Bona Vista's Child Care Solutions

Would you like a step-by-step plan of action to help you

manage, motivate and retain

great staff in your child care program?

This plan of action has helped countless leaders:

*Boost morale in minutes without spending a buck

*Eliminate workplace gossip

*Facilitate staff meetings that sizzle

*Inspire team members to make behavior changes

*Have more time

*Increase professionalism

*Motivate team members to reach new goals

Does this plan of action interest you?

What if you could get this plan of action without having to leave the comfort of your home or workplace?

What if this plan of action was FREE?

**The great news is…**

This plan of action is totally FREE for the first 100 child care leaders who respond to this email.

You’re invited:

To get your plan of action to help you manage, motivate and retain great staff for FREE this August by participating in a live teleconference and/or webcast with me, Julie Bartkus. You decide how you want to participate via the telephone, computer or both! No special equipment is required to attend.

Here’s the link with more information:

http://www.leadershipconnectionforchildcare.com/public/463.cfm

I hope you can join us! And remember – spread the word around. This is a limited one-time live event. You may know someone who could really benefit from this information.

Enthusiastically,

Julie Bartkus

www.MotivateTeachers.com

www.LcforCC.com

Your interest in becoming a licensed child care provider is greatly appreciated by the staff at Bona Vista's Child Care Solutions and families across the state of Indiana! Child care is one of the fastest growing businesses. The need for licensed child care providers is great, especially those caring for very young children. The requirements are reasonable and achievable! Many of the licensing requirements are health and safety measures you have probably already implemented, especially if you have children of your own.

As a licensed child care provider, registered with your local Resource & Referral agency (Bona Vista's Child Care Solutions), you may be eligible for many free benefits.

These benefits may include:

* FREE referrals to help fill our child care openings
* Information about free or low cost educational training
* Updates on State and local early childhood information
*Access to resources to enhance your program
* Recognition as a professional business owner- which allows you to claim additional business related tax deductions
* Information about opportunities to access local and state grants available for scholarships and other business related expenses

Bona Vista's Child Care Solutions offers the FREE Orientation 1 & 2 trainings to get you on the right track! Please call Yonda Grinslade, Education Specialist at 800-493-3231 to inquire about licensing today!!

Click here for another great tool used in getting started as a child care provider with NACCRRA's Child Care Aware Prospective Provider website!!!!

Summer is here. It’s been really hot, and then not as hot. What to do for lunch or snacks? Get the children involved of course! If you’re like me, you probably don’t want the oven on any more than is absolutely necessary.















When children are cooking, they are learning math skills through measurement and science skills through the changes in the foods. They are also learning cooperation and team work. They also learn and practice health and safety skills, because only the adults should handle knives. Everyone should wash their hands, multiple times if needed. When having children in the kitchen, please make sure that they are constantly supervised. Also, these recipes might not be for all. Take into consideration any food allergies that might be present in your home or child care.

After you are done cooking and preparing the food, it is always fun to taste what you have created.

Here are some recipes to try.

Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
• 1 (17-oz.) can fruit cocktail, drained
• 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1/4 cup drained maraschino cherries, halved
• 2 medium bananas, sliced
• 1 medium apple, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed, or sweetened whipped cream
• Lettuce leaves

1. In large bowl, combine all ingredients except whipped topping and lettuce; mix lightly. Gently fold in whipped topping. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until serving time.

2. To serve, spoon salad onto lettuce-lined plates. If desired, garnish with additional maraschino cherries.

Of course, you can also make a fruit salad using the fresh fruits of your choice. Children could use spoons to spoon out pieces of watermelon or cantaloupe or kiwi fruit. Smaller children could break off pieces of bananas or move apple pieces around in lemon juice to prevent browning in a baggie.

Ham Salad rolls

This ham salad sandwich is a snap to mix up in the food processor, or mince the ham by hand and mix the ingredients together for delicious sandwiches or filled rolls.

Ingredients:
• 2 cups diced ham
• 1 rib of celery, cut up
• 1 onion sliced, about 1/4-inch thick
• 6 to 8 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons minced sweet pickles or sweet pickle relish
• 1 to 2 teaspoons sweet pickle juice, optional
• dash pepper
• 1 hard-cooked egg, diced
• lettuce
• soft rolls, split

In a food processor, combine the ham, celery, onion, and pickles or pickle relish. Pulse until minced; transfer to a bowl. Mix in mayonnaise until well-moistened, along with sweet pickle juice, if using. Add pepper, to taste, and stir in the diced hard-cooked egg. Arrange lettuce on rolls; fill with the ham salad.

Mini Pizzas

Ingredients:
• Canned refrigerator biscuits
• Tomato sauce
• Shredded cheese
• Toppings of choice – pepperoni, sausage (cooked), chopped veggies

Have the children spread their biscuit dough out on a cookie sheet. With a spoon, spread the sauce around the dough. Sprinkle with cheese and add desired toppings. You can enhance this activity by using specific measurements for toppings such as one quarter cup of cheese, two teaspoons of green peppers, etc. Maybe you have a garden and can use the veggies straight from your garden. This is also an excellent opportunity to talk about the food pyramid and which foods you should eat more of.

Cereal Bracelets

Ingredients:
• O shaped cereals (fruity or grain)
• Cereal straws cut into 1 inch pieces
• Red licorice lace (pull apart licorice)

Using the licorice lace as a string, have your kiddos string on cereal O’s and cereal straws to create their own gorgeous, edible piece of jewelry. Utilize this activity with math by asking them to make patterns with the cereal or sort the cereal before starting the activity.


Try making some of these snacks or meals with your kids. They should be a great activity that is fun and also educational. Enjoy spending quality time together in the kitchen and then around the table eating your work! Bon Appetite!

Child Care Aware is thrilled to announce their 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 their great content, this session is FREE! Join them online at:

Have you joined NACCRRA's Child Care Aware Parent Network? Raise your hand for high quality child care by joining today! It's Free!! Click Here!