC hosts trainings on the Foundations

Come and join in this fun, hands on learning opportunity with the Foundations to the Indiana Academic Standards from birth to age 5.

· Participants will observe and participate in activities that support the Foundations.
· Participants will take home new ideas while earning .25 CEU’s per session.
· There will be 5 sessions held at Ivy Tech Community College ~ Fourth Floor Auditorium, 50 W. Fall Creek Pkwy. N. Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46208.
· Admission Fee: $10 per session, or $40.00 if paying for all 5 sessions in advance.
· Copies of the Foundations will be given out at the Orientation on January 31st.
· Each session will run from 10:00 am to 12:30.


Brown Bag Series Schedule

Orientation ~ January 31, 2009
Math and Science ~ February 28, 2009
Social Studies and Physical Education ~ March 21, 2009
English and Language Arts ~ April 18 or 25, 2009
Visual Arts and Music ~ May 16, 2009

If interested contact Diane Smith at dlsmith@ivytech.edu or 917-5986

Peanut Allergies; Information Needed

At Child Care Answers, many families have concerns and issues that cannot be addressed through our traditional child care referral process. Families of children with special needs are offered the opportunity for what we call an ENHANCED REFERRAL. These families are searching for care, where the traditional questions we promote as indicators of quality early childhood education and care are not enough to address their concerns. As Inclusion Specialist, I am available to assist families of children with special needs and providers who are caring for children with special needs answer those more indepth questions and concerns.

Recently a family called Child Care Answers looking for child care for a youngster with a severe peanut allergy. The child’s doctor had recommended a completely peanut free facility; as this child has complete anaphylactic (ceases breathing due to constriction of airway, often very fast… and very serious) reactions to peanut exposure. Currently our database does not give us the ability to record this data or search by this criteria. SO, I am starting a new “speciality” list that will be available to parents who have this specific need. Child Care Answers will continue to leave the final selection of child care to the family, and will continue to assist parents to decide what quality indicators are important to them, and we will never endorse or recommend any particular type of care or specific care provider. However, just as we maintain lists of coop preschools and Title XX locations separate from our main database for families who specifically request that information, I think given the increase in peanut and tree nut allergies it is to everyone’s benefit to keep a specialist listing for this as well.

Do you maintain peanut free classrooms? Is your facility completely peanut free? Please let me know. Email or call with your site information and I will add you to the specialist list.

Peanut Allergies DID YOU KNOW? (From The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network)
Some Hidden Sources of Peanuts
Artificial nuts can be peanuts that have been deflavored and reflavored with a nut, such as pecan or walnut. Mandelonas are peanuts soaked in almond flavoring.
Arachis oil is peanut oil.
African, Chinese, Indonesian, Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes often contain peanuts or are contaminated with peanuts during the preparation process. Additionally, foods sold in bakeries and ice cream shops are often in contact with peanuts.
Many brands of sunflower seeds are produced on equipment shared with peanuts.

For more information on peanut and other food allergies please visit www.foodallergy.org


If you have questions about caring for a child with a severe food allergy or are a parent of a child with a sever food allergy and have questions about location care, please do not hesitate to contact me at Child Care Answers.

Help Families Get the Credit They Deserve This Tax Filing Season

No matter where you live, you can make a difference by educating low- and moderate-income families about federal, and in some cases state, tax credits that can help put thousands of dollars in their pockets!
Families with children or other dependents may be eligible for one or more of the following federal tax credits when they file their taxes for 2008 in early 2009:
Earned Income Tax Credit, which helps provide a wage supplement for low-income families (those earning less than $41,646 annually). This credit is worth up to $4,824, and is refundable.
Child Tax Credit, designed to help families offset some of the costs of raising children. This credit is worth up to $1,000 per child. Families who owe little or no income tax can receive some or all of this credit as a refund if they earned at least $8,500 in 2008.
Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, designed to offset some of the child or dependent care costs that families incur in order to work. This credit is worth up to $2,100, though the amount that can be claimed is limited by a family’s actual federal income tax liability.

To access helpful outreach materials that you can use with the families you serve, visit the NWLC Tax Credits Outreach Campaign webpage at www.nwlc.org/LowerYourTaxes. These materials, many of which are available in Spanish and other languages, include state-specific fliers, envelope inserts, sample Public Service Announcement scripts, and Q&A’s about the federal credits.

Data Manager's Minute

My role at Child Care Answers is an exciting one for me! When I first came on board in April, Mindy asked me if I knew anything about web pages. I have an Associate of Science Degree from Ivy Tech in Information Technology, with my focus on programming. The only reason I went into programming was because they didn't offer a Database track when I was there. So I took a lot of data management classes, then went to IUPUI and took an HTML web design class. That is the extent of my web design experience. I had NEVER done a "real" web page, and I told Mindy as much. She asked me to look at our website and make suggestions and see what I could do. So with my limited experience I set to work revamping our page. I think it turned out pretty well. You can look at it here and let me know what you think! As my role continues to grow more into the blogosphere I found myself somewhat perplexed - I am 40, not exactly a digital "native" but I have had a computer of one type or another since I was 10. I worked in DOS for several years and Windows from its inception. Blogging and "social networking" was foreign to me, as it had never piqued my interests. Recently, we have come to understand that a focused digital presence will open up our services to a whole new audience, one that is comprised mainly of "digital natives" who thrive on social networking and get most of their information from the Internet. My hope with this blog is that our audience will get to know us all better, to understand what we do, why we do it, and for whom we are doing it. Are we going to fall down along the way? Yes. But we will pick ourselves up off the virtual floor, dust ourselves off and keep going.

Thanks for your interest in our blog - let us know how we are doing every once in a while, will ya?

Need help finding Child Care? Have Child Care Questions?

Finding the right child care that meets your family needs is sometimes a very hard process for families. Child Care Answers is here to help families with this decision. One tool that we have for families is a child care checklist and it can be found by visiting our website at http://www.childcareanswers.com/checklist.html. Another tool that you may find helpful is a chart on child care regulations. This chart can be found by following this link http://www.childcareanswers.com/facilityregulations.html.

If you are a parent or grandparent needing to locate child care in the Central Indiana area (Marion, Hendricks, Hamilton or Johnson counties) you can contact us at 631-4643 option 1. Our referral specialists Cathy Sparks and Vicky Cuenca will ask you some specific questions about your individual needs and then access our database of over 1400 child care providers to find providers that meet your needs. If you prefer to you can do a search from our database on your own by clicking the link on the side of our blog under CCA tools.

Never too early...

This video is ALMOST too frightening to watch! But trust me, it all comes out OK in the end! Someone in our office came across this video last night and sent the link via email. I was BLOWN away by this and had never heard of it. I found myself thinking back to the story this summer of the little girl that drowned in the swimming pool of a foreclosed home here in Indy, would she still be alive if she had this training?

Before you view this video a couple of things:

1. This child has already been through this training, several years ago.
2. The child's father is in the pool with him the ENTIRE time, the child was NEVER in any true danger.
3. This training DOES NOT take the place of constant vigilance around any body of water.
4. Child Care Answers does not support or endorse this program, we are merely attempting to provide parents, child care providers and community leaders with tools for child development.

This information is absolutely invaluable in my opinion and something EVERY parent that lives near a body of water needs to investigate!

In Indianapolis this training is offered by:

Barb Davis
Certified Instructor Phone: (317) 529-2763
Email: b.davis@infantswim.com

and

Yiwen Fung
Certified InstructorPhone: 317-489-9221
Email: y.fung@infantswim.com

Website: http://www.indyselfrescue.com/

Child Care Mentors Available

Hi All,
I was just speaking with Marisa, one of Child Care Answers Mentors, who stopped into my office. She had just been out to a child care providers home helping with setting up learning centers. She was sharing how excited she is to be helping child care sites improve their services to children and families. Did you know that all licensed child care sites (home and centers) and some unlicensed registered child care ministries qualify to participate in our FREE mentoring program. If you operate one of these sites and would like to find out about participating in our mentoring program you can attend a FREE Paths to QUALITY informational training. Contact Lynn, our Office Manager, to register 317-636-5727 x 238.

MFDSN

MFDSN (Minority Families Down Syndrom Network) invites everyone to attend their open Panel Discussion with some of Indianapolis Leading Health Care Practitioners on Saturday, January 10, 2009, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm. This event includes lunch and is free however you must register at register@indianadsf.org or by phone 317 925-7617 by Monday December 22, 2008. This event is open to all, but strongly encourage service providers, minority families and expecting and new parents of children with disabilities to come out and take this opportunity to speak with a diverse panel of experts. Both the panel discussion as well as print material will be in English and Spanish.

Training on Preventing Childhood Obesity

Hi Everyone,
I just received a notice from our friends at WFYI and United Way about a free training that they are doing for in home child care providers that live in the 46201 or 46208 zip code area. The training will be on Tuesday, December 16 from 9 am - 11:30 am at the John Boner Center. The topic is Preventing Childhood Obesity. They will provide Free Food, Door Prizes and Free Child Care. This free training is available to the first 25 providers who register by calling 921-1232. The Free Child Care is limited to 5 children (ages 1-5) per provider. Have a great day and try to stay warm. I hear that snow is possible tomorrow.
Mindy

Follow Formula Mixing Directions

This was a terrible tragedy that was narrowly averted! The mother in this story had just taken infant CPR training the day before and is very glad she did! This story shows that not just providers, but parents can benefit from learning infant CPR. If you are interested in learning CPR, check out the list of trainers we have on our website here.

Looking for a Bachelor's Degree?

Early Childhood Education is important in Central Indiana. In fact the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children is teaming up with Ball State University to offer classes that you can use towards earning your Bachelor’s Degree in ECE. This is a great opportunity for ECE in Indianapolis, and we are hoping for a strong turn-out so that this program will continue with Ball State. Even if you are only curious about what this program has to offer, please make plans to show up. For more information click this link and make your reservations today!

Happy Thanksgiving

Just a reminder that the offices of Child Care Answers will be closed on Thursday and Friday 11/27-28/2008. We will re-open Monday 12/1/2008 at 8:00 AM.

We hope that all of our friends have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Child Care Regulations In the News

When a Child Care news story hits the front page it always causes families with small children to have questions. The latest story in the news is about Unlicensed Registered Child Care Ministries. Child Care Answers is here to help families with their questions. To learn about the regulation requirements for the different types of Child Care in Indiana please follow this link http://www.childcareanswers.com/facilityregulations.html. We have the tools that families need to make educated decisions about what child care facility is right for their family. Please feel free to contact us at 317-631-4643 option 1 or via email at mindyb@childcareanswers.com with your specific questions. Our office is open Monday - Wednesday 8-5 Thursday 8 - 7 and Friday 8 - 2

Do you have Child Care Questions?

Hello Everyone and welcome to Child Care Answers New Blog! We are a free resource to families and child care providers in the Central Indiana area. We service Marion, Hendricks, Hamilton and Johnson Counties. We help families locate child care and give them the tools to evaluate it. We also offer training to child care providers to help them improve upon the quality of care that they are offering to Central Indiana's children. I am Mindy Bennett the Director of Programs for Child Care Answers and am thrilled that we have a new way to communicate with all of you. Stay tuned we have a lot of early childhood experts that are going to be sharing their knowledge with you. In the mean time be sure to visit our web site at www.childcareanswers.com.