and e c r u o s e R e r a C d il Ch r Referral Newslette Volume 13, Issue 1 Fall 2010
Inclusion Services Available Through Child Care Resource and Referral
Inside this issue:
I am writing to let you know about the team that can provide inclusion consultation services to you and the families in your program.
CCRR Accreditation Facilitation Project
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School Readiness
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Directors Cut: One Minute Ideas
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Recalls
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My name is Sarah Camp and I have been working for the resource and referral agency out of the Springfield office for eight years. As you can imagine, those ten years have brought me many different experiences and knowledge about various special needs and disabilities. I’m happy to report I now have a few extra hands in the field to continue those inclusion services in the Joplin, Poplar Bluff, and Cape Girardeau areas. Cari Barnes and Cindy Howell will be assisting in the Southeast area; Lori Schlueter will be available in the Southwest region, and of course, there’s me, Sarah Camp, in the Springfield/South-central area. I invite you to call or email me if you have any questions, concerns with behavior or medical issues, or just need someone to support you in your efforts towards inclusion. We are here to help. Please feel free to contact me at (800)743-8497 or (417)887-3545 ext. 215 , or by e-mail at scamp@ccochildcare.org We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Sarah Camp
Upcoming Changes to the Newsletters You Receive Child Care Resource & Referral 1910 E. Meadowmere Springfield, MO 65804 (417)887-3545 or (800)743-8497 Fax: (417)823-9459
Beginning winter 2011, you will no longer receive your newsletters from the CCRR agency in Springfield. Child Care Aware® of Missouri (formerly the Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral Network) will be sending you newsletters filled with the latest news from the early childhood field, as well as, happenings specifically in the southern region of Missouri.
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Child Care Resource and Referral Newsletter
Child Care Resource and Referral Now Has Accreditation Facilitation Project (AFP) Openings The accreditation facilitation project helps improve the quality of childcare programs in Missouri by assisting centers and family childcare providers in their pursuit toward accreditation. Accreditation is the benchmark of quality among early education programs, and says that your program is committed to quality for children. This level of commitment sets you apart from the average childcare program. In Missouri, the Department of Social Services (DSS) recognizes the importance of quality care for children. DSS has authorized an increase in the amount paid to accredited programs for tuition subsidies for low income children. Through the Accreditation Facilitation Project you can: Receive one-on-one assistance at your program. Get help with revising your program’s policies. Achieve goals to earn educational items and incentives. Receive financial support to gain additional education for yourself and staff. Get help with developing curriculum and lesson plans. If these are things you are interested in, then you may be ready to work towards accreditation! This is a FREE program for providers. All licensed centers and family homes welcome to apply. Call Child Care Resource and Referral today at 417-887-3545 or 800-743-8497 ext. 213
CONGRATULATIONS TO JENNIFER O’DONNELL AT UPTOWN CHILDREN’S ACADEMY IN WAYNESVILLE!!! THIS PROGRAM IS OFFICIALLY ACCREDITED THROUGH THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY CHILD CARE (NAFCC). YOUR PROGRAM CAN DO IT TOO WITH HELP FROM THE CCRR ACCREDITATION FACILITATION PROJECT (SEE DETAILS ABOVE)
Volume 13, Issue 1
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School Readiness? What Every Child Care Professional and Parent Needs to Know Submitted By: Amy Cochran; Early Childhood Specialist– CCRR School Readiness involves more than just children; it’s also about families, early surroundings, schools, and communities. Children are not just “ready” or “not ready” for school. Their skills and development are shaped by their families and through their contacts with other people and surroundings before coming to school. As child care providers, you have the opportunity to work with children at this young age (Birth-Five). Child care providers are fortunate to be able to build relationships with the families in their programs. Providers and families can work as a team to provide the opportunity for children to be successful and ready to enter school. Starting school is an important time for young children, their families and educators. A successful transition from home to school has a positive, long-lasting effect on a child’s ability to learn. Smooth transitions occur when children know what to expect and are excited about learning and when parents are active participants in the education process at home and at school. Ensuring that children are ready to do well in school is one of the most pressing issues in early childhood guidelines and practice. Supporting the ways in which families raise their children is important for ensuring that more young children enter school ready to succeed. The skills and abilities that young children are expected to bring to school must be based on knowledge of child development and how children learn.
Missouri & School Readiness Missouri’s stance on school readiness is that all children in Missouri will have access to high quality early education that will prepare them to succeed in school and in life. Early education will be based on research, best practice, and the needs of all children and families to build a relationship within the community. Complete services will build on the strengths of families. The following are principles that guide the development of a system of total access to high quality early education for all Missouri children, birth to kindergarten entry: •
All children, birth-Kindergarten, have access to high quality early childhood experience
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The development of high quality early education involves the full effort of the community
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High quality early education focuses on the areas of cognitive, language, social/emotional, and physical development
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High quality early education programs assess the needs of individual children and families; these programs provide access to comprehensive, research-based services
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Parents are recognized as their children’s first teachers and are encouraged to be involved in their children’s early education experiences
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A strong, accessible system of technical assistance and professional development supports high quality early education
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Transition activities provide a fully integrated system from birth- kindergarten
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Enough funding must be maintained to ensure and expand high quality experiences for all children and to provide flexibility for families
The following are website links for more information on school readiness: http://www.naccrra.org/news/press-releases/full.php?id=32 http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSREADY98.PDF http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/fedprog/earlychild/PreK_Standards/Index.html
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Child Care Resource and Referral Newsletter
National Child Care Teacher AwardsNominate Your Teacher Today! The Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation’s National Child Care Teacher Awards acknowledge the critical role of child care teachers in providing quality early care and education. Child care teachers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to apply for these awards. Applicants must be full-time child care teachers employed in a home, group, or center-based program for a minimum of three years. As part of the application process, teachers are asked to design an enhancement project for the children in their classroom or home, illustrating the educational, social, and emotional benefits from the project. Fifty selected teachers will each receive a $1,000 grant; $500 to create the project and $500 for the teacher's personal use. Of the top ten recipients, one is selected to receive the Helene Marks Award, which includes an additional $1,000 award. Applications must be postmarked by December 6, 2010. Visit the Foundation’s website to download the application guidelines- http://www.tllccf.org/pr_nccta.php
Directors Cut: One-Minute Ideas Ask this question to see if future staff can get off to a fast start
What’s your message when managing change?
Want to know if a job applicant is prepared to hit the ground running? Try asking this question during the job interview: “If you get this job, what tasks would you want to tackle first?” Their answers will tell you how much they know about your program and their role in it—and how quickly they’ll be able to start making an impact.
It’s ok for you to feel uneasy when major changes occur in your program. But its key you keep your deepest worries to yourself. Your attempts to calm the fears of staff will fall short if employees sense you don’t believe your own message. While it’s ok to notice real concerns it’s not ok for employees to see you in panic mode. Be aware of any negative energies you might be sending out and remember workers will attach great meaning to your simplest actions.
—Adapted from “Tips for interviewing prospective employees,” on the BuyerZone website
-Adapted from the NYS Forum Web site
Volume 13, Issue 1
Inclusion Corner: Guides for Adapting Early Literacy Activities for Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers with Disabilities
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The Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) has published 15 new practice guides with adaptations for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, which show how to adapt early literacy activities so that young children with disabilities can participate. The guides describe everyday home, community, and childcare learning opportunities that encourage early literacy learning. All are available online at
Congratulations Vacancy Update Winners!!
June Winner: Creative Learning Center July Winner: Mother’s Touch Learning Center August Winner: Carol Blevins September Winner: Marilyn Dodd October Winner: Jennie Robinson
http://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/pg_tier2.php
Recall Information The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Lakeshore Learning Materials has issued a recall on Magnetic Maze Boards. The magnetic maze board’s plastic wand can separate and expose a magnet that can be a choking hazard to children. Also, if a child has more than one of these toys and the magnets detach and are swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal. This recall involves wooden magnetic maze boards. The wooden boards have a clear plastic sheet that covers small wooden or plastic pieces located inside a maze. A plastic wand containing a magnet in its tip is attached to the board by a cord. The wand is used to move items inside the maze. The top of the board reads: “Who’s Hiding in the Garden?,” “Who’s Hiding in the Ocean?,” “Magnetic Counting Maze,” “Magnetic Alphabet Board” or “My Community Magnetic Board.” Lakeshore Learning Materials stores nationwide, its catalogs and online at www.lakeshorelearning.com from January 2009 through May 2010 singly or in sets for between $30 and $40.
For more Recalls, visit www.cpsc.gov For additional information, contact Lakeshore Learning Materials at (800) 428-4414 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the company’s website at www.lakeshorelearning.com
Meet the CCRR Call us anytime with questions or to get the latest information on quality child care
Visit us on the web: www.ccochildcare.org
(417)887-3545 OR (800)743-8497 Nicole Piper (Director)- ext. 214 Kim Gillman (Training Coordinator) ext. 213 Sarah Camp (Referral Coordinator) ext. 215 Sara Potter (Referral Specialist) ext. 210 Amy Cochran (Early Childhood Specialist) ext. 211 Cari Barnes- Cape Girardeau (Early Childhood Specialist) Cindy Howell - Poplar Bluff (Early Childhood Specialist Lori Schlueter- Joplin (Early Childhood Specialist)
“Good Beginnings Last A Lifetime– Make a Smart Child Care Choice”
CCRR is an equal opportuni ty/affirmative action employer. Services are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis. An Op erating Agency of the Council of Churches of the Ozarks. Member of the Missouri Child Car e Resource and Referral Network. Funding provided by the Missouri Department of Soc ial Services, Children’s Division, Early Childh ood and Prevention Services Section, in con junction with the Department of Health and Senior Services, Division of Regulation and Licensure, Section for Child Care Regulation