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Handprints
Welcome to the first edition of our email newsletter. We are pleased to bring you many wonderful articles and necessary information about children and families in our community. Please enjoy the information and feel free to check out our website at www.partnershipforchildren.org!
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Family Corner
Missed Opportunities
As Donna pushed the shopping cart around Wal-Mart with 9 month old Sky strapped safely in upfront, snippets of her cell conversation could be heard. "I'm going to get her pictures done..., I know they do the best pictures....., You know that little pink dress..., Oh yeah, I didn't tell you what happened on The Hills...."
Baby Sky, along with all babies and toddlers, have an inborn desire to learn and develop new skills and they do this every waking moment of their day. Busy Wal-Mart aisles offer wonderful opportunities for language, the more you listen and talk the more language your child will understand. Everything is a learning toy from the applesauce Sky loves, to the big girl sippy cups, the sweater like her sister's; to the big television Daddy wants, and that angry toddler that wants out of the cart.
Let's turn the shopping chore into an incredible fun learning opportunity for you and your child. Listen, talk, sing, repeat, rhyme and chant. Enjoy your little one, they grow so quickly, give them the gift of language and the best gift of all, your time.
Safe Sleep
WHAT!
Put my baby on her back to sleep?
Take the beautiful comforter out of the crib?
Turn the heat down?
She can't sleep with me? WELL!
My mom said we all slept on our tummies.
My baby loves to sleep in our bed and snuggle.
I place her on the couch I'm right there if she needs me.
We don't smoke in the same room!
WHY!
Baby stomach sleeper - 5 to 7 times higher risk of SIDS
A sleeping baby overdressed and overheating - 6 times higher risk of SIDS
Soft sleeping surface - 5 times higher risk of SIDS
Baby breathes second hand smoke - 2.5 times higher risk of SIDS
Baby sleeping in bed with you does not reduce SIDS
AND!
Since the BACK TO SLEEP campaign began in 1994 the SIDS rate in the US has declined by more than 50%. We love our babies and safe sleeping works!
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Early Childhood Corner
Professional Development The Professional Development Coordinator, who provides Early Childhood Educators with tools to return to school, will now be implementing the new Child Care Scholarship Program. This service will now be conducted by several qualified individuals in the office. If you are interested in returning to school and need help to get started, call Mary Draughn @ 249-6688 and you will be directed to the appropriate person.
Early Educator Certification
As most of you have heard the Early Educator Certification is the next step in making the Early Childhood Field more professional. Currently, this certification is voluntary and will have rewards attached to it. Many companies are putting together discounts for those who are Certified Early Educators. Some of the companies include but not limited to: HATCH, Lakeshore, Kaplan, Barnes & Noble and Discount School Supply. The deadline for free certifications has passed. The NC Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development hopes to receive a grant to certify more individuals for free but that has not yet been confirmed. If you are interested in learning more you can visit the link below or call (919)942-7442.
Education for the Stars Reminder
The Deadline for submitting Education for the Stars Grades and Verification forms for the fall semester is Jaunuary 14, 2010. Contact Don Stewart for more information.
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| Help paying for child care!
Beginning in October 2009, SSDC will offer full-time child care scholarships to low-income families to help pay for child care. The new program will seek to serve families through established eligibility and income criteria, and to assist parents/guardians in choosing high quality child care. Research has shown that a child's learning begins at birth and develops as children are engaged and challenged in high quality learning environments and nurtured in relationships with parents and other caregivers. Children, who enter kindergarten ready to succeed, grow to be strong students, productive employees, and vital members of the community.
While we know the importance of high quality child care, we understand that this is a difficult economy. Davidson County families with young children, as well as the child care community, are facing financial hardships. Therefore, we have established eligibility requirements to not only include those working and/or going to school for a minimum of twenty hours a week, but also those who are recent graduates, disabled, and homeless. In addition, once families are enrolled in the program, they will be allowed to maintain their scholarship for up to six months when experiencing such crisis's as employer initiated reduction in hours and/or layoffs. The program will also allow up to twelve weeks for documented medical/maternity leave. It is our hope that these eligibility expansions will allow families to maintain continuity of care for their young children during these moments of need. The early years are among the most significant in shaping a child's academic and social skills and providing the foundation for learning and school success.
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Linda Leonard
Welcome to the first addition of our E-Newsletter! We have had a difficult start to the year with significant budget cuts of over 14%, but we're not letting that get us down. We are working hard to overcome additional restraints to ensure that families are continuing to be served. Thanks to all of you who agreed to our new "green" newsletter as it will save us on printing and postage costs. Please take a moment to read about our new Child Care Scholarship program, helping parents pay for high quality child care. These are tough times and we are hopeful that creative programming will help us serve more families effectively.
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December 5th- Snacks with Santa
October 2009-
Various Child Care Trainings
March 2010-
Early Childhood Professional Educator's Conference
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