Child Care Answers closing

Child Care Answers will be closed all day on Wednesday, January 18th for staff development training. We will reopen for normal business on Thursday, January 19th.

Presiden'ts Day 2009

President's Day, or as it's officially known Washington's Birthday, is observed on the third Monday in February. A common misconception is that President's Day is the unification of both Washington and Lincoln's birthday, or that the observance includes all U.S. Presidents; neither is true. For the record, Washington was born Feb. 22nd and Lincoln was born on Feb. 12th. In 1968 and again in the 1980's the term President's Day came up for legal consideration in Congress but was not approved. A lot of the debate over the name of the holiday springs from the fact that state's can follow their own holidays in whatever way they see fit and many of them choose to also honor Lincoln, calling the celebration President's Day. Today, very few Americans prefer to call the observance Washington's Birthday in lieu of President's Day.

Here are some favorite children's books you can share with your child to celebrate and discuss President's Day:

A Picture Book of George Washington (Picture Book Biography)by David A. Adler, John Wallner, Alexandra Wallner

Abe Lincoln's Hat by Martha Brenner

Do you need help with your child care business?

Child Care Answers has a free mentoring program to help with your child care business. All Licensed Child Care Homes, Centers and some Unlicensed Registered Ministries in Marion, Hendricks, Johnson and Hamilton counties can take advantage of this service. If your Child Care Site joins our mentoring program, Paths to QUALITY, you will have access to a mentor that will come right to your site. You will be provided participation incentives and access to other supplies and resources to help you improve the care that you offer to children. To learn more about this free and voluntary program please contact Lynn Harris at 317-636-5727 x 238 or lynnh@childcareanswers.com.

If you are an Indiana Child Care Provider that does not live in the above counties but would like to participate in a free mentoring program contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral and ask them about Paths to QUALITY. To find your local CCR&R follow this link http://www.iaccrr.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=103

Week of the Young Child April 19 - 25

I just got an email from NAEYC about the Week of the Young Child that I thought that you might find interesting....

The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs. The theme of Week of the Young Child (WOYC) is "Bring Communities Together for Children— Children Bring Communities Together" and it's time to start planning your WOYC 2009 events. See our web site for information about planning and ideas for WOYC events . Please feel free to share your ideas with us online.

Some ideas from previous years include neighborhood parades, family fun fairs, art displays, and collaborations with local organizations and businesses. For more inspiration, please see our Web site.

NAEYC has developed a free communications kit that you can use to promote WOYC. The WOYC Event Handbook includes:
» Week of the Young Child News Release » Invitation to television stations to cover event » PSA Script » Letter to the Editor » Proclamation for the Governor or Mayor » Business Flyer Template » Participant Flyer Template
For your own editable copy of the WOYC Event Handbook and for more information, please see our Web site.

BREAKING NEWS – ECONOMIC STIMULUS UPDATE

The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies just released this update.

Senate Passes Bill, Heading to Quick Conference!
On Tuesday, the Senate passed its version of the economic stimulus legislation, “the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act”. The measure now goes to a joint House-Senate conference committee to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions. The conference meetings are likely to happen very quickly and it is possible that a final conference agreement could be reached (and passed) by this Friday, February 13. Your help is needed to ensure that this crucial funding for child care remains in the bill.

Although both the House and Senate passed stimulus bills include $2 billion for child care, conferees will be under great pressure to find further reductions in spending. The Senate passed measure eliminated a number of popular provisions: an increase of $14 billion for K-12 school construction, an increase of $6 billion for higher education facilities construction, an increase of $900 million for Pandemic flu preparedness, and health insurance for the unemployed. Other provisions in the Senate passed measure shaved back spending increases on many popular programs. At the same time, the Senate bill funded initiatives not included in the House bill such as suspending taxation of unemployment benefits, which would be helpful to families during the recession. Therefore, the conferees have many decisions to make and nothing should be taken for granted. It is very much a zero-sum approach at this point, so if some funding is to be restored, other funding has to either cutback or eliminated.

Below is a chart showing the differences in funding amounts in the House and Senate bills. In addition, language in the Senate bill for CCBDG funding is targeted for quality improvements. It is vital that this language be included in the final conference agreement to ensure that children are in safe, stable care.

Early Childhood Development Highlights in the House and Senate Bills
($ in Millions)

Program

Child Care & Development Block Grant* - House Mark 2,000.00 Senate Mark 2,000.00

Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) - House Mark 0 Senate Mark 400

Head Start/Early Head Start - House Mark 2,100.00 Senate Mark 1,100.00

Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) - House Mark 1,000.00 Senate Mark 200

Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) - House Mark 631 Senate Mark 0

School Construction (K-12) - House Mark 14,000.00 Senate Mark 0

Special Education/Preschool Grants - House Mark 13,000.00 Senate Mark 13,000.00

Special Education/Part C - House Mark 600 Senate Mark 500

Pell Grants - House Mark 1,563.00 Senate Mark 13,869.00

*Of this amount, $255.2 million would be reserved for quality funding and of this quality set-aside $93.6 million would be targeted to improve infant and toddler care.

2009 Market Rate Survey

It is once again time to conduct the Market Rate Survey. The state uses our rate survey to determine reimbursement rates for the CCDF voucher program. This is your chance to possibly impact the payment rates in your county.

This year the state is asking Child Care Answers to enter the weekly rates for licensed homes, licensed centers and unlicensed registered ministries in Marion, Hendricks, Hamilton and Johnson counties. If I have updated with you in the last 6 months I can still use your rates. If, however, you have changed your rates you can go here and send me your newest rates.

If you have not updated with me in the last 6 month - you can call me at 317-636-5727 ext. 249 or you can go here and fill out the form and send it back to me.

Helping children learn their shapes

Here are some great ideas to try to help children learn their shapes....

• Hunt for shapes throughout the room
• Pass around a shape and have children look at it and feel it with eyes open and closed
• Have children hunt for shapes in a magazine and paste them on a page
• Have the children make objects using a variety of shapes
• Have ten cutouts of all different shapes and envelopes with that shape in them, kids place shapes into their corresponding envelopes
• Place one of each shape on a magnetic board or flannel board. Have the children look through a basket of shapes and place a shape next to its corresponding match
• Select several sheets of paper and draw one large shape (can also use numerals). Set out 20 inch long shoelaces or string. Invite the children to create the shapes or numerals by placing the laces on top of the shape or numeral on the construction paper sheets.
• Use pieces of masking tape to make large outlines on the floor of a circle, square, triangle, etc. Let the children take turns walking, crawling or hopping around the edges of the shapes. Or ask the child to first identify the shape before walking around it.

Fun Art Activities to do with Children

Here are some really great Art Activites for you to try with the children in your life.
Enjoy!

• Crayons with salt water wash: Draw with crayons on dark construction paper. Then paint the entire picture with a mixture of lots of salt and water. When the water dries, the picture will sparkle.
• Crayon Rubbing: Put light paper or newsprint on top of what you want to rub (paper clips, leaves, coins, tagboard stencils, rick-rack, etc.). Keep everything still. Color hard with the side of the crayon.
• Crayon Shaving: Make crayon shavings by peeling off the jackets of various colored crayons and inserting them in a pencil sharpener. Then spread glue over a sheet of paper, or moisten the sticky side of a length of paper tape and press the crayon shavings into an interesting design or picture on the paper.
• Crayon Reverse: Children cover all of the white paper with a heavy layer of colored chalk. With a black crayon color heavily over the chalk. Put a second piece of white paper on top of the colored paper. Draw a design or picture with pencil, pressing hard. Separate the drawings and there will be a positive and a reverse.
• Newspaper Painting: Use sheets of used newspapers instead of ordinary paper. Wash background colors of paint over the paper so the printing shows through the paint. Then paint designs or pictures over the wash so that they will have a transparent effect and the printing will show through the paint.
• Hide and Seek Painting: Tie a blindfold over children's eyes. Allow the child to feel the brushes, paper and area before starting. Child then paints without seeing what he is doing.
• Baby Oil Drawing: Use any color bond paper, cotton balls/cotton swabs, paintbrush, baby oil in small dish, newspaper on table. Dip the cotton ball into baby oil and draw on the paper with it. Dip the cotton swab or paintbrush in it and draw some more. After it soaks in, have the children lift their pictures up to the light to see their works of art.

Safe Sleep Class for Tonight - Cancelled

Rae Eberle will be in contact with you if you were signed up for this class tonignt to reschedule.

4-year-old's 911 call makes him Kid Hero

Fort Wayne -- Alex Hayes has received Fort Wayne's first Kid Hero award.

The 4-year-old boy, who four weeks ago called 911 after his mother was knocked unconscious in a fall down a flight of stairs, was honored Friday in a ceremony with Mayor Tom Henry, the city's police and fire chiefs and the 911 dispatcher who answered his call for help.

"With the littleness and the shrillness in his voice, it was hard to get the address at first, but he was very awesome and repeated it over and over," said dispatcher Manda Overly. "He told me that Mommy fell down."

The emergency began when Alex's mother, Jamie Coder, lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs. Alex found his mother lying unconscious, then called 911 on a cell phone. Alex began singing his address to Overly, a song he learned from his mother when they moved into the home just nine days earlier.

"I took child development in high school, and there I learned if you teach a child any kind of music or a rhyme, they will actually pick it up quicker," said Coder, who suffered only a headache and assorted aches and pains from the fall. "I taught him his phone number, his address, and he knows how to spell several words because of the songs."
Alex will begin kindergarten in August

Original article: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009902020336

Groundhog Day

Let's hope Phil does not see his shadow today!

Dads Inc. - Cinderella Ball

Dads Inc. is thrilled to host The Cinderella Ball, a special night where every father becomes Prince Charming and every daughter is a princess! The event will be held on Friday, March 13, 2009 at the Eugene B. Glick Junior Achievement Education Center, located at 7435 N. Keystone Avenue in Indianapolis. Dads Inc. is seeking corporate partners for this event, and is excited to offer your company to show its support for the development of healthy young women through a variety of sponsorship opportunities for this event.

The Cinderella Ball is a fun-filled evening designed to help foster important family relationships between fathers and their young daughters. Our goal is to empower fathers to build a foundation of confidence, self worth, and strength of character that will help their daughters mature into strong, independent women. Additionally, the Cinderella Ball offers young ladies the opportunity to make a difference in their communities by donating to a toy to the 2009 Dads Inc. Toy Drive, in the hopes that they will continue to live a lifetime of generosity and compassion towards those less fortunate than themselves. The three-hour event will consist of a dinner, ballroom dance lessons, a horse and carriage ride, a crafts activity, a souvenir photo, a commemorative t-shirt, entertainment, and a special appearance by Cinderella and Prince Charming! The event is designed for girls between the ages of 5 and 10 years old, but slightly younger and slightly older are welcomed, too.

Tickets are $100 per father-daughter couple, and you can register online at http://www.thecinderellaball.com/. If you have questions, please contact Chris Maples at (317) 635-DADS, or by email at maples@dadsinc.org. Hurry and register - space is limited, and we will not offer this event again until 2010!

Presidential Advice- from the mouth of a Child

Dear Sir Obama,
These are the first 10 things you should do as president:
1. Make everyone read books.
2. Don’t let teachers give kids hard homework.
3. Make a law where kids only get one page of homework per week.
4. Kids can go visit you whenever they want.
5. Make volunteer tutors get paid.
6. Let the tutors do all the thinking.
7. Make universities free.
8. Make students get extra credit for everything.
9. Give teachers raises.
10. If No. 4 is approved, let kids visit the Oval Office, but don’t make it boring.

— Mireya Perez, age 8, San Francisco (The New York Times - 1/15/09)

NAEYC Resources for Preschool Teachers: In Spanish and English

NAEYC Resources for Preschool Teachers: In Spanish and English
Teaching Young Children is NAEYC’s colorful, easy-to-read magazine for busy preschool teachers. Available in English and Spanish (as Tesoros y Colores), each issue offers practical ideas you can put to use immediately in your classroom. Be sure to visit the TYC Web site to read articles, become a subscriber, and to network with other teachers through discussion boards.

Supervisors, staff development specialists, and center directors can use NEXT: The Teaching Young Children Staff Development Guide with teachers to support further learning. NEXT suggests ways to build on content while encouraging teachers to adapt and apply appropriate ideas in their own classrooms. NEXT is available in Spanish as NEXT: La Guía de Tesoros y Colores para el desarrollo professional.

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naeyc/tyc_vol1issue1/

School Bus Information

One of the questions I ask providers when I call for our 6 month update is "What school bus picks up and drops off at your location?" The answer I hear the most is "IPS," or another township name. This is helpful, but not entirely accurate.

The information that helps us match you best with parent's needs is what SPECIFIC school's bus will pick up and drop off at or near your child care. For instance at my home, my elementary school is Heather Hills, my middle school is Brookside and the high school is Warren Central. I found out this information by calling the Warren MSD Transportation Department, I gave them my address and they told me what school buses would drop off and pick up and where the bus stops are. So please call your school district's transportation department and find out your information so we can match you with parents who are looking for providers within their child's school bus drop off and pick up zones.

Family Service Salute to Family Award

Family Service of Central Indiana, Inc. is accepting nominations for the annual Alice M. Ross "Salute to Family" Award that recognizes exemplary families from the community.

The annual award honors families who have made a difference, whether it be at home in their care for their own family or by bettering their community.

Any member of the community may nominate a family they admire, and families may nominate themselves. Families must live in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion or Morgan County to be eligible.

Nominated families can include: two-parent and single-parent families, stepfamilies, multigenerational, blended, traditional, non-traditional, foster or adoptive.

Nominations must be submitted online, faxed or postmarked by Feb. 28, 2009.

Read the whole posting here...

Rise in infant suffocation tied to bed sharing

Here is a great article on MSNBC from Rueters about infant bed sharing:

Rates have quadrupled in the past 20 years, government researchers find

WASHINGTON - Rates of sudden infant death from suffocation or strangulation have quadrupled in the past 20 years in the United States, most apparently from parents sleeping with their babies, government researchers reported on Monday.

Black male babies are the most affected but it is not clear why, the researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

The trend is clear despite successful campaigns to prevent sudden infant death syndrome by putting babies to sleep on their backs instead of their tummies, the CDC reported in the journal Pediatrics.

"Infant mortality rates attributable to accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed have quadrupled since 1984," the CDC's Carrie Shapiro-Mendoza and colleagues wrote.
"Prevention efforts should target those at highest risk and focus on helping parents and caregivers provide safer sleep environments."

Avoid loose beddingEvidence shows that babies should be laid to sleep alone, on a flat mattress, with no loose pillows or blankets and in a crib with bars designed to prevent entrapment.
Shapiro-Mendoza and colleagues went through national death statistics from 1984 to 2004.
"Sudden, unexpected infant death was defined as a combination of all deaths attributed to accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, sudden infant death syndrome, and unknown causes," they wrote.

Rates of sudden infant death syndrome, also known as cot death or crib death, have plummeted in countries where health workers have counseled parents and caregivers to put infants on their backs to sleep, to avoid keeping rooms too warm and to keep loose blankets and pillows away from infants.

The data reflected this with sudden, unexpected infant deaths overall falling from 160 per 100,000 in 1984, or 5,885 total, to 92.4 in 2004 or 3,798 total.
Rates of strangulation or suffocation, however, rose by 14 percent between 1996 and 2004.
Most of the deaths that could be determined were by "overlay" — the parent rolling over onto the child.

Other causes include suffocating in soft bedding, becoming wedged between a mattress and frame or wall, or getting a head caught in something.

"To our knowledge, it is the first study to document the national trend showing a fourfold increase in accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed infant mortality in recent years," the CDC team wrote.
Copyright 2009 Reuters.

Link to the original article from MSNBC:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28857953/

YEAH TODAY IS THE DAY!

We have officially had 1,000 hits to our blog! So here is how the give away works - all providers who read the blog and respond to me via email will recieve a $5.00 training certificate. You can use this certificate for any CCA training! In order to receive your training bucks send me an email with your request and I will send your bucks! It's that easy!

• Limit one entry per person
• only emails received from 6:00am 1/26/09 through 5:59 an 1/27/09 will be eligible.
• IF you are a provider on our database - your record must have been updated within the last 6 months
• Email must include your name, complete address, and phone number

Upcoming Give Away!

Tell your friends about the blog!!!
We are eagerly awaiting our 1,000th hit to the blog and as soon as we do, we will have our first give away!

So let all your friends know that you read our blog! Sign up as a blog follower! Get us up to 1,000 hits!

Second Shift Work

I know that a lot of the providers I speak with provide care outside of the "6 to 6" time frame. I also get questions on how to drum up business for second shift. After speaking with a provider today I want to offer my suggestions to all of you who read the blog:

• Pass out your business cards at area restaurants. Give your card directly to the manager and your server. Let them know that if they are ever in a pickle and need care that you are available. Involve the management staff so that if they have a server they know is having child care issues they can recommend you as well.


• Be on the look-out for businesses that are open after 6 PM. When you are out doing errands keep your eyes peeled. Besides the traditional businesses of healthcare, police, fire departments, look at gas station convenience stores, fast-food establishments, retail workers, any business that is open past 6 PM. Again deal directly with staff and management, they know the people that work for them and what their needs are.

If you have successfully launched your second shift - let us know what you did to succeed - post in the comments section. We look forward to hearing and passing your ideas along!