| Get Kids Moving! |
Congratulations Rhode Island - the state winner of the National Let's Move! Child Care competition. Rhode Island had the highest percentage of licensed early education and child care programs sign up to participate in the Let's Move! initiative!
|
Keeping Kids Safe
|
Did you know that not all playground equipment is intended for commercial/public use (such as on a child care center playground)? Home equipment (such as plastic structures made by manufacturers like Little Tikes) is intended for home use and should not be used in public child care facilities. Public equipment meets a standard known as ASTM 1487 - if the equipment meets this standard an imprint stating this will be found (usually on the back or bottom of slides or similar surfaces). ASTM 1487 does not apply to equipment for children under the age of 24 months.
|
Changed Communities, Changed Lives
Read LISC's 2011 Annual Report Online!
 |
|
|
RICCFF
| |
The Rhode Island Child Care Facilities Fund (RICCFF) is an innovative public-private partnership dedicated to expanding access to quality child care and early education in low-income communities throughout Rhode Island. Launched in 2001, the RICCFF provides the capital and technical expertise that child care centers need to improve the quality and capacity of their physical space. The Fund can provide a combination of training, technical assistance and flexible, affordable financing for a wide range of projects including minor renovations or construction of a new, state-of-the-art child care facility. Click the logo to learn more about what the RICCFF can offer your program.
|
|
|
|
|
Ten Low-Cost or No-Cost Ideas for Outdoor Active Fun
 Play Hopscotch! A piece of chalk is all you need to draw a hopscotch space in a paved area of the playground. - Get some Hula Hoops! Great exercise and lots of fun - for extra fun and laughs make sure the teachers show the kids how to use them!
- Go Puddle Jumping! Don't let rainy days get you down ... water can transform your playground or school yard into a whole new place. Go for a walk and count the puddles, try to jump over them or just splash in them!
- Dance! Set up a boom box outside and turn up the music ... dancing is fun for kids and adults of all ages.
- Go for a Rainbow Walk! Take a walk around the area and find things that are all the colors of the rainbow.
- Have a Marching Band! Bring the instruments outside and let the group make as much noise as they want!
- Pretend to be an Animal...Have the children run like a gorilla, hop like a bunny, slink like a cat, slither like a snake, etc.
- Cross the River...make "river rocks" from paper plates or pieces of paper and have the children try to "cross the river" only stepping on the "rocks".
- Play Old Fashioned Games...what's more fun than a great game of "Tag"?!
- Blow Bubbles Outside (and don't forget to chase & pop them!)...You can make your own bubble mixture - just mix together 1 cup of water, ¼ cup of Dawn & 2 Tbsp. Karo Syrup - for extra fun add a few drops of food coloring to the mixture!
|
|
Rhode Island LISC'S Natural Playgrounds Initiative
On May 1, 2012 Rhode Island LISC announced the five programs selected to participate in our 2012 Natural Playgrounds Initiative. Plans are underway at the Children's Workshop of Pawtucket, East Bay Head Start, Sunshine Child Development Center, Westbay Community Action Children's Center, and Woonsocket Head Start. To take a look at some of the preliminary plans visit www.rilisc.org.
|
|
Cool off this Summer... Add an Easy Water Feature to the Playground
 A Sprinkler Hose is a great, low-cost way to add water fun to your playground this summer. Sprinkler hoses, which can be found in any retail garden center, spray water throughout the length of the hose. For a different effect you can hang the hose in the air allowing the water to mist down!
|
|
Funding Your Facility Project
Programs across our state are facing many facility challenges. Aging buildings that need repairs, indoor and outdoor spaces that no longer meet today's health & safety standards and environments that no longer fully support the experiences we now know are best for young children. But the costs of these improvements can easily seem to be out of reach. Often capital improvements need to be paid for with debt that can be paid off over time. For example, if $100,000 in improvements are needed few Rhode Island centers could afford to make that one-time investment. But, if you borrowed the $100,000 and paid it back over a 10 year time frame your expense would be about $1,150 per month - a much more realistic number for child care center budgets. LISC's Child Care Facilities Fund offers financing for child care centers in Rhode Island who are tackling facility projects. Contact clarson@lisc.org to learn more. For other ideas on raising money for your project review Section 4 of LISC's Child Care Facilities Development and Financing Guide.
|
|
|
|
|
