The Decision Making Tool

The decision to stay at home or return to work is not easy. Child Care Aware’s Accessing Support for All Parents (ASAP) project will help families look at factors involved in making decisions about child care.

The ASAP Decision Making Tool allows families to:

• Consider critical areas of your lives impacted by child care decisions


• Examine feelings regarding child care options


• Seek the most appropriate resources and support for those choices

The Decision Making Tool offers resources which include interactive questions, a budgeting calculator, and various articles intended to aide in a family's child care decision making process. A family's child care choice is their decision. NACCRRA and Child Care Aware work to provide information, resources, and support to families so they may make informed decisions.

http://www.childcareaware.org/en/tools/decision_making_tool/

Office Closed

Child Care Answers will be closed on Wednesday July 22nd from 11:45am- 1:45pm. We will reopen at 1:45pm. Thanks!

Child Care Memories

In the early 1970's I went to a little child care provider in Kokomo, IN called "Real Life Playschool" (the picture is of me way back then) it played such an important part of my early childhood and I fondly recall it. I am sad to know that it is no longer in operation, but I will always treasure the memories and my mom still has some of the "artwork" I created there. A plaster hand impression and some coloring pages, as well as a red and green construction paper garland that decorated every one of our Christmas trees throughout my formative years. I have memories of playing Red-Rover in the play ground, Legos and learning to wash my hands when I was done in the potty. Miss Julie, Mrs. Dishon, and Miss Connie, still come to my mind every now and then as I talk to providers in the job I have now. Mrs. Dishon passed away in the late 80's and Miss Julie is gone too, but I like to think that they are proud of all the thousands of children's lives they touched over the years, and would be happy to know that I now play a small part in keeping their legacy alive through my work with Child Care Answers.

What are some of the memories you have of your days in child care before you went to Kindergarden?

Take one minute a day

And so our mothers and grandmothers have, more often than not anonymously, handed on the creative spark, the seed of the flower they themselves never hoped to see — or like a sealed letter they could not plainly read. Alice Walker

1:01 Monday 1:01 Tuesday 1:01 Wednesday 1:01 Thursday 1:01 Friday 1:01 Saturday 1:01 Sunday

Join 630 delegates who attended the 2009 World Forum on Early Care and Education by dedicating one minute a day to advocacy.

At 1:01 pm each day — no matter where you are or what you're doing — take one minute for action. Write a letter, send an e-mail, make a phone call. Make a commitment, call for action, raise awareness. Every action makes a difference.

ExchangeEveryDay is sent to 55,000 early childhood professionals. Let's do the math:55,000 advocacy minutes per day, 365 days per year= 20,075,000 advocacy minutes per year= 334,583 advocacy hours per year

Let's do it! Let's dedicate 1 minute per day, 7 minutes per week, each of us for one year.And let's use one of our minutes to bring 3 new people into the effort — which would bring our potential advocacy hours to over a million!

Then share your story on how you plan to use your advocacy minutes on the World Forum website.

Kid's Day at State Fair

The 2009 Indiana State Fair is just around the corner with more new and exciting events in store! One the many events taking place at the Indiana State Fair is the annual Kids Day on August 17, 2009.

There will be many activities on August 17 for kids and their families such as Munchkins on the Midway wristband special, three free performances of the International Circus Hall of Fame, the Stars of Peking Acrobats, and The Trouble with Boys featured on the Buckle Up Trucks Main Street Stage. In addition to these events, Kids Day will consist of games and contests from 10 AM – 4 PM in the Farm Bureau Building where kids can win prizes donated by Fundex Games. Activities are for children of all ages and include a Jump Rope Contest, the famous Bubble Gum Blowing Contest, Meet the Indiana State Fair Queen Haleigh Yergler, Pin the Nose on the Pig, and much, much more!

Promoting Social Emotional Competency

Infant Toddler Sessions: August 18, 25 and September 2 - 6-9pm

Preschool Sessions: August 19, 26, September 1 and 2 - 6-9pm

• All classes will be held at Hendricks County Day Nursery 1350 Ronald Reagan Pkwy Avon IN 46123



• Please contact Joslyn Hurm-Sullivan at 317-636-5727 to inquire about CEU”S
  Cost: $60 for Infant Toddler or Preschool Sessions 1 CEU
  

Cost: $120 for both sessions and 2 CEUs
Don’t need CEUs– Cost $40 for a part or $80 for both Infant Toddler and Preschool

Participants will be introduced to a teaching pyramid model and actively discuss strategies of handling challenging behaviors for all ages of children 0-5. Practical classroom teaching strategies and discussions will be a part of this 21 hour course. Participants will understand what must be in place in order to lessen disruptive behaviors. Social and emotional coaching activities are included in this class. Participants must commit to all nights in order to obtain the training certificate.

The State of Child Care In Indiana

NACCRRA (National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies) has posted a report specific to the state of Indiana in regards to child care. It covers many areas of research such as child care costs, child care supply & demand, workforce & training, and much more! All statistics were provided by the Child Care Bureau from the 2007 Child Care Development Fund preliminary data and are derived from monthly averages. To see this report, click here!

Car Seat Assistance

Riley offers a program to help assist families who cannot afford car seats through a program called Automotive Safety Program. Parents should call 800-543-6227 to find a safety station near them and they take their child, car, and seat to the station along with proof that they are in immediate need (medicaid info, food stamps, etc.) and the safety officer will check the seat and child for proper fit to determine if they need a new seat and possibly provide one. For parents expecting children they are to be referred to the hospital at which they will deliver. Children must be present at safety stations for families to qualify. They also have wonderful resources on what to do if you child (safety seat included) is in an accident. Seats should be check to see if they should be replaced. Below is the website should you need it.

http://www.preventinjury.org/index.asp

Car Seat Safety

One Hundred and Twenty Degrees...In less than 20 minutes, even on a mild day, the inside of your car can reach 120 degrees. And since a child's body temperature rises at a rate of 3-5 times faster than an adults, such temperatures can lead to the death of a child in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately, too many children die each year when they are intentionally or accidentally left alone in a car. Keep your children safe by remembering to:

• Never, ever leave your child alone in the car! Even for a second!


• Always take your child into the store with you.


• Lock your doors and trunk when your car is parked in the driveway.


• Teach your children not to play in or around cars.


• Put your child's diaper bag on the front seat so you will be reminded she/he is in the car.


• Keep keys and remote devises out of reach of children.

Information from the "Prevent Child Abuse Indiana" Newsletter

Paths to Quality

Paths to Quality

Posted using ShareThis

Check out the news article about the Paths to QUALITY program!

Lombardi Named to Key Federal Post

Joan Lombardi, long-time advocate for children around the world and founder of the World Forum Global Leaders project, has been tagged by the Obama administration to serve in two roles for Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services (HHS). Lombardi has been named the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). In addition, she will also be ACF's interdepartmental liaison for early childhood development. Lombardi will likely answer to Carmen Nazario, who has been nominated by President Obama to head up ACF. Nazario's confirmation hearing has not been scheduled yet.

Lombardi was deputy assistant secretary for children and families under President Bill Clinton, and before that served as his associate commissioner of the Child Care Bureau. Since then Lombardi has served as director of The Children's Project, which helped foundations develop youth-related policy initiatives and projects, and as a professor at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute.

Prior to being appointed to these positions, Lombardi contributed the article, "The Dawn of a New Era: Investing in Early Childhood Helps America Recover and Grow," to the July/August 2009 issue of Exchange. This article can be viewed at http://mail.ccie.com/go/eed/3485.

Back to School Dates

Summer is half over and it's time to start thinking about going back to school. United Way of Central Indiana is kicking off a campaign to make sure children start back to school on time. We have compiled a list of local schools and the start date of each. Please check with your local school to verify the dates are correct.



August 10th: Franklin Township, Plainfield

August 11th: Carmel Clay, Center Grove, Danville,Noblesville, Perry, Pike Township, Westfield Washington

August 12th: Avon, Beech Grove, Hamilton Southeastern, IPS

August 17th: Brownsburg

August 18th: Lawrence Township

Promoting Social Emotional Competencies

Space is limited! Call today!

Infant Toddler Sessions: July 21, 22, 23 6-9pm
Preschool Sessions: July 28, 29, 30 6-9pm
Module 4 (required for both Infant Toddler and Preschool): August 5 6-9pm

*Please contact Joslyn Hurm-Sullivan at 317-636-5727 to inquire about CEU”S

Participants will be introduced to a teaching pyramid model and actively discuss strategies of handling challenging behaviors for all ages of children 0-5. Practical classroom teaching strategies and discussions will be a part of this 21 hour course. Participants will understand what must be in place in order to lessen disruptive behaviors. Social and emotional coaching activities are included in this class. Participants must commit to all nights in order to obtain the training certificate.

Free Training on How to Assess Child Care Settings

We are thrilled to announce our first Child Care Aware Parent Network webinar! This session will be the first of four sessions...with more to come throughout the year. As with all of our great content, this session is FREE! We hope you will join us online at:
Will You Know High Quality Child Care When You See It? How to Assess Child Care Settings

Choosing good child care is one of the most important decisions you will ever make for your child. How do you know which child care setting meets your family’s needs? How do you assess quality? Join NACCRRA’s outstanding Senior Early Education Specialist and Consumer Education Specialist, Niki Smidt and Mujaahida Latif, for an informative session about what you should look for when you choose a child care center or family child care home. This interactive session include questions and answers, so come armed with your burning questions about child care.

Wednesday July 22nd at 8:30pm - 9:30pm Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Click here to register now! (It's FREE!)

For information on other upcoming webinars, please visit the Child Care Aware Parent Network webinar page.

Have you joined NACCRRA’s Child Care Aware Parent Network? Raise your hand for high-quality child care by joining today. It’s free! http://www.ccaparentnetwork.org/.

Sincerely,
The Child Care Aware Parent Network Team
National Association of Child Care
Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA)

Child Care Answers now has a new Twitter account

You can now follow us on Twitter. We would love it if you would become a follower. See the side bar of our blog to begin following us.

Indiana's Child Care Rating Program

Your child care provider plays a significant role in your child’s development. 85% of a child’s capacity to learn is determined by the age of five. With Paths to QUALITY, Indiana’s quality child care rating system, you can choose a provider committed to quality care. For more information give us a call at 317-631-4643 or visit our web site at http://www.childcareanswers.com/. If you are a child care porvider and would like to learn more about joining Paths to QUALITY please contact us at 317-926-3401 x 300

Statewide Crisis Management Service

Statewide implementation of the Crisis Management Services Program by Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services began as of September 17, 2007. This program is designed for individuals with developmental disabilities who are experiencing severe behavioral or psychiatric issues which threaten their health and welfare, or that of others.

The program is designed to deliver supports in a timely and intensive manner to children and adults with developmental disabilities who are already receiving services, as well as those who are not currently receiving services but are likely to be found eligible according to state guidelines.

The state is working with Meridian Services, a mental health provider, and Anthony Wayne Services (AWS), a provider of services for persons with developmental disabilities, to deliver these services. Those not experiencing this level of need will be referred elsewhere.

Specific Services Offered:
24 hour Crisis Hotline phone support;
In-home assessment, technical assistance and behavior intervention;
Out of home intervention on a short term basis; and
Post crisis follow-along.

For more information visit: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/IRCA/ServArticles/CrisisManagement.html

Deals on Meals

If you're looking to take the kids out for dinner here are some local restaurant deals for dining with children. I would recommend you call the restaurant in advance to make sure they are still offering the specials. If you are looking for other restaurants check out www.mykidseatfree.com .

Chick-Fil-A

Noblesville-Kids meals under 12 Tuesday nights are buy one get one free
Keystone Crossing-Wednesday nights kids eat free with paying adult entree
Logans

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday kids eat for $2
Loon Lake Lodge

All day Tuesday kids eat free with paying adult after 6pm, they also have movies and face painting
Scotty's Brewhouse (3905 E. 96th St.)

Kids eat free Sundays with each paying adult
Perkins

Wednesday and Sunday evenings free kids meals with paying adult
Steak-N-Shake

Saturday and Sunday kids eat free with paying adult (one free kids meal per $8 spent)

Holiday Hours

Hello All,

I just wanted to let you know that Child Care Answers will be closed on July 3rd in celebration of Independence Day. We hope that you have an enjoyable holiday. Our office will reopen on Monday, July 6Th at 8:00 am.

Fun Ideas for your toddler this summer

Zero to Three posted the following activities to try with your toddler this summer. Moving messy activities outside adds extra fun for your child and make for easier clean-up for you!
*Remember to always keep safety in mind and check with your pediatrician before introducing new foods to your child.

Birth to 12 Months: Fun With Fruit. Summer is the time when fruits and vegetables are freshest, sweetest, and available in a rainbow of colors. If your baby has begun eating solid foods, slice several different fruits and vegetables into bite-sized pieces (ask your health care provider before introducing new foods). Use the names of each food—strawberry, cucumber, tomato, raspberry, melon. Let your baby play with the food, touch it, and lick it. Maybe he will even taste it. Which does he like the best?

12 to 24 Months:How Does Your Garden Grow? Plant some seeds that grow in summer, such as sunflower seeds, in a patch of dirt outside or in a pot to keep inside. This is a fun project for toddlers who love to shovel, pour water, and get messy! At the same time they’re building fine motor skills (as they use their fingers and hands) and learning important science concepts as they watch their plants grow. Have a garden snack when your plant has grown big enough to “harvest.”

24 to 36 Months:Time for a Taste Test. Organize a “taste test” with your toddler as your lay slices of various fruits and/or vegetables out on a plate. (Once again, consult with your child’s health care provider if she has a history of food allergies.) Choose some fruits and vegetables that are familiar to your child and others that are new. Let your child explore the foods in whatever way she likes. She may try some, touch some, and avoid some. Talk about the names of each one, how they look, and how they taste. What fruits and vegetables are your child’s favorites? Which doesn’t she like? If you’d like, create a little “tasting passport” by drawing a picture of each of the foods you have offered on an index card. Punch holes in the cards and tie them together with yarn. Your child can put stickers on the card for each food she tries.