Early Education and Child Care MATTERS

"So you work with little kids?  That's gotta be a soft job, playing and taking naps!  And you call that work?"  How often have you had to answer a question like that?  Or explain to a parent all the things her child is learning when it looks like he "just plays all day"?  You know that play is how children learn, but it can be tough to convince others.  In this video you're sure to see yourself and situations you handle in the classroom every day.

Preparing the Next Generation for Success

You'll appreciate the thoughtful way it describes an early childhood teacher's planning, observation, and intentional teaching through play. It will make you feel proud - and you should be! You just might want to send the link to someone who doesn't "get it", and show the video to the parents whose children you teach. 

Licensing Success Stories:  Reaching for the Stars!

We recognize the challenges to achieving higher stars in child care licensing.  Recently we've celebrated some success stories and thought you'd be inspired by them too. 

In Cumberland County, the 45 Prime Time after-school programs in the public schools all moved from one-star to three-star licenses.   Kudos to everyone responsible for those programs and to DCDEE's Licensing Team, led by Gwen Brown, whose teamwork helped to make it happen! 

In Onslow County, Brookwood Baptist

Church Childcare sat down with their

licensing consultant to figure out what

it would take to reach 5 Star Licenses.

Read how they worked together and look

at their well-deserved smiles of

satisfaction in this picture.

Barriers to Achieving Your Very Best

The recent Child Care Market Rate study gave us a chance to ask providers "What challenges make it hard to reach and maintain higher stars on the Star Rated License?" Read what we learned from provider responses about barriers.  Would you like to add your thoughts to our understanding of this issue?  Email the DCDEE webmaster and put Barriers to Quality in the subject line.  We welcome your perspective and ideas.

Highlighting Healthy Early Care and Education

It's hard to miss the sad fact that we have an epidemic of childhood obesity: one in three children is either obese or overweight and at risk of future obesity.  The good news is that national attention is bringing efforts and resources to turn this around.  In North Carolina, we've been ranked in the top ten states for our regulations related to obesity prevention, particularly in rules for infant feeding and physical activity.  Nutrition ranked lower, but the recent report from our Legislative Task Force on Childhood Obesity may support improvements in that area.   

We're so fortunate to have the Natural Learning Initiative here in the state.  Their work with early care and education providers, and with the Division's licensing consultants, is making a difference in outdoor environments that promote children's physical activity.  They offer amazing resources on their website.  Take a look at these ideas to beat the heat and still get in lots of vital exercise and outdoor experiences in the summertime.

Another source of great ideas is Let's Move! Child Care, an initiative full of resources and inspiration designed to improve the nutrition and healthy weight of America's children. 

Finally, don't forget to regularly check out the Healthy Child Care Standard of the Month for tips about best practice and practical ideas from your peers. 

Be on the Safe Side:  Hot Car Warning!

No one caring for children ever means to put them at risk.  But even with the best intent, a lapse in following safe procedures may endanger a child. You never meant that to happen . . . and it doesn't need to, if you are proactive. For every situation, anticipate what could go wrong, have thorough procedures in place to ensure safety, and be sure to follow them.

In this feature of The Compass we will regularly share typical situations that could result in harm to children. Some may be obvious, others not so much. Along with these scenarios, we'll share resources you can use to avoid ever finding yourself in that situation. This summer's heat wave makes a warning about hot cars an appropriate place to start.

Did you know that the interior of a car parked in the sun can heat up to 120º F in as little as 10 minutes? Children left in this oven-like environment may suffer heat exhaustion (at 90º F) and life threatening heat stroke (at 105º F+). Every year children die from dehydration and heatstroke caused by being left in a car in the sun. (Source: NC Child Care Health and Safety Bulletin, June-July 2004)
NEVER leave a child in a vehicle unattended by an adult.

What can you do to make sure this never happens to a child in your care? These fact sheets in English and in Spanish have practical recommendations to ensure safety. Keep them handy in your vehicles and share them with parents and other caregivers. They could save a life.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is targeting the high incidence of heat-related deaths nationwide - 21 so far in 2011 - with efforts to raise awareness and promote strategies to prevent these horrible tragedies. This article notes that North Carolina is among the states where especially high numbers of children age 3 and younger have died in this awful way.

Annual License Fees 

It's that time of year . . . annual license fees are coming due. 

Pursuant to GS.110-90 (1a), the Division establishes an annual fee for licensed child care centers and homes.  The invoices for these fees are assessed based on your licensed capacity and mailed after the 1st of October every year.  Payment is due IN FULL within 30 days.  Be on the lookout for your invoice this fall!

Don't Delay 

     *Payment plans are NOT available.

     *Unpaid fees can result in the revocation of your license.

     *If changes to your mailing address or capacity need to be made,
       contact your licensing consultant IMMEDIATELY!

For more information, contact Nicole Wilson.

What is CSEFEL?

SEEKing a Solution

If you participate in the Subsidized Child Care Program, you know that the SEEK pilot is underway in three counties.  The automated SEEK system offers many advantages, but an issue of concern is that subsidy parents may be self-conscious about using the swipe card in front of private pay parents.  How will you handle this so they won't feel embarrassed or shamed?  YOU are the experts in serving families.  What strategies will make this new procedure more comfortable for subsidy parents?  Send your ideas in an email to the DCDEE webmaster and put SEEK swipe card in the subject line.  We'll collect and share your solutions to this concern with other SEEK providers.