Bona Vista's Child Care Solutions

Bona Vista's Child Care Solutions would like to share with you a link to a YouTube video about the risks of posting pictures you've e-mailed or uploaded from your smartphone that could leak information and pose a threat to your safety or that of your children.

Click Here to be Directed to the Video

The sessions are held every Tuesday from 12:10-12:50 pm at the Howard Masonic Temple basement located at 316 N. Washington Street. This event is a bring your own sandwich with beverages, fruit, and cookies being served. For more information call 765-459-0309

Bona Vista's Child Care Solutions would love to share with you the following website titled Early Childhood Newslink. You can visit their website at http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com for some great articles, activity ideas, or to tune into a training podcast on ECN radio! There you will also find the opportunity to sign up for a FREE email newsletter!

We hope that you find this website useful and feel free to leave us feedback!

- The Staff of Bona Vista's Child Care Solutions

"Helping People Help Children"

Indiana Parent Selected to Share Her Child Care Story at National Conference

Bona Vista’s Child Care Solutions, a child care resource and referral agency, is excited to support the child care resource and referral agency from Indianapolis with an opportunity for a parent to share her experience with an unlicensed registered ministry.

Casey Williams, a parent of a two year old daughter from Indianapolis, has been selected to share her story as a parent advocate at the National Association for Child Care Resource and Referral (NACCRRA) symposium- Change the Conversation….Change Child Care which is being held the week of March 14^th.

Child Care Answers Resource and Referral, a local Indianapolis non-for profit agency, is excited to announce that they have received a grant from the National Association for Child Care Resource and Referral (NACCRRA) to sponsor Casey’s trip to Washington.

Casey enrolled her daughter in an Indianapolis unlicensed registered child care ministry in the late part of 2009. She later discovered that the director was a convicted felon who has a CPS substantiation for child abuse/neglect. Casey says that her daughter was mistreated, neglected and fed bare minimums of food for lunch at the child care facility. She believes that changes to the law are long overdue and until this happens, our children will continue to pay the price.

Casey shared her story with the Indiana Senate’s Committee for Health and Provider services on February 16^th as they considered Senate Bill 56. Casey wants to share her story with whoever will listen in hopes that it will change the standards not just in Indiana but nationally. The symposium will include a day on Capitol Hill in which Casey will visit and share her story with Congress members representing Indiana.

Child Care Answers is committed to educating the public on legislation that affects Indiana’s youngest children. They have created a new website dedicated to keeping the public aware of what is happening at both a state level and a national level. You can visit the website at http://advocacycca.wordpress.com/.

If you have a child care story that you would like to share, please contact your local child care resource and referral agency. You may find your local contact at www.iaccrr.org.

Indiana Ranks 22nd

NACCRRA Releases We Can Do Better: 2011 Update,

Ranking of State Child Care Center Regulations and Oversight

Kokomo, Indiana – The National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) released a report today scoring state laws governing child care center program requirements and oversight. In We Can Do Better: 2011 Update, NACCRRA scored and ranked the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense (DoD) on 10 program requirements and five oversight benchmarks. State rankings show modest improvements since 2009; however, the report reveals that most states do little to protect the health and safety of children in child care.

The average state score was 87 out of 150 points—the equivalent of 58 percent, a failing grade in any classroom in America. Only DoD earned a B. Four states earned a C; 21 states earned a D; and half of the states earned a failing grade. Indiana received a score of 61%.

“Parents want their children to be safe in child care. They logically assume that a child care license means that there are program standards and oversight by the State,” said Linda K. Smith, NACCRRA’s Executive Director. “But, the reality is that most state licensing requirements are weak and oversight is weaker. The status quo is unacceptable. There is simply a lack of accountability for those who care for our children.“

Indiana has improved child care program requirements since NACCRRA’s last update in 2009. Indiana is cited as having "progress made," which includes criminal-history checks for licensed facilities, child abuse registry cross-check, and inspection reports posted online for public use. Indiana requires safe sleep training. In fact, over 10,000 individuals have been trained in safe sleep practices during the last three years. Indiana licensing regulations for child care centers also address the six basic child development domains which strengthen the ranking. Only 10 states require comprehensive background checks, and 21 states conduct inspections yearly or less frequently, with some states conducting inspections once every five years. Twenty-six states require that regular inspection reports and complaint reports be posted online to help parents make informed choices about their children’s care.

“Most importantly, in Indiana, we have recognized the difficult decision that parents have to make when choosing child care, and we have recognized that while licensed providers meet the NACCRRA-recommended minimum health and safety standards, high quality child care involves much more than just these basic standards. This is why Indiana has created Paths to QUALITY™, a child care quality rating and improvement system. This system assists providers in improving the quality of care offered by increasing teacher education and improving learning environments and activities. Paths to QUALITY is also a tool to help parents identify and choose high quality care,” says Melanie Brizzi, Director of the Bureau of Child Care, Family and Social Services Administration.

“Preventable tragedies, like the recent child care fire in Houston where four young children died, continuously plague our child care system in America,” said Smith. “The safety of a child in child care should not depend upon the state in which the child lives. There have been so many stories in the news lately in a number of states that, collectively, they should serve as a wake-up call to Congress and states that child care program requirements and oversight need to be strengthened. We must do better.”

More than $10 billion in federal funds is spent on child care every year. To ensure that children are in settings that are safe and promote healthy development, NACCRRA recommends that Congress reauthorize and strengthen the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) law to:

• · Require background checks, based on fingerprints, and a check of the sex offender registry and child abuse registry for all child care providers paid to care for unrelated children.

• · Require states to establish minimum health and safety requirements and enforce them through regular, unannounced inspections of all licensed child care programs.

• · Require states to post inspection findings on the Internet so that parents can make informed choices in selecting child care.

• · Require all child care workers to have at least 40 hours of initial training (including CPR, first aid, and other basic safety and health training, in addition to child development) and complete 24 hours of annual training.

• · Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to withhold funding from states that do not require minimum protections for children and that do not conduct regular, unannounced inspections of child care settings.

• · Increase the quality set-aside to 12 percent, gradually increasing it to 25 percent, on par with Head Start.

Visit http://www.naccrra.org/publications/naccrra-publications for a full copy of We Can Do Better: 2011 Update.

About NACCRRA

NACCRRA, the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, is our nation's leading voice for child care. We work with more than 600 state and local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies to ensure that families in every local community have access to quality, affordable child care. To achieve our mission, we lead projects that increase the quality and availability of child care, undertake research, and advocate child care policies that positively impact the lives of children and families. Visit us at www.naccrra.org to learn more about NACCRRA and how you can join us in ensuring access to quality child care for all families.

About Bona Vista’s Child Care Solutions

“We want families to know that they can turn to us for information about Paths to QUALITY™, child care referrals, and resources while looking for high quality child care. Our services are free and customized for each family,” Michelle Kanable, Program Director at Bona Vista’s Child Care Solutions.

It's an important decision; start early to search for your kindergartner's child care needs.

Yes, it’s that time of year again. Kindergarten round-up. This is an exciting time for both children and parents. To ensure that this time is more exciting and less stressful, the child care needs of your kindergartner should begin now to ensure a great experience for you and your child. Finding the right child care option for your family can take time and there are many factors to consider.

You need to think about what type of child care you want for your child. Your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (CCR&R) has trained and knowledgeable staff that can educate you about what child care options are available and what will work for your family. A child care referral specialist can offer you a free and confidential, customized child care referral. A child care referral specialist can help match you with your specific criteria; such as, school district, before and after school time of care needed, transportation requirements, financial needs, etc. In addition, a child care referral specialist will go over in detail the different types of regulated child care and their licensing regulations and/or requirements, as well as other helpful information and resources.

Visit and interview different kinds of child care programs to see what type of child care makes you and your child the most comfortable. Your child deserves to be cared for by people who enjoy, respect, and understand them. But, since it's unlikely that you'll be able to spend a lot of time interviewing each staff member, how can you tell? Here are a few tips. Talk to the parents of children who attend and ask: How do their children feel about the staff? Do they enjoy them? Do the children feel that the staff is patient, fair, and fun? How do they, as parents, feel? Does the staff make it a point to talk with the parents on a regular basis and encourage parent involvement? Or, do they hear from the staff only when there's a problem? Ask the director of child care facilities or owner of the child care home about the staffs’ background: What kind of experience do they have; child development, education, and/or training? Have they worked with children before? Does the child care program sponsor training for staff or does the owner of the child care home participate in ongoing training? If so, what topics are included? Have all staff members undergone a background check (criminal records, drug testing, Tuberculosis testing, CPR and First Aid, etc.)? Is the staff sensitive to racial, ethnic, religious, and gender differences? Do staff members appreciate all cultures and abilities and welcome all children equally? Ask the director or owner of the child care home about his/her background, as well. The director or owner of the child care home sets the tone for the whole child care program. He or she should be well qualified, sensitive, and experienced. A child care referral specialist can share other high-quality indicators for parents to look for when visiting child care programs; such as, health and safety, activities and curriculum, child to adult ratios, staff turnover, accreditation, Paths to QUALITY™, and much more.

Your child deserves a rich learning environment before and after school which will provide an extension and support to school education. Child Care Solutions, your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (CCR&R), is available to link you to local resources that can help you find a high quality child care program that best fits the needs of your family. Remember, it’s never too early to search for and secure your child care needs. Please allow Child Care Solutions to serve you. You may contact Child Care Solutions Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at 765-452-8870 or toll free 800-493-3231.

Written by: Starr Burton, Referral Specialist for Child Care Solutions

Child Care Solutions is another quality service provided by Bona Vista Programs, Inc.

Everybody knows how much of a headache it can be to take toddlers and preschool-age children on a trip to the grocery store!

Here are a few tips to make shopping fun and manageable:

• Prepare your child in advance on where you are going, what you will be doing, and what you expect of them. You can say: "You and mommy are going to the grocery store to buy lots of food. Would you like to be mommy's helper? You can help me choose some food. Then you will go into my cart and have the snack you pick out."
• Give the child a task so he or she knows they are being the helper. You can say: "You can help me shop for fruits. Look at all the pretty fruit. You need to be gentle and kind-be nice to the fruit. Can you please put these oranges in the bag for mommy?" "Can you help mommy look for red apples? You can pick out a snack you would like to eat."
• Before transitioning the child into a content stage, so you can finish your shopping, give plenty of warnings. You can say: "Okay, at the end of this aisle, you will need to get in my cart and you may eat your banana. Mommy needs to finish shopping for our food. You can help mommy put the food away when we get home."
• Set the stage for your next trip to the grocery store. You can say: "Thank you for being a good listener at the grocery store. You really like to shop. I like it when you help me."

Like anything worthwhile, patience and practice are needed. Don't expect perfect results, but be proud of any positive steps and changes you and your child may experience.

To teach children to be responsible (control their behavior and impulses, and to respond appropriately) and to understand that their behavior has consequences. Discipline is not to punish or harm the child, but rather to teach better behavior.

What more can you do?

For more serious or challenging behaviors that do not respond to regular approaches or strategies, it would be helpful to determine the cause or trigger of the challenging behavior(s). Some challenging behavior may have an underlying physical cause or be the result of an undiagnosed disability. For persistent and serious challenging behaviors, parents need to get support from all adults who care for their child. Teamwork is essential to come up with a positive behavior support plan for any child and family dealing with challenging behaviors.

Why isn't spanking discipline?


Spanking is NOT discipline, because it doesn't "teach" children what you want them to do. It also "teaches" that hitting is a way to react to or solve problems. There is always a reason for challenging behavior, but it may not be that easy to figure out. It is rarely the result of bad parenting, and it's never because a child is just "bad" or "wild". A child's growth and development depends on many factors, and the behavior is often the result of many factors.

What is the Week of the Young Child?

The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the world's largest early childhood education association, with nearly 90,000 members and a network of over 300 local, state, and regional Affiliates.

The purpose of the Week of the Young Child is 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.

NAEYC first established the Week of the Young Child in 1971, recognizing that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) lay the foundation for children's success in school and later life. The Week of the Young Child is a time to plan how we--as citizens of a community, of a state, and of a nation--will better meet the needs of all young children and their families.

Does NAEYC "theme" the Week of the Young Child?

Yes, NAEYC themes the Week of the Young Child yearly. The theme for the 2011 Week of the Young Child will be "Early Years Are Learning Years." For 2011, we would also like to offer you a variety of sub-themes. You can select to use these themes however you would like. As always, the NAEYC theme for WOYC is a suggestion and not a mandate. These sub-themes can be used for each day or as a means of tailoring the Week of the Young Child to your specific program, school, or community.

The sub-themes for 2011 are:

• Play: Where Learning Begins
• Embracing Diversity
• Teaching and Teachers Matter
• Encouraging Health and Fitness
• Investing in Young Children Benefits All
• Prevent the Achievement Gap: We Know How

Pipe Creek Elementary located at 3036 W. 400 S. in Peru Indiana is offering a story time session on the second Friday of each month (during the school-calendar year) at 10:15 am in their school library.

Each Preschool-aged child who attends gets to take home a free book.

For more information, contact Pipe Creek Elementary at 765-473-3121

The Purdue Extension Office of Huntington County is offering a variety of trainings to the community this month. Some topics include:

Financial Literacy Classes

Bridges Out of Poverty

Poverty Simulation in Huntington

Monarch Butterfly Workshop

For more information, click on one of the training topics listed above and you will be linked to the appropriate web-page.

1. Respond calmly
   Respond to the situation calmly and without your own anger — adults may need quiet time too. If your child's behavior has made you angry, take a few minutes to calm down before deciding how to respond.
2. Teach alternate behaviors.
   Teach your child alternate and more socially appropriate ways of expressing what he wants or needs. For example, if your child fights over sharing toys with friends or siblings, teach him how to ask to borrow ("Can I play with your puzzle for a little while?") and trade ("If I loan you my book, can I play with your puzzle?")
3. Offer choices.
   Offer choices and opportunities for your child to have more control over her environment. For example, if your child is a fussy eater, ask her what she'd like to eat, provide her with one or two options ("Would you like a peanut-butter or tuna-fish sandwich?"), or make her part of the planning("Why don't you help me cook dinner/pick out groceries?").
4. Notice the positive.
   Notice positive behavior when it occurs and provide genuine praise. For example, "That was very nice of you to let your brother play with your toy." Noticing your child when she is using positive behavior lets her know that you respect her.
5. Be consistent.
   Make sure there are consistent and predictable routines. "We wash our face, brush our teeth, and put on our pajamas every night before we go to bed." Make sure that you are consistent in what you ask and that you follow through on what you say. If you say “you can watch TV after you finish cleaning up” make sure there is enough time for this to happen.
6. Have fun.
   Make sure there is joy and fun in your child's life every day. Many parents find it helpful to play with their children before they have to do housework or errands. Think of what brings a smile to your child's face and make time each day to smile together.
7. Focus on what to do.
   Count the number of times you start a sentence “No don’t…” Children hear it so often they quickly start to ignore it. Instead try to focus on the action you want, “stop throwing cars”. Then tell them an alternative that is acceptable, “you can throw balls not cars”.

For more information visit CLICK HERE