Directors: Please join us!!

Save the date!! Black Party! 10/29/2014

Fire Drills- Get Out and Stay Out!



Professional Development Opportunity

No Such Thing as a Bad Kid, A School-age Author Workshop

 

 

The Whole Child Series

Register now by calling 317-636-5727 or email Joslyn at jsullivan@childcareanswers.com for this FREE training series!

 

Space is limited!!!

Part A–Child Development– Day 1 July 12 8am-2pm

 

CDA Content Area:  CDA08-Principles of child development-6 hours

Do you wonder sometimes why children do what they do?  Did you know that there have been hundreds of years of  research about young children and how they learn and grow? Do you want to know more about how that impacts your work? Come and learn the basic characteristics of early childhood and child development, including brain development and temperament.  Explore the history and the theorists that have had a great impact on the early childhood field.  You will leave with a list of developmental domains and milestones and an understanding of how culture influences learning. Understanding how young children develop and why they do what they do will help you know how to take better care of them and give you a guide to use in your daily work.

Part B–Observing and Assessing Children– Day 2 Aug 13 6:30pm-8:30pm

CDA Content Area:  CDA07-Observing and recording children’s behavior-2 hour; CDA04-Strategies to establish productive relationships with families-1 hour; CDA01-Planning a safe, healthy, learning environment-1 hours

Assessment fits into every good program and helps providers gain valuable knowledge about a child’s individual development and learning. Join us for Part B of the “Getting to Know Young Children Series” as we look at the process of observing children and implementing meaningful child assessment.  Please note: you must attend Part A before being able to attend Part B or Part C.  Learn the purpose of assessment, what areas of development should be assessed,  appropriate times to assess, and how we gather, compile, and share the information.  In addition to these 2 hours of training, participants will receive 2 hours of on-site technical assistance from an expert that will count as training. This training and technical assistance package is designed to help participants as they learn and implement the process of child assessment.

Part C–The Components of Curriculum–6 hrs. Day 3 Aug 23 8am-2pm

CDA Content Area:  CDA02-Steps to advance children’s physical and intellectual development-3 hours; CDA03-Positive ways to support children’s social and emotional-3hours

Join us for Part C of the “Getting to Know Young Children Series” as we look at the components of curriculum and developmentally appropriate practice.  Please note: you must attend Part A before being eligible to attend Part B or Part C.  These 6 hours of training include the following topics:  how young children learn, how to encourage learning and   development through planning an appropriate curriculum, exploring different curricula, and working with families. Participants will improve their teaching skills and learn how to make their environment a caring community of learners through the use of a planned curriculum. 

Please commit to attend all three sessions and have on-site technical assistance.  Training will be held in Bartholomew County!

Save the date!!

Child Care Answers partners with the Marion County Library to being to you

30 Million Words:  Exploring the Language Gap in Children

Central Library – Clowes Auditorium

Tuesday, September 16 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Description:

Join Luis Hernandez, a faculty member at Western Kentucky University and a regular speaker at the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership, and United Way’s Center for Excellence in Early Childhood, as he explores the impact that language development has on the educational achievement of children.  Hear recommendations on how to create a learning environment that fosters literacy/language development and supports families in poverty and learners of English.

 

 

Music Play with a Purpose

Central Library – Clowes Auditorium

Thursday, October 16 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Musician and author, Jim Gill explains the purpose behind his play. Active music play provides a context for children to develop abilities, such as self-regulation, essential to school success. Jim’s clever word play and rhymes in the context of active movement games also provide broad opportunities for literacy development.

Educators, child care providers and librarians leave each session with a repertoire of music play activities that can be put to immediate —and purposeful— use in their program. Best of all, they leave the session understanding that play is a teaching tool that inspires, in children, agility in thought and a love of learning

 

 

There is no cost for either session. Please contact Child Care Answers for registration 317-636-5727 or jsullivan@childcareanswers.com

Developing Self-Regulation In Infants and Toddlers

Save the date!

 

 

Training Name:	Developing Self-Regulation In Infants and Toddlers
Description:	Self-Regulation! Discuss and become familiar with the different types: Emotional, Cognitive and Behavioral Self-Regulation. Discover what it means, how it affects behavior and development in the infants and toddlers in your care.

Date:        June 5^th

Time:       615pm-830pm 

County:    Marion

 

Email laureng@childcareanswers for more information or to register call 317-636-5727. 

Fun Night Out for Teachers/Staff

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is introducing a new program for teachers called Educate and Create.  Teachers are invited to come to the museum for an evening of learning, creativity, and cocktails.  The group will be given a private tour of an exhibit, followed by cocktails, and time to work on a creative project reflecting the content of the exhibit.

 

Our first program will be focusing on the Terra Cotta Warriors.  For $35, teachers will get a guided tour of the exhibit by our resident archaeologist, (guided tours are not offered to the general public), two complimentary cocktails, and materials to create a miniature Terra Cotta Warrior sculpture with guidance from a museum staff member.  The first Educate and Create will take place on May 29.  You can register at childrensmuseum.org. 

Space is limited! Enroll now! Director’s Forum 2014

The Administrator’s Advantage

Director’s Forum 2014

The Indiana Association for Child Care Resource and Referral and the local child care resource and referral agencies are proud to present a day planned especially for child care directors.

 When:

Friday, May 9, 2014

 Location:

Fort Harrison State Park | Indianapolis | Indiana

 Cost:  $40

 

Registration form and conference program will be available March 25, 2014

on our website. www.iaccrr.org

For conference information, please contact:

Sally Lacey, IACCRR

317-925-5202 or slacey@iaccrr.org

Toll-free: 1-800-299-1627

Date change

Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood-

Project Learning Tree

 

June 7, 2014

Training Cost:   $20

Whether you regularly use the outdoors as a classroom or hesitate every time you send your children out to play, this workshop is an invitation to increase the quantity and quality of the contact your children have with nature. Participants receive the book "Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood" as a part of the cost of the workshop. Come explore and expand out into nature! $20 for book and materials.

 

Session Start Time:   09:00 AM

Session End Time:   01:00 PM

 

County:  Marion

 

Please reserve your spot by May 30th!

 

Limited spaces available!

Save the date!

The Administrator’s Advantage

Director’s Forum 2014

The Indiana Association for Child Care Resource and Referral and the local child care resource and referral agencies are proud to present a day planned especially for child care directors.

 When:

Friday, May 9, 2014

 Location:

Fort Harrison State Park | Indianapolis | Indiana

 Cost:  $40

 

Registration form and conference program will be available March 25, 2014

on our website. www.iaccrr.org

  

For conference information, please contact:

Sally Lacey, IACCRR

317-925-5202 or slacey@iaccrr.org

Toll-free: 1-800-299-1627

Feeling stressed?

Another mentor (thanks Amy!) forwarded me the following story over a year ago and I've held on to it knowing I just might need to reflect on it from time to time:

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything."

It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. We have had one heck of a winter and the blahs can really take a toll on some of us.  Here at Child Care Answers we have seen an increase in calls requesting technical assistance for challenging behaviors...this can be very stressful for early childhood educators.  It's tax time, another contributor to our stress!  I saw there's more snow coming Wednesday...stress!  It's only Monday...stress!  The list goes on and on and on... 

Television actress and author Marilu Henner said, "Being in control of your life and having realistic expectations about your day-to-day challenges are the keys to stress management, which is perhaps the most important ingredient to living a happy, healthy, and rewarding life."

American philosopher and psychologist William James wants us to change our thinking when we begin to feel stress, "The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another."

As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down.  Ask yourself if you are being realistic and consider alternative responses to the stress you are feeling.  Don't carry your burdens through the evening and into the night. Remember to put your glass down!

Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Science for Young Children

The eXtension Alliance for Better Child Care invites you to participate in the first presentation of our Child Care Webinar Series:

Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Science for Young Children

Wednesday, March 19 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT

https://learn.extension.org/events/1451

Young children are curious, excited, interested in exploring and eager to try new things. Discover ways to encourage that sense of inquiring through hands-on science activities that are simple, inexpensive, safe, and very appropriate for afterschool and 4-H club programs.  Learn how to help young children develop problem solving, critical thinking, and communication life skills.

For the training you will need to have the following materials in front of you:

• Small glass of soda pop or carbonated water (2-3 ounces)
• Small glass of tap water (2-3 ounces)
• Handful of kernels of unpopped popcorn (10-15 kernels)

In this session, you will learn:

• Ways to encourage children's hands-on exploration
• Simple science activities that are appropriate for preschool and school-age programs
• Ways to help children develop problem solving and thinking skills through hands-on science

Presenter:
Our presenters are

Kendra Moyses, an Extension Educator with Michigan State University Extension, has provided leadership on a variety of programs that center around families, children and youth. She currently works in the Preparing Michigan’s Children and Youth Institute and focuses on early childhood and life skill development.

Theresa Silm, an Extension Educator with Michigan State University Extension, has worked with children, youth and families in both 4-H and early childhood teaching life skill development, science, and programs that focus on academic success.

Carrie Shrier, an Extension Educator in the Children and Youth Institute, has worked with MSU Extension for seven years. She is currently providing programming in the area of Early Childhood Education. She has experience working with young children in many areas, as a former preschool teacher and center director and also as the mother of four young children.

Audience:
This 60-minute web conference will be presented for child care providers who work with preschool or school-age children, as well as 4-H club leaders who work with elementary children.

How to Attend the Web Conference:

• No registration is required to attend this event. Simply log on to https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/kidcarecop  as a "guest" a few minutes before 2 p.m.
• A certificate of attendance will be emailed to interested participants who attend the entire event live. Instructions for receiving certificates will be given at the end of the live session.
• To learn more about our presenter, download related resources, or sign up to receive alerts for this event, visit the event page: https://learn.extension.org/events/1451
• A recording of the web conference and additional resources will also be available on this page approximately two days after the session. 
• To learn more about the eXtension Alliance for Better Child Care, please visit http://www.extension.org/child-care/

Roadmap to Special Education: Laws and Process

Indiana Summit on Out of School Learning!

Join the Indiana Summit on Out of School Learning!

March 17-18, 2014

JW Marriott

10 S. West St, Indianapolis

Hosted by the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Afterschool Network.

The Summit brings together more than 750 youth workers, school-age professionals, educators, partners, and leaders to connect, learn, and share best practices on afterschool and summer learning.

The year's theme, I AM Indiana Afterschool features the latest in innovative learning, exciting keynote speakers, networking events, exhibitors, and more than 50 hands-on, engaging workshops.  Session hours count toward licensing and Paths to Quality training requirements.  The conference is designed for direct-service staff, leaders and administrators, and system-level community partners.

REGISTRATION

Click HERE
Participant cost for the two day Summit includes all breakfasts and snacks on both days, PLUS lunch on day one-- $60 for all attendees.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Click HERE

to see the daily schedule. On February 25th, the full conference booklet will be posted on our website.
 

VOLUNTEER

We are currently in search of volunteers to fill various positions during the summit.  Click HERE to provide us with your information and select the positions you are interested in.

For More Information on the Conference contact:

 Sara Beanblossom at:

 Indiana Afterschool Network

445 North Pennsylvania, suite 945

Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

sbeanblossom@indianaafterschool.org

(317) 822-8211

http://www.indianaafterschool.org

 

Scholarships Available for Indiana AEYC Memberships

Membership Scholarship

Membership in the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (Indiana AEYC) includes:

NAEYC – National Level

• Publications (comprehensive members only), Young Children or Teaching Young Children journals, insurance options, resource catalog, advocacy efforts, professional development resources and opportunities, and internet resources

Indiana AEYC – State Level

• State E-Newsletter, State Conference discounts, Public Policy Agenda and Alerts, Program Recognition, Accreditation, Scholarships, Early Childhood Awards, Month of the Young Child information, networking, leadership, and volunteer opportunities

Indiana AEYC Local Chapter – Local Level

• Newsletters, Awards and Grants, Local Chapter Conference Discounts, Professional Development Opportunities, Resources and Networking

---

Scholarship Requirements

1. Complete the application (located at http://secure.iaeyc.org/membership/membership-scholarship/) and submit it to the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children or the local INDIANA AEYC chapter in your area.
2. Scholarships are awarded based on interest/commitment to joining INDIANA AEYC and a local chapter, demographic information, and membership status.

Please call IAEYC at 1-800-657-7577 if you have any questions.

Professional Development Opportunity

Council CEO Joins Early Childhood Webinar Series

The Council for Professional Recognition Chief Executive Officer Valora Washington, Ph.D. is among the latest early childhood experts to participate in the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Thought Leaders in Early Childhood webinar series on Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. Eastern. Participants can click on the following link to register for her presentation, "Crossing Boundaries and Building Bridges: Leadership Lessons for All of Us," which will examine early childhood leadership and advocacy. Sponsored by Walden University's Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, the NAEYC webinar series explores a wide range of topics, trends and best practices in the field. Participants of the live webinar series will receive a certificate of participation from NAEYC within two weeks of the conclusion of the event. On Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. Eastern, Dr. Eugene Garcia, professor emeritus at Arizona State University and the former dean of the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley will discuss "Meeting the Needs of Hispanic Children."

CCA on Pinterest

Are you on Pinterest? Are you following CCA? We have a lot of new boards and pins.  http://www.pinterest.com/childcareanswer/

Sensory Activity/ Actividad Sensorial

The idea of these is to support the development of pre-writing skills and strengthen fine-motor skills./La idea de estos es para apoyar el desarrollo de las habilidades de pre-escritura y fortalecer las habilidades de motricidad fina.

Materials/ Materiales

Ziploc bags/ bolsas Ziploc

Tape/ Cinta

Hair gel/ gel para el cabello

Food coloring/ colorante de alimento

Laminated numbers or letters/ Números o letras laminadas

Procedure/ Proceso

Help the children add the hair gel and food coloring in to the baggie. Next choose the laminated picture you would like to add to your bag. The final step, seal your bag, add a heavy tape over the seal to help insure there is not any leaking./ Ayude a los niños añaden el gel para el cabello y el colorante en la bolsita. A continuación, seleccione la imagen laminada que le gustaría añadir a su bolsa. El último paso, sellar la bolsa, agregue una cinta pesada sobre el sello para ayudar a asegurar que no hay ninguna fuga.

Bacteria causing infections persist on toys, surfaces

reported from: The United Press International Two bacteria that cause colds, ear infections, strep throat and more serious infections persist longer on dishes or toys than thought, U.S. researchers say. Senior author Anders Hakansson at the University at Buffalo's School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and colleagues found Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes persist on surfaces for far longer than appreciated. The findings suggest additional precautions might be necessary to prevent infections, especially in settings such as schools, day care centers and hospitals. Read: MORE

Severe Weather Alert

It's day 3 of our weather alert!!! Child Care Answers office is open today- Wednesday 1/8/13! We hope you are staying safe and warm. It is still cold outside, that doesn't stop you from bringing some snow inside to explore! Have fun! All Mentoring visits and classes are canceled for today. Be safe!!

Severe Weather Closure

Due to the extreme temperatures the Child Care Answers offices will be closed on Tuesday, January 7, 2014. We will be rescheduling CDA classes, trainings, and mentoring visits. Thank you for understanding.

Severe Weather Closing

Due to Mayor Greg Ballard's announcement about travel restrictions all of Child Care Answers sites will be closed on Monday 1/6/2014. All of our trainings as well as any mentoring visits will be rescheduled.

Please be safe and stay inside if you can!