Early Childhood Iowa Area Board

Newsletter

Volume 16 - April 2016
Greetings and Happy Spring!
The legislative session is still in progress and there is a bill of interest to Early Childhood Iowa, SF2299. This bill will:
  • Eliminate the restrictive and cumbersome funding categories;
  • Provides for the state board ECI board to have authority over Early Childhood grant formula (already has authority of the school ready formula);
  • Eliminates the requirement that at least 60% of funding allocated for family support programming is expended on home visitation;
  • Eliminates the Levels of Excellence process and replaces it with a designation process;
  • Cleans up old and outdated language;
It is important to note that the state ECI Board endorsed the recommendations. Additionally, the bill did not ask for an increase in funding for FY17.  Funding has been status quo since 2008. 

The legislative session began on January 11, 2016 and it should conclude April 19, 2016.  

To keep up to date during the next legislative session go to the Iowa Legislative website.

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You have the chance to invest in our youngest citizens...and all you have to do is volunteer your time!
 
The Iowa 4 R Kids Early Childhood Area Board is seeking applicants who want to help children age 0-5 grow, learn and prepare for Kindergarten. With the state financial resources, our twelve member board awards Early Childhood grants to ensure young children will be healthy and successful. 
 
Board membership is available  to residents who reside or work in Adair, Dallas, Madison, or Warren County, and do not directly or indirectly receive funds from the Board. For more information download the 4 R Kids Board membership application or contact the ECI Director, Debra Schrader.
The 4 R Kids ECI Area Board has a Facebook Page!  Like us on Facebook  
Debra Schrader
4 R Kids Executive Director


Amazing Facts About Infants

They Can Breathe And Swallow: While adults and babies can do both, only at a certain age can you do both at the same time. At around six months is when babies can both take a breath and a bite at the very same time.

Double Trouble: At six months in, babies have usually doubled their birth weight. A near impossibility at any other age.

Super Baby! Pound for pound, a baby is stronger than many animals. An oxen is the best example of compatible strength. Their strongest muscles? The legs!

April is Prevent Child Abuse Month!
This April, Adair, Dallas, Madison and Warren Counties will join hundreds of communities across the nation in celebrating Child Abuse Prevention Month.  All children deserve a great childhood because our children are our future.  How are we going to achieve this?  We're going to do it together, one simple, everyday action at a time, where we support both the families we know and all of the families in our neighborhood and community.   If we work to turn small actions into big impact not just during April, but every day, we can go a long way toward creating the kind of world where all children have the great childhood they deserve and abuse and neglect never occurs. 

The blue pinwheel has become the symbol for child abuse prevention.  Pinwheels symbolize the happy, carefree childhood that all children deserve.  Throughout the month of April, pinwheels will be on display throughout our four county area and each community will have activities planned to celebrate Child Abuse Prevention Month.   Show your support for child abuse prevention by wearing blue on Blue Out Days which will be celebrated in Adair on April 27th, Dallas and Warren Counties on, April 18th and on Friday, and Madison County will be April 22nd.  For more information about local activities in your community, contact:
Adair County: 
Stephanie Claussen                                                    
Success 4 Kids Council President
(641) 743-6173
 
Dallas County:
Emily Brott
Dallas County Children's Council Development Director
(612) 644-6847
 
Madison County:
Lynette Judd
C.R.I.S.P Coordinator
(515) 462-9400
 
Warren County Child Abuse Prevention Council:
P.O. Box 417
Indianola, IA 50125
(515) 962-9171
www.cap.warren.ia.us
www.facebook.com/warrencountycapc
Aligning and Investing in Infant and Toddler Programs
The fact that the United States is undergoing major racial and ethnic change is well documented. By 2043, demographers estimate that there will be no majority race or ethnicity for the first time in U.S. history. The leading edge of this transformation is America's youngest citizens. Already, children of color comprise a majority of children under age 2. This is also the first school year in which the majority of children attending public schools are children of color. To read more: Center for American Progress.
Early Childhood Iowa
Stay up to date with Early Childhood Iowa.  The  Early Childhood Iowa website has a plethora of information. 

May babies are the heaviest!
One would think that January sees the heaviest babies given all the holiday eating but this is untrue. May is actually the month that sees the heaviest babies born. 
Did you know?
If child abuse decreased by10% the money saved could pay for 666,667 children to go to an accredited child care center for a year!
Play With Blocks!
Playing with blocks may help children's spatial and mathematical thinking!
Save The Dates

 

4 R Kids 
Board Meetings
April 21, 2016
May 19, 2016
June 16, 2016  

Toddlerfest!

Below are the dates that have been scheduled for this year's Toddlerfests in each County.

 

4/2/16 - Warren County

4/9/16 -  Madison County

5/3/16 - Adair County

5/7/16 - Dallas County

 

4 R Kids Website has more information.

Did you know?
By decreasing child abuse by just 5% the money save could be used to purchase 19,054 home for single families.

4 R Kids Survey
The 4 R Kids ECI Area Board is charged with conducting a needs assessment every three years.  The area will be administering a parent survey over the next few months.  The survey is confidential and can be accessed by  The  4 R Kids survey is confidential. It is also easily accessed on the  4 R Kids website.
If you have any questions,  contact the ECI Director at [email protected].
Did You Know?
Children who watch more television during the first three years of life are more likely to have problems with attention deficit disorders when they are 7 to 9 years old.

Heatstroke!
Heatstroke is the number one killer of children, outside of car crashes. 

In 2014, 29 children died of heatstroke in the U.S.

Children overheat up to five times faster than adults.

Words a child 
needs to hear!
I'm so lucky to 
have you!

Debra Schrader, 4 R Kids Executive Director

4 R Kids Early Childhood Iowa Area Board

1011 Pear Avenue

Prescott, Iowa 50859

641-344-2250

4rkids-eci.org

[email protected]


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4 R Kids Early Childhood Iowa Area Board Vision
"Every child beginning at birth will be healthy and successful"