By Erin Egan on March 11, 2010
Lending Library for Toys at a Mississippi CCR&R center
Most Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) centers across the country offer a volume of information, childcare and daycare centers locations for parents, and support and professional development for child care providers. Well, Mississippi State University’s extension service has gone a step further, opening a Toy Library.
“We have a wealth of resources. Books, toys and games,” said Jocelyn Bass, the site coordinator for the Harrison County CCR&R. “Creative play, costumes, all free of charge. Just come in, fill out an application just like a library, and children can have these resources and learn and play all at the same time.”
“It (the library) provides an extra learning tool. We’re always looking for ways to help our children enhance their learning, their different learning styles. Every child is different and you need different things for every child. It can get so expensive to buy all those things.”
So it may be well worth the trip to see if the center has what you’re looking for before going out and buying a new boy. “It’s free of charge to anybody, child care centers, parents and grandparents. Anyone that has a link to children is welcome to come out” said Bass.
While this is the first state we’ve seen, yet, check with your state’s Child Care Resource and Referral network, and if they’ve not heard of the idea, put them in touch with Ol’ Miss.
Posted in General Child Care | Tagged Child Care, child care insurance professionals, childcare, daycare insurance
By Erin Egan on March 6, 2010
Are you a member of your state chapter of National Child Care Association (NCCA)?
Today, the New Mexico Child Care Association (NMCCA) proved that collectively “we” do make a difference. “Emails, calls, letters, rallies at the Roundhouse made a HUGE difference, as first the Senate Finance Committee and then the Legislature as a whole approved $11 million in additional funding for early childhood education in both the Children Youth and Families Department (CYFD) and the Public Education Department (PED)”. Before that last-minute change, early childhood programs had been facing at least $9 million in new cuts on top of other cuts made in recent months. NMCCA rallied their membership and made things happen.
The money is from 25 cents of the additional 75-cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes that was approved by the Legislature and that now goes to Gov. Bill Richardson for his signature. Sen. Beffort’s amendment put more money into early learning for not just for 4-year-olds but for children as young as 6 weeks old who are in early childhood programs because their parents work, she said. Her amendment changed the earmarking of 25 cents of the cigarette tax increase from K-12 education (as the House had decided) to early childhood education. Sen. Beffort’s amendment passed without dissent.
That’s the power of collective action, of a collective voice. Get involved in your State’s Association. As an NCCA member, you can save on health care insurance for you and your child care center employees, and get to experience firsthand the strength and beauty of collective efforts.
Posted in General Child Care | Tagged Child Care
By Erin Egan on March 5, 2010
Do the preparation you give to your daycare children make a difference? You bet they do!
As the 4 year olds arrive at the Mountain View Parent Nursery School, they pick out their nametags and hand them to teacher Betsy Nikolchev to fasten. “Great job finding your name, Elaine,” Nikolchev says. “How did you know that says Elaine?” “Because it starts with the letter ‘E,’” she answers. “What other letters are in your name?” the teacher asks. “E-l-a-i-n-e.” “Wow. I’m so proud of you,” Nikolchev says.
Recognize the signs of progress in your pre-reader and share the information with your center’s parents.
Long before children can read books they need to master key skills that will help them make sense of all those black squiggles on the page often in the child care center environment. The National Institute for Literacy has identified a number of building blocks that prepare children for reading.
Familiarity with print and books:
It’s important for your child to know that people read words, not pictures, and that the words she sees in print are related to the words she speaks and hears. She also needs to know how books work — that you begin with the cover right-side up and move from front to back, one page at a time.
Reading milestones:
- Recognizing print in everyday life, on cereal boxes, street signs, and more
- Knowing you can use print for many different purposes, from stories to grocery lists
- Holding a book, turning the pages, and pretending to read
- Following the series of events in some stories
- Asking questions and making comments that show she understands what you read to her
Letter recognition:
The more letters your child is able to instantly recognize and name by the time he starts kindergarten, the quicker he’ll be able to focus his attention on other tasks such as the sounds associated with each letter. It’s easiest for your child to begin learning the letters in his name.
Reading milestones:
- Singing the ABC song
- Recognizing the shape of letters
- Starting to learn the sounds of letters: “B” makes the “buh” sound
- Sounds of speech: Technically called “phonological awareness,” this is the ability to discern the sounds in words.
- Word play is key to phonological awareness because it entails listening to the way words sound and recognizing how they change.
- Developing a sense of syllable is another key part of phonological awareness and is an important precursor to sounding out words.
Sounds of speech:
Technically called “phonological awareness,” this is the ability to discern the sounds in words. Word play is key to phonological awareness because it entails listening to the way words sound and recognizing how they change. Developing a sense of syllable is another key part of phonological awareness and is an important precursor to sounding out words.
Reading milestones:
- Identifying letters and realizing that they represent the segments of her own speech
- Understanding that “dog” does not rhyme with “cat”
- Clapping out syllables in familiar and unfamiliar words — cow/ boy, ro/ de/ o
- Phonemic awareness: Before children learn to read print, they need to understand that words are made up of speech sounds, technically called phonemes. Reading expert Louisa C. Moats, co-author of Straight Talk About Reading, says phonemic awareness is essential because our writing is a representation of speech sounds. “Ninety percent of the time, kids who have reading problems have a weakness in their ability to detect and identify speech sounds,” Moats says.
Reading milestones:
- Naming several words that begin with the same sound — bat, boy, and bell
- Replacing one sound with another — replace the first sound in pig with /d/ to make dig.
Take the time to recognize progress, and help your center’s parents to see it as well. You can copy and paste this information into a parent’s eNewsletter. You can also read more at Scholastic.com. Become familiar with ways that you can stand out as a child care provider. As you become known as a thought leader, your parents will talk about it to their friends, and you can watch your business grow, while the children under your care thrive.
Posted in General Child Care | Tagged Child Care, child care insurance, daycare insurance, early childhood, preschooler reading skills
By Erin Egan on March 4, 2010
You may have missed the actual celebration date (2/15) but it’s never to late to start a “Kindness Campaign” in your daycare center or preschool.
Kindness crosses all those distinctions that we sometimes place among ourselves — distinctions of race, religion, culture, gender, age. Children are never to young to learn that kindness is a language that everyone understands.
Kindness improves students’ self-esteem and the entire preschool climate.
Whether academically proficient or not, students are given a way to excel through kindness, and excel they do. One teacher said that a few students who were struggling turned around due to the increased self-esteem and positive involvement that the daycare center’s kindness program offered them. Other teachers have said that students are more willing to participate in class when they know that ridicule of their answers will not be tolerated. Thus, the learning environment is enhanced as well.
Kindness is empowering–even to preschoolers.
Kindness is one of the most powerful interpersonal tools that we, as human beings, use to connect with one another. When we sense someone’s need, we either choose to help in some way… or we choose not to. If we act from empathy, we will offer kindness, and in that moment a surprising, gracious, humanitarian connection is made. This is the positive power that each of us has the ability to teach to our students. Life lessons we can watch them emulate and in turn, create an even more positive environment in your child care center.
You can find the Teacher’s Guide and find stories of age-approriate kindness projects across the country, with ideas of what you do locally as well.
Posted in General Child Care | Tagged Child Care, child care insurance professionals, daycare, daycare insurance, teaching kindness in preschool
By Erin Egan on March 3, 2010
Gross Motor Skills Game for Preschool age students in your Childcare or Daycare center.
“Move Like An Animal” is a fun gross motor skill activity (See Albany University site here for details) that provides the opportunity for children in your child care or daycare center to practice rebound activities and spatial relationships.
Teachers of preschool age children, whether in a Montessori school, a child care center, or a Daycare center should include age-appropriate activities that promote fitness and develop gross motor skills.
What are Gross Motor Skills that preschool age children should master?
Some important physical gross motor concepts and skills that young children learn to master are balance, spatial orientation (which means that the child is aware of the position of his or her body in space as well as in relation to other people and objects), laterality (which means that the child is aware of the left and right sides of the body), and the coordination of major muscles.
Children learn gross motor skills through practice. Activities which involve hopping, jumping, and climbing as well as games which involve catching and kicking balls are great examples of activities that promote the development of gross motor skills. What games or activities do you use to promote fitness in your childcare center?
Posted in General Child Care | Tagged child care insurance professionals, childcare insurance, day care, Fitness
By Bjorn Torling on March 2, 2010
Deciding which day care center your child is going to attend is an important decision and needs to be researched and discussed thoroughly. You’ll find both amazing and bad centers, so it’s crucial to pick the center that will help your child grow and develop his skills while having fun at the same time.
To help find the best day care center for your child, here are a few steps that will be your guide in choosing the best facility and being able to recognize the bad ones.
Finding a great day care center
1. Make a list of which qualities is important to you. Do you want the center to be near your home or work? Do you want your child in a small or big group with kids his age?
2. Do your research! Ask around and get referrals for centers that people are recommending. Check online for centers nearby. While researching make sure that the center is accredited by either the National Association for the Education for Young Children or the National Association of Family Child Care.
3. Once you’ve made your list of potential day care centers, give them a call and ask some questions. This step is important. Ask about their policies, hours, fees, activities, and philosophies on teaching children. How flexible will they be with your schedule? Are the teachers experienced?
4. To narrow your search down, cross off the day care centers that you had a bad feeling about. Always trust your instincts. Now, visit and interview the centers that you had great feelings about. Make sure to get the list of activities and really take a look around the place. Look to see that the center is a clean and safe environment for your children. Take notice to the child to teacher ratio and verify it’s the same number they told you over the phone. If you have any additional questions, ask them before you leave.
5. To narrow down the search even more, do a reference check. Call the parents of the children who are currently at the center or attended the center in the past. Just get their opinion on the center and if they would recommend it.
6. Bring your child in for a visit. Watch how he acts in the place and with the teachers and other children. Does he seem happy and comfortable?
Once you find a day care center that meets your needs and qualifications, it’s time to enroll your child.
Posted in General Child Care | Tagged Child Care, child care insurance, day care, day care insurance
By Bjorn Torling on March 2, 2010
Choosing a daycare center is a big deal and parents need to consider one thing. A lot of kids will spend more of their waking hours with caregivers than their own parents. This is why it’s important for parents to consider several things before they find the right daycare center for their kids.
The Importance of choosing a daycare based on your family’s needs
According to Liz O’Donnell from West Central Childcare Connections, Your family will have different hours, traditions and cultures, and it’s important to find a center that will offer the same things that your family is used to.
O’Donnell has stated that it’s never too early to “start thinking about” your child and finding the best childcare. The easiest thing to do would be to grab a notepad and just writing down questions that you’d want answered. Never be afraid to ask questions.
Narrow Down Your Search
When shorting your long list of daycare centers to visit, here are a few options to check out: A licensed family daycare, a childcare center or preschool. Each facility should have its own set of state regulations, so take a look at those before visiting each center. It’s important to consider your child’s personality. If you have a sensitive child who isn’t good with change, take a look at smaller places with children his or her own age.
O’Donnell states that parents should pick three to five centers to visit before picking the one your child will attend. When at each facility, compare their routines and pay attention to their differences. Write down things you don’t like or can’t find.
The Most Important Quality in a Daycare Center.
O’Donnell said, “Probably the most important thing to look for in a daycare is the nurturing of the provider herself. You’re looking for someone who can meet the needs of your child. Your child is unique, your child comes to that provider with a certain set of personality traits, characteristics and you want to make sure that provider can meet those needs. All children need to be hugged and loved and nurtured, but the way that provider does that needs to be cued in by that child. Some children don’t like to be hugged and fussed with, but others thrive on that so you want to make sure your provider takes cues from that child and can meet their needs.”
Posted in General Child Care | Tagged childcare, childcare insurance, daycare, daycare insurance
By Bjorn Torling on February 24, 2010
Getting an insurance plan for your daycare center is a smart business decision. Uninsured daycare centers are at a disadvantage because parents will ask about insurance almost instantly during the preliminary interview with a daycare facility.
The insurance plan will cover several areas of liability, but more importantly, it will help cover the potential cost of litigation. Getting insurance is very important when it comes to protecting your daycare center in the long run.
Importance of Daycare Insurance
You’re operating a business that involves children, this alone will open your daycare up to the risk of litigation almost immediately. It doesn’t matter if a parent signs a liability waiver before putting their children in your hands, you will still be at risk of being targeted for a lawsuit; it’s just unavoidable. This is related to accidental injuries or a communicable illness.
Effects of Daycare Insurance
Getting daycare insurance should be at the top of any new daycare’s list; risk management should be as well. Employees can be liability risk due to the fact that they are working with children.
Like with anything, ask questions. Check their references as thoroughly as possible.
Other Things to Take Into Consideration
Contracting people for transportation are an additional liability risk. Even though daycare insurance will cover these liabilities at times, but any type of litigation that involves your business will make it harder for you to continue working in the childcare industry in the future.
Benefits of Having Daycare Insurance
Even though daycare insurance can add to your expenses, it will give you better plans knowing that you are protected from risk. Insurance companies will sometimes offer free legal advice on top great ideas and suggestions for improving the safety practices of your daycare facility. Take them up on this offer and use this service to help your business grow.
Posted in General Child Care | Tagged Child Care, child care insurance, childcare insurance, day care insurance, daycare, daycare insurance
By Erin Egan on February 22, 2010
Operating any business involves risk. Child care centers face situations daily that expose the owners or operators to financial loss if the center were to be found liable or responsible for the injury or death of a child or the child’s parent, if the parent were on the premises. Therefore, it is important to increase your awareness and take regular preventive measures to guard yourself and your business from possible legal liability. Providing a safe environment at all times, following requirements for applicable licensing, and purchasing liability insurance are all important preventive measures to protect yourself and your child care program.
As caretakers of children, you and your staff have the duty to act with reasonable care while caring for children at your child care center. Sometimes children get hurt in accidents even when they are under the best of care. For example, they may trip over another child, get poked in the eye, get their hand caught in a door, or they may fall from or get hit by a swing.
However, if a child is injured while under the care of your center, the parents might sue the center if they believe the injury was the result of the negligence of the center or the staff. Negligence, in legal terms, means that a person who was under a legal duty to act with reasonable care failed to perform that duty. If the court decides that you are “liable,” (that your negligence caused the child’s injury) you will be required to pay compensation. Parents may ask you to pay medical expenses as well as damages to compensate for pain, loss (such as eyesight), and mental suffering. Often the medical expenses are the smallest of the four.
Take a look at your child care center’s liability policy and give us a call for a free comparison quote. Quite often owners default to their personal insurance agent, or a business insurance agent who works to try and package policies together piecemeal. The resulting policies often have gaps in coverage, or even worse, you’re paying for coverage more than once. It pays to select an insurer who specialized in Child Care coverage, who can put their years of experience to work for you–resulting in immediate cost savings to you.
Posted in General Child Care | Tagged child care insurance professionals, child care liability insurance, childcare insurance, daycare insurance, insurance, legal liablity insurance, lowest cost child care insurance
By Erin Egan on February 18, 2010
As State budget adjustments begin to publish in individual states, there is widespread concern about what will happen with childcare subsidies locally, and the impact to your individual Child Care Center.
New Mexico just released it’s “Cuts In Early Childhood Funding (HB2) coming out of the Senate. Child Care Assistance shows an 11% cut totally $1,900,000 in funding; New Mexico Pre-K shows a 15% decrease which equates to a $3,000,000 reduction in funding; and the biggest percentage cut is to T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarships – Birth to Five with an astounding 52% decrease, representing $250,000 in cuts.
New Mexico Child Care & Education Association(NMCCEA) urged it’s members to contact their Senator and House Members to urge support of the Senate Finance committee’s recommendation of proposed tax increases to prevent even deeper cuts to early childhood programs.
Rosa Barraza, President of NMCCEA, which belongs to the National Childcare Association (NCCA) says that while “for many years states have focused on professional development initiatives…low wages and benefits withing the early care and education workforce have limited effectiveness of these efforts. Nearly every state is seeking a system of early child care and education that can effectively promote early learning and employs qualified, well-compensated teachers and caregivers. The question is how to we do this effectively?”
Patrick Treend, President of Child Care Insurance Professionals points to an Employee Benefits program offered to NCCA Members across the country. “Often, individual Child Care Centers feel excluded from benefits available to the larger childcare chains. Because of our long term relationship with national underwriters, well over thirty years, we were able to create a product for NCCA member Child Care Centers that affords low-cost health benefits to their employees, in order to better compete, retain key employees and reduce costly employee turnover”.
Posted in General Child Care | Tagged child care insurance, childcare insurance, day care insurance, daycare insurance