Bona Vista's Child Care Solutions

On Wednesday, August 24, 2011, the Child Care Council of Kentucky released an innovative Android and iPhone app named Kids Matter®, the first of its kind in the state of Kentucky. Among other things, the app allows parents to search for quality child care and access resources to help pay for child care.

With the Child Care Council of Kentucky's app, families now can easily search for quality child care with their Android or iPhone. The database of regulated child care facilities is searchable based on various criteria (i.e. city, star rating, age of child). Using Kids Matter®, families can also search for an area Child Care Eligibility Specialist in order to learn more about paying for the high cost of child care.

For the full article, click here

On Tuesday, September 13, 2011 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm, Methodist Hospital is offering a training that provides poison prevention background for the instructor, how to effectively teach poison safety to children, and how to get the safety message home to parents. This training is for those who teach injury prevention programs for preschool and elementary school children.

The workshop is FREE and the location is 1812 N. Capitol, Wile Hall, 1st Floor, Room 128 Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis. Workshop is limited to 12 participants.

To register, contact Barbara Cole at 317-962-9248 or bcole@iuhealth.org

A Healthy Indiana Begins Where We
Live, Learn, Work and Play

The 2011 Indiana Healthy Homes and Childcare Conference will explore what it takes to ensure all Indiana children have a healthy and lead-safe home, and safe places to learn and play. What advice should be given to urban gardeners about lead in soil? What are the new CDC guidelines for pregnant women and lead? How can nurses and public health professionals best work with families during a home visit? What's needed to keep homes clean, dry, safe, well-maintained, well-ventilated and contaminant-free?

We'll also look at emerging environmental threats, such as bedbugs, the problem of super bacteria in the food chain, the health impacts of climate change, and emerging contaminants such as BPA and phthalates. A healthy childcare track will help childcare providers ensure that they are providing a safe and healthy environment for learning.

Featured speakers include:

• Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, Children's Environmental Health Network
• Sara Snow, Green Living Expert and TV Host
  
• Attorney General Greg Zoeller (invited)
• State Senator Patricia Miller
• Julie Morris, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Agenda available here.

Breakout sessions will address four topic areas:

• Keeping Children Lead-Safe
• Healthy Homes and Asthma Prevention
  
• Environmental Health
  
• Maintaining a Healthy Childcare Facility

Scholarships are available for local health departments and child care providers. Childcare scholarships are provided under a grant from Duke Energy Foundation. Contact Jodi Perras at jperras@ikecoalition.org for more information.

• Tell Washington that in America, children, not millionaires, are our first priority.http://tinyurl.com/clcpetition
• The choice is easy. http://tinyurl.com/clcpetition
• Invest in kids! http://tinyurl.com/clcpetition
• Tell our leaders we need deficit reduction that puts children, youth and families first!http://tinyurl.com/clcpetition

• Tell Washington that in America, children, not millionaires, are our first priority.http://tinyurl.com/clcpetition
• Tell our leaders that any deficit reduction plan must protect programs for the country's most vulnerable citizens: children, youth and struggling families.http://tinyurl.com/clcpetition

Local Unions in partnership with the Salvation Army, Urban Outreach, and United Way are helping Howard County kids start school with needed school supplies.

If your children could use supplies, please come to:

The Developmental Assets are 40 common sense, positive experiences and qualities that help influence choices young people make and help them become caring, responsible, successful adults. Because of its basis in youth development, resiliency, and prevention research and its proven effectiveness, the Developmental Assets framework has become one of the most widely used approach to positive youth development in the United States.

Click here to read the 40 Development Assets for Early Childhood

The Power of Assets

The 40 Developmental Assets represent everyday wisdom about positive experiences and characteristics for young people. Search Institute research has found that these assets are powerful influences on adolescent behavior—both protecting young people from many different risky behaviors, and promoting positive attitudes and actions.

For more information on the 40 Developmental Assets, click here!

For FREE resources about the Developmental Assets, click here!

Information taken from www.search-institute.org/developmental-assets

What is Arts in the Parks?

Arts in the Parks has been a major program of Arts Place since 1977.

Hundreds of students participate in classes each year. The program

introduces young people to a variety of visual and performing arts

activities. This year workshop sites are being held in Adams, Auglaize,

Blackford, Jay and Mercer counties.

Who May Attend?

Most activities are designed for students who have COMPLETED the first

grade and older. Some classes have age requirements. Check the class

listings for details. There is a modest cost for students to attend, due to the

generosity of numerous donors. Scholarships are available. To apply

simply fill out the registration form and return it with your payment.

Parents are welcome to attend any activity with their children.

What Does It Cost?

All regular daytime classes are $5 regardless of the class length. For

example, Picking Daisies with April (Class Code XYZ) is a five-day class

and the total cost is just $5.

Family Time costs $5 per family project (up to four people per project).

Families may choose to do more than one project. Additional projects are

$5 each.

Camps cost $10 for the entire day.

For more information:

http://www.artsland.org/Misc/artspark.asp

http://www.artsland.org/Misc/AIP-2011-tab-for-web.pdf

Register now!

Business and Professional Women, Celebrating Women Miami County, Miami County Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Miami County and Windows of Opportunity for Women have joined together to award the first Miami County Women's Initiative Scholarship. Scholarship applicants must be a female resident of Miami County who is 25 years or older and registered to take classes in the fall of 2011. Applications will be available June 1, 2011 at the United Way of Miami County Office, 13 East Main Street or online at http://www.uwmiamip.org/. The deadline to turn in all completed applications, essays, two letters of recommendations, and current copy of class registration or grade sheet; are due by July 1, 2011. The first $500 Miami County Women's Initiative Scholarship winner; will be revealed at the United Way Kick-Off on August 19, 2011 at the Ivy Tech campus in Peru. Those individuals or groups wishing to make an annual contribution to the Miami County Women's Initiative Scholarship should contact Debi Miser at (765) 473-4240.

An informational alert prepared by Fifth Freedom

Information courtesy of Family Voices Indiana and FUSE

Part-Time Employment Opportunity - Family Voices Indiana seeking Family Health Information Specialists

Family Voices of Indiana (FVI) is looking for parents of kids with disabilities to serve as part-time Family Health Information Specialists. This is part-time contract work of up to 40 hours a month.

Responsibilities:

o Provide information and support regarding healthcare financing and resources to families raising children with special health care needs

o Contribute to the FVI electronic information network to ensure access to timely and accurate healthcare financing information and resources for families

o Report on the work of the FVI Family to Family Health Information Center

Requirements:

o Must be the parent of a child with special health care needs

o Knowledge of health care financing and systems and services in Indiana

o Bilingual preferred

For more information or an application, contact Rylin Rodgers:

Rylin Rodgers

Project Director

317-944-8982

fv.indiana@gmail.com

To learn more about FVI, visit http://fvindiana.blogspot.com . If clicking the link does not work, copy and paste the link into your browser's address bar.

Doug Schmidt

Act Team Coordinator

The Fifth Freedom Network

4606-C E. State Blvd., Suite 102

Fort Wayne, IN 46815

act@fifthfreedom.org

www.fifthfreedom.org