Greetings and Happy 4th of July!
The 4 R Kids ECI Area Board was busy this spring and has made
The legislative session began January 11, 2016 adjourned on April 29, 2016 which was about 2 weeks over the 100 days that are allotted. There were no changes in the grant funding and Early Childhood Iowa received status quo funding which is 40% less than in FY 2008. Early Childhood Iowa's sponsored a bill SF2299 which was passed with a few amendments This bill will:
- Provide for the state board ECI board to have authority over Early Childhood grant formula (already has authority of the school ready formula);
- Eliminate the Levels of Excellence process and replaces it with a designation process;
- Cleans up old and outdated language;
One thing that that was not passed in the original bill was the elimination of the categorical funds. By eliminating the categorical funds it would have allowed local controlled ECI boards to meet the needs of families with young children. Currently, this has been a stumbling block in building a comprehensive early childhood system that is representative of local areas.
We will continue to advocate during this next legislative session for elimination of categorical funding streams during FY17.
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The 4 R Kids ECI Area Board is charged with administering grants to meet the needs in Adair, Dallas, and Warren County. This spring the 4 R Kids ECI area board has awarded over $1 million in grants for FY2017 Programming to serve families with young children in Adair, Dallas, Madison, and Warren County. These programs have proven to make difference in the lives of children. Research proves that when you invest $1 in early childhood services you will receive a $7 return. Another way to think about this is, put $1 million into a slot machine and it spits out $7 million in return. Who wouldn't want that?
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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!
4 R Kids Executive Director
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Amazing Facts About Infant's
Eyes - It's All About The Eyes! While Caucasian babies are born with blue eyes. If both parents have blue eyes, the baby definitely will.
Show And Tell - Although they can't speak, babies can still communicate physically. Waving bye-bye, clapping, pointing, and others are ways that they communicate. Studies show that the more physically they communicate, the better they will verbally communicate.
Left or Right? With a population that is ten percent lefthanded.
However, if your baby is a twin, they are 22% likely to be left handed.
Triple Take - At the end of the first year, a baby's weight will have tripled. That means if they were born at ten pounds, at their first year they will weigh around 30, give or take. Wow!
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New Census Bureau Population Estimates by Age Pinpoint Oldest and Youngest Counties in Iowa
Based on median age, the U.S. Census Bureau reported which counties in Iowa had the oldest populations and which had the youngest. The U.S. median age ticked up from 37.6 on July 1, 2014, to 37.7 on July 1, 2015.
The counties in Iowa with the highest median age on July 1, 2015, were Audubon County, at 48.9, Dickinson County, at 48.4 and Cherokee County, at 47.5. This means that half the population was older than this age and half was younger. The median age for the state of Iowa stayed the same at 38.1. The youngest counties - that is, those with the lowest median age - were Story County, at 26.7, Johnson County, at 29.3 and Sioux County, at 32.7.
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Early Childhood Iowa
Stay up to date with Early Childhood Iowa. The Early Childhood Iowa website has a plethora of information.
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Make it a Double!
Then eat more yams! A tribe in Africa whose diet consists mostly of yams was recently found to have exceptionally high rates of twins and multiple births.
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Gender Not Equal
While the average chance of having a boy or a girl remains 50/50, the actual numbers don't match. For every 100 girls born, there are 105 boys born.
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Can Babies in the Womb Laugh? The short answer is "no." However, babies on ultrasound are seen to react to their mother's laughing by bouncing up and down. This can happen in as little as 32 weeks after conception.
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Meeting Maps!
Ever struggle to know when and where community meetings are? The Early Childhood Committees of Adair, Dallas Madison and Warren County have formulated
meeting maps
to assist you!
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Free Autism Training!
There will be a free
Autism Training
July 19, 2016 from 8:00-5:00 at the Ankeny Courtyard Marriott
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Sponsored by Iowa Regional Autism Assistance Program
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Do You Know Who is Running for the Iowa Legislature?
An Iowa Election 2016 document has been created for you so you can see who the candidates are in Adair, Dallas, Madison, and Warren County. Additionally, there are websites, Facebook and other ways to follow or contact the candidates.
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September 8, 2016
October 20, 2016
November 17, 2016
December 15, 2016
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