FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mindy Bennett, Program Director
Child Care Answers
(317) 636-5727 Ext. 224

INDIANA LAUNCHES FREE ONLINE TOOL TO IDENTIFY HIGH QUALITY CHILD CARE OPTIONS

Indianapolis, Ind., May 10, 2012 -- Hoosier families now have a digital tool to assess child care facilities for quality, safety and other benchmarks, and can take virtual tours of select facilities. Child Care Online is a free, Internet search tool designed so consumers can easily and conveniently compare child care programs and can identify a range of high-quality care choices. Child Care Online is available at http://www.childcareindiana.org starting today. “Finding the appropriate, high-quality child care provider is often a difficult task for Indiana families,” declared Melanie Brizzi, administrator, Indiana Bureau of Child Care (BCC). “Working Hoosiers need high-quality child care to support their children’s development. Research shows that effective early learning experiences prepare children for future success in school, work, and life.”

Mindy Bennett, program director for Child Care Answers Agency states, “Child Care Answers provides free help for families seeking child care. By using the information we have available, they can learn what they want to know most—who can keep their children safe, healthy, and learning. The Child Care Online tool allows users to see actual images of teaching and learning spaces, food service capabilities and toileting facilities, and recreation areas and equipment. Utilizing Child Care Online as a free marketing tool, child care providers can explain, in their own words, what they do and why. Through available text, photos and audio, parents and guardians can read, see and hear what to expect from providers.”

Child Care Online is being launched at simultaneous press conferences throughout the state in conjunction with Paths to QUALITY™, Indiana’s voluntary quality rating and improvement system for child care programs. Indiana is proud to be the first state in the nation to launch Child Care Online. More than 1,145 child care programs have achieved or are working toward the state’s highest level of care— national accreditation. Child Care Online will highlight these programs.

A local press conference to announce the launch and demo this free product will be held at:

Day Nursery- Ruth A. Lilly Center
3522 N. Central Ave.
Indianapolis,IN 46205
Contact Mindy Bennett, (317)636-5727 ext. 224 for more information.

Provider Appreciation- Free Online Training May 11th

Gift for Providers on Provider Appreciation Day Friday, May 11 Free Online Training! Provider Appreciation Day, celebrated each year on the Friday before Mother’s Day, is a special day to recognize child care providers, teachers and other educators of young children. Nearly 11 million children under age 5 spend a portion of their week in the care of someone other than their mother – on average, about 35 hours per week. To thank providers, the Child Care Aware Training Academy™ and our training partner, Smart Horizons, will offer free online training on Friday, May 11, Provider Appreciation Day. Registration instructions for the 2-hour course, Promoting Nutrition & Physical Activity in Child Care, will be posted here on May 11. The course will be available beginning early Friday, and remain available until midnight. This course is comprised of two classes: Physical Development and Outdoor Play and Nutrition and Menu Planning. Providers will be able to print a certificate of completion when they finish each class. The course focuses on strategies providers can use to create a healthier child care setting in light of the growing problem of childhood obesity. The course includes printable resource guides, family letters, activity ideas and planning forms. To learn more about registering for the free training, click here For more about Provider Appreciation Day, click here or call Toll Free: 1-800-261-6248

Upcoming Make-It-Take-It Session

Labels! Labels! Labels! (promoting bi-lingual literacy experiences)


Attention Child Care Providers: Do you find that there is never enough time in your busy day? Do you need help with labeling? Would you like to share ideas with other providers? If you answered yes to these questions, then join us for a morning of work and fun at our June Make-It-Take-It session. For only $5 you can gather materials, make your labels for your classroom(s), use our Resource Library, and have a brainstorming session with other providers. Make-It-Take-It sessions offer a 1 hour training certificate and connect activities to the Birth-Five Foundations. Sessions are held on the first Saturday of the month from 9:30am to 12:30 pm at the Day Nursery Lilly Center located at 3522 N Central Ave, Indianapolis 46205. If you’d like to register or have questions, contact Vanessa at 317-636-5727 ext, 241.