| Council Connections
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March 2010
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Greetings!
Enjoy the March edition of School Age Connections, an e-newsletter from the Child Care Council of Westchester. This month find clarity about the school age care regulations, reminders about use of walkie talkies and meeting children at bus stops and fun ways to welcome spring. Check out Spotlight On...!, a new feature that highlights one after school program each month. Happy spring!
Susan M. Edelstein
Director, ISACC |
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Resources for School Age Professionals
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| Clarity about ... School Age Regulations
Age of staff
The youngest staff member that may be in a program is 16.
Who needs to be fingerprinted All staff need to be fingerprinted. Volunteers who come on a regular basis should be treated as staff, which includes training requirements.
SCR
Staff 18 and over need to fill out the SCR, which should be renewed every 2 years. This is a best practice, rather than a requirement, to follow.
All staff need to fill out the conviction statement every two years.
The only staff member who can conduct training is the director. Directors can train in every topic EXCEPT Regulations and ChildAbuse/Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Use of Walkie Talkies
School age registrars report that many after school staff are increasingly using walkie talkies inappropriately. Staff in one classroom cannot walkie talkie to staff in another room that a child is walking alone from one room to the other. Staff must walk with children to ensure their safety.
Meeting Children at Bus Stops
It is imperative that after school staff be in attendance at the bus drop off location to meet, greet and escort children into the program space. Bus stops are not always directly in front of the building that houses the after school program, therefore some children have to walk to the program. Children must be escorted by a program representative to the program space.
Contractors in the Program
Contractors do not need to fulfill any of above requirements and should not be counted in ratios or left alone with children. |
| Westchester County Child Care Scholarship Program Discontinued |
The Child Care Council of Westchester has been informed by the Westchester County Department of Social Services (DSS) that 2010 funding for the Westchester County Child Care Scholarship Program has been discontinued.
This means that 2010 Round 1, scheduled to begin June 1, 2010, will not occur. Applications for 2010 Round 1 are no longer being accepted.
At this time, all current 2009 Round 1 and Round 2 Westchester County Child Care Scholarships scheduled to end May 31, 2010 will end in April 2010. The final April payment will be 75% of the usual monthly award amount.
The Child Care Council understands the financial hardship of paying for quality child care. We, with your support, advocated to the County for continuation of this program. Your voices were heard and your support greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, in this very difficult economic climate, the County was not able to continue to fund the Westchester County Child Care Scholarship Program.
The Council continues to work on educating our community on the importance of affordable, quality child care on behalf of all children and families in Westchester County. If you would like to work with us on this public education effort, please contact us at susane@cccwny.org.
Please contact me at susane@cccwny.org or at 914-761-3456 x 127 with any questions you might have. |
Spotlight on...! Chappaqua Children's Workshop
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Chappaqua Children's Workshop, known as CCW, has been serving Chappaqua residents for 28 years, in each of the three elementary schools. In 2003, a middle school program was formed named Kids Unlimited, known as KU.
2009-2010 has been a productive year for Chappaqua Children's Workshop and Kids Unlimited.
In September, CCW/KU became a participant in the Council's School Age Quality Initiative. The SACERS assessment was used to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the middle school program, and was an enormous help as we set about to make changes. SAQI consultants incorporated technical assistance with expert feedback to make needed changes that would make the program better for children and staff. As a result of our participation, students now have more choices for activities on a daily basis, and contribute to setting up snack time. Students also help plan the curriculum, which has increased enthusiasm and interest. We plan to purchase video equipment for the 2010 -11 school year to better serve the Video Club.
Three times a year (October, January and April), CCW/KU runs weekly clinics for 5 weeks giving children the opportunity to try their hands at different hobbies like cooking, chess, balloon animal making, YoYos and fitness.
Many children participated in a Hop-A-Thon that CCW held during the winter recess.in February. The Muscular Dystrophy Association contacted CCW to be participants in their annual event. The event helped raise the children's awareness of disabilities, and gave them the opportunity to donate to this organization.
March brings us closer to our April 9th Variety Show/Fundraiser. Children and staff are busy with rehearsing ballet, singing, instrumental acts, as well as lip syncing, magic tricks, card tricks, reciting poetry, group dance routines and more. Each after school site will design a cover for the programs that will be printed and handed out that night. The show will be filmed and DVDs made for us to sell. We are all looking forward to this family, food & fun extravaganza!
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| Ways to Welcome Spring |
ING Run For Something Better grant
If your after-school program shares space with a school, consider working with a teacher or other school employee to apply for the ING Run for Something Better grant.
The ING award, in partnership with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, seeks to increase physical activity in students and help fight childhood obesity through the creation of school-based running programs.
Fifty grants of $2,000 will be awarded. The funds can be used to establish a school-based running program or expand an existing one. The program must target children in the fourth- through eighth-grades. The application deadline is April 15.
For more information and an application, click here
Gardening
If you have outdoor space available, create an outdoor garden with your children. If you don't have outdoor space, be creative and try window boxes or container gardening. Seeds are readily available for both flowers and vegetables. Gardening provides great activity, creativity and can become a lifelong interest for children. www.Kidsgardening.org is a great resource for ideas. |
| Upcoming Events |
| Tuesday April 20, 2010
School Age Directors Network Meeting from 10 am - 12 pm at the Council
Saturday April 10, 2010
7th Annual School-Age Care Training Institute
Rochester, NY
Saturday April 17, 2010
The Child Care Council of Westchester, Inc. presents
Tom Chapin in Concert: A family concert in celebration of the Week of the Young Child
Tell your families about this great family event. Guaranteed fun for all!
Archbishop Stepinac High School, 950 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains
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