It's Tax Season

It's tax season and this is a time a lot of individuals and small business owners alike dread. Fortunately there are free and inexpensive resources available to assist with your tax needs. Somerset CPAs will hold two complimentary "seminars for women by women," in which the basics of income taxes will be discussed.
-Income and Adjustments- Tuesday, January 13, 2009
-Deductions and Credits - Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Time (both days): 11:15 AM to 1:00 PM
Location: Somerset Conference Center 3925 River Crossing Parkway, First Floor Indianapolis, IN 46240

Business Ownership Initiative of Indiana and Central Indiana Women's Business Center, a local non profit that helps people create, develop, sustain, and grow small businesses hosts a variety of business workshops but will hold:
-Small Business Taxes- Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Time: 6:00 PM- 8:30 PM
Location: Business Ownership Initiative of Indiana 4755 Kingsway Drive, Suite 314 Indianapolis, IN 46205
Cost: $10

For additional information on Somerset CPAs contact them at www.somersetcpas.com or 317.472.2200 and for information on Business Ownership Initiative they may be contacted at www.businessownership.org or 317.917.3266. Good luck this tax season.

Provider Updates

As we are starting out the New Year, I wanted to pass along a little information on how we administer the referrals database. Our database has over 1,400 active providers: LLEP homes, licensed and exempt centers, licensed home providers, and unlicensed registered ministries. Most of our information comes from the state list of providers and CCDF eligible LLEP's. There are a some of you out there who are not on any list other than ours and we appreciate that! What differenciates Child Care Answers from other referral services is that we are free for parents and providers. We are required by our funders to update this database twice a year. That is why I call every six months. If for some reason we are unable to update your record, meaning I have tried to contact you at least three times, then the record is marked as "No Intake" and "No Referrals". We do our best to make sure you are aware that it is time to update, by calling you, emailing you (if we have your address), and if all else fails we send out a letter. Once a record is marked as "No Intake" and "No Referrals" the child care will not be included on any referral lists, either online or from call ins. We will still attempt to updat the record on a regular basis.

If you think that your business is NOT receiving referrals from us, please email me and let me know, I will look up your information and get back to you. If you would like to update your record in our database click this link and fill out the form.

United Way Kindergarten Readiness Program Is Accepting Applications

ATTENTION: Do you operate a child care ministry, center, or home within the Martindale-Brightwood or Near Eastside Neighborhoods (46218 or 46201)? Would you like to have regular visits from a child care mentor who can help you move up the Paths To Quality levels? If so, you are invited to apply for participation in a new project supported by United Way of Central Indiana. United Way’s Success By 6 initiative has committed to improving the education of the youngest residents of these two neighborhoods.

This project, called “Kindergarten Readiness,” works with schools, parents, and childcare programs in their efforts to prepare children to be ready to succeed in school in the following ways:
Supporting schools by helping them become more “ready” for children entering kindergarten,
Providing parents with tools and tips to teach their children at an early age through programs like Born Learning and Imagination Library, and
Partnering with childcare programs by providing free mentoring, training and supplies. In some cases, resources for building repairs and enhancements may be available (registered ministries only).

To be considered for this program, please contact Ginger Caylor, Mentor Specialist at Child Care Answers 317-926-3401 Ext. 306 or gingerc@childcareanswers.com to get an application or more information.

If you are not within the 46218 or 46201 zip codes but feel that you provide service to several families who live within those zip codes, please feel free to call or email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Research Opportunity

Part of the funding for my position as Inclusion Specialist for Child Care Answers comes through the Indiana Association for Child Care Resource and Referral and a special project called the Indiana Partnership for Inclusive Child Care (IPICC). As part of the job requirements to recieve this funding, I am required to sit on various committees in the community. At one recent community meeting I came across some information that might be of interest to parents of young children and I wanted to share it here.

BABYTALK

Newborns to 18-month-olds are needed to particiate in a paid research project. You may participate in one or more 45 minute sessions arranged at your convenience. You will be paid for participating. Contact BabyTalk Research for more details. (317) 278-1350 or email at babytalk@iupui.edu.

For more information you can visit the BabyTalk website at www.iupui.edu/~babytalk


Dont forget to goto our website for information on upcoming training opportunities, some of which are supported by the IPICC project www.childcareanswers.com

Lora Barlow
CCA Inclusion Specialist

Improving Kids Environment - January 2009 Newsletter

IKE is leading the charge to improve the environment of all children in Indiana. Check out their newsletter and visit their site for more information on a host of children's environmental issues.

http://www.ikecoalition.org/IKE_Newsletter/IKE_Newsletter_January_2009.pdf