The Daily Parent is prepared by NACCRRA with funding from the Citi Foundation http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/ childcareaware/dailyparent/englishhttp://feedburner.google.com &lt;style&gt; p{text-align:justify} &lt;/style&gt; &lt;p&gt;In every region of the United States, average child care fees for an infant were higher than the average amount that families spent on food. &lt;div align="right"&gt;- NACCRRA, Parents and the High Price&lt;br&gt; of Child Care: 2010 Update&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Deciding about child care is one of the most difficult decisions you will ever have to make. You want your child to be safe and healthy; to grow physically, socially and emotionally; and to be ready for school. However, if you are like many parents, you were shocked when you first discovered the high price of child care.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Why Does Child Care Cost So Much?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Child care is a small service-oriented business, just like a restaurant, a doctor's office, a tax preparer's office, a beauty salon or a pet grooming shop. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt; A service is provided&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; The budget needs to be balanced to stay in business.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt; Fees child care centers and family child care homes charge are based on a simple formula:&lt;br&gt; Cost of running the program / Divided by the number of children served = cost per child&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Like many service industries, approximately 80 percent of the cost in a child care program is for payroll and payroll-related expenses. The major way to control the budget is to control salaries. However, despite their tremendous responsibilities, the average income for a full time child care worker is only $8.39/hour, making child care one of the lowest paying professional fields. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Other costs that child care centers and family child care providers have to include in their budgets typically include: &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Facilities maintenance&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Fire alarms/security&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Food&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Insurance (business, liability, real estate, worker's compensation)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Marketing&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Professional services (lawyers, accountants, health consultants)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Rent/mortgage&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Staff training&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Supplies&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Taxes&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Toys and equipment&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Transportation&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Utilities&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Like most service industries, state licensing regulations govern issues related to health and safety. Child care regulations cover children's health and safety while they are in out-of-home care, and they can affect how much it costs to run a child care program. As noted below, not all child care programs are covered by state licensing regulations. The following are the types of regulations that can affect the cost of running a program: &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Group size - the number of children that can be in one group.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Ratios - the number of children for each adult.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Staff education and training - special training required for working with children.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Square footage - the number of square feet required in the building and on the playground for each child.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Activities and materials - the types of activities and material that support children's academic, physical, social and emotional growth and school readiness.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Health, safety and nutrition - the practices that keep children healthy, safe and well-fed. For example, regulations can require safety drills, certain types of evacuation cribs, resilient playground surfaces under outdoor equipment and safe storage of hazardous materials.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do Public Funds Help Pay for Child Care?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Unlike free public education for kindergarten though grade 12 or tuition assistance for college, child care in the United States is primarily considered a workforce support for families rather than education for young children. Paying for child care is seen as solely the responsibility of parents.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;About 90 percent of funding for child care in the United States comes directly from parents.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Very little federal or state aid goes directly to child care programs.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Most public money available for child care is given to parents through state child care subsidies.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Programs can benefit from indirect public funding through tax relief.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Parents can benefit from federal and state tax programs including the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, and Dependent Care Assistance Programs.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Some parents receive help with child care costs from their employers.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Why is Child Care More Expensive in Some Places?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; In some states, child care is more expensive because the state child care licensing regulations set higher standards. For example, some states allow 18 4-year-old children in a room with one adult. Other states require one adult for every 10 4-year-old children.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; Some child care programs receive support from churches and other organizations that help cut costs for rent or maintenance.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; Despite what you might expect, not all child care centers and family child care homes are governed by state licensing regulations. Programs that are exempt from licensing do not have to follow regulations about group size, ratios, staff education, square footage, activities and materials, and health and safety practices. If these programs choose not to meet licensing regulations, they can lower their expenses and charge less.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; Programs have to balance the quality of the care they provide the children with financial considerations about what they think parents can afford to pay. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Programs may pay higher salaries to attract better qualified staff and keep current staff. The staff turnover rate in child care is reported to be around 33 percent. That means that one-third of the child care providers you see at the beginning of the year will not be there at the end of the year. It is better for you and your child to have an ongoing relationship with one teacher, but it costs programs more to keep experienced teachers.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;A smaller group is better for your child, but it means fewer children in a room and less income for the program.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;The fewer the children for each adult, the better for your child, but it means hiring more staff.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Child care providers with special training in working with children are better able to help your child learn, but it means paying higher salaries.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Providing a curriculum and toys and learning activities help promote your child's learning and readiness for school, but they require provider training and additional expenses.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Health and safety practices protect your child, but they also require provider training and additional expenses.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; When your relative or friend helps you by watching your child, they are assuming some of the costs that programs must pay. For example, they do not charge you for their housing costs and utilities. However, there may be some hidden costs that you should explore: &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Do they give your child the educational experiences to help your child be ready for school?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Do they follow standard health and safety practices?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are they trained in first aid and CPR?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Does their insurance cover your child? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Do they limit the amount of television that your child watches?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Do they have any history of criminal activity, sexual abuse, child abuse or child neglect?&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;You may need to provide your relative or friend with additional support to make sure your child is getting the kind of care that you want. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to Get Help with the High Cost of Care&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The Child Care Aware® brochure, Finding Help Paying for Child Care, &lt;a href="http://www.childcareaware.org/docs/pubs/110e.pdf"&gt;http://www.childcareaware.org/docs/pubs/110e.pdf&lt;/a&gt;, has information about how you might be able to reduce your child care costs through child care subsidies, tax credits and exploring alternatives to full-time care.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For More Information&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Child Care Aware's ® Accessing Support for All Parents (ASAP) Decision Making Tool,&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="http://www.childcareaware.org/en/tools/decision_making_tool/"&gt;http://www.childcareaware.org/en/tools/decision_making_tool/&lt;/a&gt;, allows you to consider how critical areas of your life are impacted by child care decisions, examine your feelings regarding child care options, and seek the most appropriate resources and support for those choices.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Child Care Aware's ® Child Care Options Calculator&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.childcareaware.org/en/tools/calculator.php"&gt;http://www.childcareaware.org/en/tools/calculator.php&lt;/a&gt;, allows you to examine your financial situation both with and without the cost of child care. Factors such as the cost of child care, work-related expenses, monthly bills and savings or retirement contributions are all included in the calculator. You will be able to get an idea about your monthly budget and how child care will impact that budget. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The National Association of Child Care Resource &amp; Referrals Agencies and Child Care Aware's ® Videos&lt;/strong&gt; about High-Quality Child Care, &lt;a href="http://www.childcareaware.org/en/tools/watch-videos.php"&gt;http://www.childcareaware.org/en/tools/watch-videos.php&lt;/a&gt;, show video segments that display indicators of high-quality child care. Topics include training and education, caregiver interaction, caregiver to child ratios, activities, and health and safety. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Child Care Aware® Parent Network&lt;/strong&gt;,&lt;a href="#"&gt; http://www.ccaparentnetwork.org&lt;/a&gt;, is a free virtual community where everyone who cares about the quality of child care can network, interact or take action. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~3/qVpqn7IDVn8/volume.php http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=78 <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=qVpqn7IDVn8:HIJlG3bJ84U:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=qVpqn7IDVn8:HIJlG3bJ84U:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=qVpqn7IDVn8:HIJlG3bJ84U:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=qVpqn7IDVn8:HIJlG3bJ84U:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?i=qVpqn7IDVn8:HIJlG3bJ84U:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~4/qVpqn7IDVn8" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=78 &lt;p align="center"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Working With Your Child Care Program to Keep Your Child Healthy &ndash; Now and Later &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;em&gt;For the first time in our history, the United States is raising a generation of children who may live sicker, shorter lives than their parents.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt; - Michelle Obama&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Look around you. The reality is striking.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;Children today are not as healthy as you and your friends were when you were young. Your child&rsquo;s friends probably weigh more than your friends did. This means they have a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) (&lt;a href="http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/defining.html" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.cdc.gov//obesity/childhood/defining.html&lt;/a&gt;).&nbsp; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Seventeen percent of children ages 2 to 9 are &lt;strong&gt;obese&lt;/strong&gt;. Obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Almost one-third of American young children are &lt;strong&gt;overweight&lt;/strong&gt;.&nbsp; Overweight is defined as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and lower than the 95th percentile.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;More than 12 million children and adolescents are obese.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;More than 23 million children and adolescents are overweight.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;One in five children ages 2 to 5 years are already obese or overweight. This percentage has more than doubled during the past three decades.&nbsp; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;The obesity rate for children ages 6 to 11 has more than quadrupled over the past four decades.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The solutions are predictable for you, your child and your child care program&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Eat well&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Get plenty of exercise&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Get enough sleep&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Eat well &lt;/strong&gt;&ndash; There is no great secret to healthy eating. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use these healthy eating habits at home and check to make sure your child care provider is using them:&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Provide plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Include low-fat or nonfat milk or dairy products&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils and beans for protein&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Serve reasonably-sized portions&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Encourage your child to drink lots of water&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Limit sugar-sweetened beverages&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Limit consumption of sugar and saturated fat&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Plan to sit down together as a family for one meal a day. Encourage your provider to sit down with the children when they are eating meals.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Serve food &ldquo;family style&rdquo; so children can learn to serve themselves and think about how much food they can eat. Encourage your child care program to serve meals family style.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Help children recognize when they are full and are ready to stop eating. Serve smaller portions and let your child ask for more.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Make dessert a part of the total meal &ndash; not a treat that is saved for after everything else is eaten.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;If your child care program provides snacks and meals, make sure your program posts the menu for the week.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Consult the food pyramid (&lt;a href="http://www.mypyramid.gov/" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.mypyramid.gov/&lt;/a&gt;) so you can recognize whether the meals you prepare and that are offered at your child care program provide the nutrition that your child needs.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Encourage your child care provider to investigate the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Its Web site (&lt;a href="http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Care/" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Care/&lt;/a&gt;) has useful information about planning menus and safe food handling for child care providers even if they do not participate in the program. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find out which foods are served at the child care program that your child likes. Often children will try a new food at the child care program that they would not consider trying at home.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;If your child says she is hungry, offer a small, healthy snack &ndash; even if it is not a scheduled time to eat. Avoid the &ldquo;junk food.&rdquo;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Think about food that you eat &ldquo;on the go&rdquo; in the car on the way to and from child care. Make sure foods are in bite size pieces and are not the foods that children are likely to choke on. Control the portion sizes. You can make your own trail mixes from dry cereal, dried fruit, and nuts or seeds or offer cheese and crackers. &nbsp;Offer water instead of juices or soda.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Get Plenty of Exercise&lt;/strong&gt; - Physical activity and nutrition work together for better health.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Physical activity has many health benefits, including:&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Strengthening bones&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Decreasing blood pressure&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Reducing stress and anxiety&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Increasing self-esteem&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Helping with weight management&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Work with your child care program to make sure your child is getting at least 60 minutes of active play every day. Some examples of moderate intensity physical activity include:&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Brisk walking &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Playing tag&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Jumping rope &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Playing soccer&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Swimming&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Dancing&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Encourage outdoor play every day. Outdoor play helps your child to develop gross motor skills and fine motor skills in ways that are difficult to duplicate indoors. In most states, child care licensing regulations require that children spend time outdoors everyday unless the weather is extreme &ndash; temperature is above 90 F or a wind chill factor is below 15 F or air quality conditions pose a significant health risk.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Send your child to child care with the right clothing to wear outside, including hats and gloves. Coats and boots should be easy for your child or your provider to put on and take off.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Limit time &ldquo;in front of a screen&rdquo; both at home and child care. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Choose activities that you and your child enjoy and can do regularly. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Fit activity into a daily routine like taking a brisk 10 minute walk to and from the parking lot, bus stop or subway station.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Look at the playground and the indoor space used for large motor activities that your child care program uses. Your child needs lots of space to allow freedom of movement without collisions among other active children.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Look for equipment on the playground and the indoor large motor area. You want your child to be able to run, climb, jump, swing, slide, dig, play ball, cycle and do other physical activities. &nbsp;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Include physical activity in your own daily routine and encourage your child to join you. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Get enough sleep.&lt;/strong&gt; Sleep regenerates the body. Your child is probably getting much less sleep than you did when you were young.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Make sure your child comes to child care well rested so she can participate in the activities of the day. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Check with your child care program about how naps are handled &ndash; they should be times of quiet and calm, with dim lights and calming music. Children&rsquo;s cots should be placed so children do not distract each other.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If you are worried&lt;/strong&gt; that your child is overweight or obese, &nbsp;consult with your health care provider who can track your child&rsquo;s rate of growth and check for other health problems.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h4&gt;For More Information&lt;/h4&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Healthy Weight - it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle! Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html&lt;/a&gt;, has information about body mass index (BMI) and strategies for controlling weight over time.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Let's Move: America's Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.letsmove.gov/" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.letsmove.gov/&lt;/a&gt;, is a national public awareness effort to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MyPyramid.gov, &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.mypyramid.gov/preschoolers/HealthyHabits/index.html" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.mypyramid.gov/preschoolers/HealthyHabits/index.html&lt;/a&gt;, prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, offers personalized eating plans and interactive tools to help you plan/ assess your food choices based on the &lt;em&gt;Dietary Guidelines for Americans&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MyPyramid for Preschoolers &lt;/strong&gt;(&lt;a href="http://www.mypyramid.gov/preschoolers/index.html" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.mypyramid.gov/preschoolers/index.html&lt;/a&gt;) has a link to a customized MyPyramid Plan that will show what and how much your child should eat to meet his or her needs. It will also provide ideas to help you plan meals for your preschooler.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Partnership for a Healthier America&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.ahealthieramerica.org/"&gt;http://www.ahealthieramerica.org/&lt;/a&gt;, was created to help mobilize the nation to curb childhood obesity within a generation.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;YMCA: Healthy Family Home&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.ymca.net/healthyfamilyhome/welcome.html" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.ymca.net/healthyfamilyhome/welcome.html&lt;/a&gt;, suggests simple ways to incorporate healthy habits that will make a difference for your entire family.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br clear="all" /&gt; &lt;/em&gt; &lt;/div&gt; http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~3/nVB5jW1NR_k/volume.php http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=76 <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=nVB5jW1NR_k:nGcPNWeb3UE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=nVB5jW1NR_k:nGcPNWeb3UE:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=nVB5jW1NR_k:nGcPNWeb3UE:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=nVB5jW1NR_k:nGcPNWeb3UE:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?i=nVB5jW1NR_k:nGcPNWeb3UE:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~4/nVB5jW1NR_k" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=76 &lt;style&gt; th { color:#FFFFFF} &lt;/style&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Typical Versus Challenging Behavior&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;At some point, all parents deal with the frustration of having their toddler spread eagle, crying or kicking, in the middle of a store aisle, or having their 6-year-old disobey and challenge rules or limits. Although these behaviors are often hard for parents to deal with, they are very normal for children in these age groups. With time and positive guidance from adults, these 'trying' behaviors usually go away.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;The term "challenging behavior" is often used to describe children's trying or "problem" behaviors that do not go away over time or after using typical tried-and-true discipline methods.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;b&gt;What to Do?&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; It is important for you and your child care provider to have a variety of strategies to use when raising and caring for your child. Every strategy may not work for every child. Also, as your child gets older and changes, you may need to change strategies and approaches.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;table&gt; &lt;tr bgcolor="#000033"&gt;&lt;th&gt;Age/Stage&lt;/th&gt; &lt;th&gt;Typical Behaviors&lt;/th&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Toddlers&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Tantrums&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Terrible Twos - 'No!' being the most used word&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Emerging independence&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Bites or hits&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Preschoolers&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Tests limits&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Asks "Why?" a lot&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;May tell lies, steal or argue&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Young School-Age Children&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Stubborn, refuses to do something&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Bossy, likes to be in control&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Does not like criticism &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Still emerging independence - wants things own way&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/table&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;The approaches below are helpful for all children both at home and in child care. They are particularly useful in preventing or reducing trying behaviors. &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make sure your child or others are not in danger.&lt;/strong&gt; If your child is behaving in a way that may injure him or others, remove him from the situation or take steps to stop him. For young children, just pick them up and physically move them.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Change the setting or location. &lt;/strong&gt;If your child's behavior occurs only in certain situations, specific places, or only around certain people, you may be able to stop the behavior by observing what is happening in these instances. You may stop the behavior just by removing your child from that setting or from being around those people.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Create a distraction. &lt;/strong&gt;A young child can often be distracted into stopping an undesirable behavior. For example, if your preschooler has trouble sharing toys and gets into squabbles with other children over a toy, distract him or her with another toy. Present the toy in a way that makes it seem extra special.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tell your child in advance what is happening. &lt;/strong&gt;Most children like routines and predictability. Changes in their normal day's routine could upset them and trigger negative behaviors. When possible, let your child know what will happen ahead of time. Prepare them for any changes to their daily routine. 'Today, after your nap, your grandmother will pick you up instead of me.'&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Respond calmly, speak briefly.&lt;/strong&gt; It is hard to listen to your child when she is upset, talking in a loud voice, or is talking so much that you cannot really hear what she is trying to say. Do not try to talk about why something is right or wrong while your child or you are upset. Wait until a 'teachable' moment when both of you are away from the moment and calm.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Teach alternative behaviors.&lt;/strong&gt; Teach your child what you want them to DO instead of what not to do. For example, say: 'Tell me calmly what is wrong,' instead of 'Stop screaming!'&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Offer choices.&lt;/strong&gt; Give your child choices to help build independence while also giving him some control over his environment. For example 'Do you want to put your shoes on before we get in the car or after you are in your seat?'&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notice the positive-catch your child doing 'good.'&lt;/strong&gt; Adults tend to not focus when children are showing positive behaviors. If you reinforce positive behaviors, they will continue. Praise your child when positive behavior occurs. For example, 'You did a nice job of waiting for your turn. You know how to wait calmly!'&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Be consistent.&lt;/strong&gt; Children like things to be consistent and predictable. Establish regular routines for your child and stick with them (examples: routines for eating, getting dressed, going to child care, and so on). 'It's almost 7:30, time to get in the car.'&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use humor or games.&lt;/strong&gt; Angry or upset preschoolers and young school-age children can often be calmed with humor. 'How fast can you buckle your seat belt? If you can do it before I get mine on, you'll win the game!'&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;table align="center" width="60%"&gt; &lt;tr bgcolor="#000033"&gt;&lt;th&gt;Why Do We Discipline Children?&lt;/th&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;div align="justify"&gt;To teach children to be responsible (control their behavior and impulses, and to respond appropriately) and to understand that their behavior has consequences. Discipline is not to punish or harm the child, but rather to teach better behavior.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Beyond Typically Trying Behaviors&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The term 'challenging behavior' is used to describe children's difficult or 'problem' behaviors that do not go away over time or after using typical tried-and-true discipline methods. You and your child care provider should focus on the behavior and not the child. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; Challenging behaviors can occur at home, in child care, in school, or any combination. They usually occur regularly rather than every once in awhile. Most challenging behaviors fall into one of these categories: &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aggression:&lt;/strong&gt; biting, hitting, throwing, choking, verbal threats&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Self-injury:&lt;/strong&gt; head banging, scratching or picking skin, throwing self to floor &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stereotypical or repeated motions:&lt;/strong&gt; gestures, hand flicking, mouthing, body rocking &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Classroom disruption:&lt;/strong&gt; hyperactivity, talking out, arguing, unusual vocalizations &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Noncompliance:&lt;/strong&gt; not responding to directions, defiance, bickering, jumping, crawling&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Inappropriate play or behavior:&lt;/strong&gt; stealing, selfexposure, inappropriate touching of others, eating nonfood materials, other behaviors outside of social acceptance&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; Many of these behaviors can result in a child hurting someone else or himself, or cause disruption within a larger group setting. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reasons for Challenging Behaviors&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;There is always a reason for challenging behavior, but it may not be that easy to figure out. It is rarely the result of bad parenting, and it is never because a child is just 'bad' or 'wild.' Children's behavior is often the result of many factors.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Some very young children may bite or hit out of frustration, others become stubborn and do not follow instruction because they're trying to be independent. However, some challenging behaviors could have a physical cause. For example, if a child has hearing loss or does not understand what is being asked of him, he may 'act out' because he is frustrated and upset. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;table align="center" width="60%"&gt; &lt;tr bgcolor="#000033"&gt;&lt;th&gt;Did You Know That . . .&lt;/th&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;All behavior is a way to communicate?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;All behavior that persists is usually working for the child?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;All problem behavior has a cause and a goal?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;There is a connection between a child's ability to communicate and challenging behavior?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;The pattern of behavior is important: not single or isolated events?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;The best approaches to challenging behavior are ones that&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt; Respond to the underlying cause and need »»for the behavior?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use positive approaches?&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;The best way to prevent challenging behavior is to foster children's social and emotional needs and skills? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What More Can You Do?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;For more serious or challenging behaviors that do not respond to regular approaches or strategies, it would be helpful to determine the cause or trigger of the challenging behavior(s). Some challenging behavior may have an underlying physical cause or be the result of an undiagnosed disability.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; For persistent and serious challenging behaviors, you need to get support from all adults who care for you child. Teamwork is essential to come up with a positive behavior support plan for any child and family dealing with challenging behaviors.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Steps to Take:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Consult your child's doctor to rule out or diagnose any physical causes.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Speak with and get observations and feedback from your child care provider or child's teacher. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Put together written observations of your child's behavior over a period of time. Make sure your observations list: &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;When the behavior occurs,&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;What happens before it occurs,&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Who are the people in the environment when it is happening,&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;What is said to your child, and&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;How the situation was handled. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use a team approach to address your child's behavior. The team should include you, other family members or people who interact with your child in a significant way, your child's provider or teacher, your child's doctor, and others.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;If you are the parent of a child with challenging behaviors, make sure you get the support you need. Challenging behaviors in children are not a new thing. There is a lot of new research, resources and support available to you and your child.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;b&gt;For More Information&lt;/b&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behaviors,&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu/" target="_blank"&gt;http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu/&lt;/a&gt;, has strategies for working with children who have ongoing challenging behaviors.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Center on Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning CSEFEL, &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/&lt;/a&gt;, is focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Family Connections,&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="http://www.fci.org/index.asp" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.fci.org/index.asp&lt;/a&gt;, continues the work of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. It creates projects for children, families, and those who support them.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Parent Education,&lt;/strong&gt; University of Minnesota Extension Service, &lt;a href="http://www.extension.umn.edu/parentEducation/onlinetools.html" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.extension.umn.edu/parentEducation/onlinetools.html&lt;/a&gt;, offers online resources with helpful hints and support to parents.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PBS Parents&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.pbs.org/parents/talkingwithkids" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.pbs.org/parents/talkingwithkids&lt;/a&gt;, has a variety of parenting and practical information that parents can download.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~3/Wd-nW1ZQBqE/volume.php http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=75 <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=Wd-nW1ZQBqE:TsUEuzCu-ms:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=Wd-nW1ZQBqE:TsUEuzCu-ms:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=Wd-nW1ZQBqE:TsUEuzCu-ms:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=Wd-nW1ZQBqE:TsUEuzCu-ms:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?i=Wd-nW1ZQBqE:TsUEuzCu-ms:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~4/Wd-nW1ZQBqE" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=75 &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In this issue: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Can it happen to me?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;How should I act? How will other people act? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;What you and your child care provider can do together to help your child feel safe and make sense of the world&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;For More Information&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt; Even if your family has no exposure to mass media, your child hears about natural disasters such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and tries to make some sense about what is happening. There are predictable ways your child reacts to disasters she sees on television and hears about in conversations. Your child wants to know:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Will I be safe?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Can it happen to me?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; How should I act? How will other people act?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Your child relies on the important adults in his world to protect him. You and your child care provider can work together to help your child feel safe and make sense of the world.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Will I be safe?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt; Reassure your child that you and other caring adults, including your child care provider, are doing everything they can to make sure your home and child care program are safe places&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Keep your child's life predictable. Tell her where you are going and when you will come back.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find out what your child knows. Your child is learning what is real and what is not real. This is a hard job. Help your child discuss what facts he knows and help him separate fact from 'not real.'&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Answer questions honestly, but do not offer more information than is needed.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Expect to answer the same questions over and over again. Your child is sorting out information. Hearing the same answer again and again helps keep the world predictable.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Can it happen to me?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Before a disaster happens, make natural disasters part of your regular reading selections, and encourage your child care provider to do so, too. Read your child storybooks involving children who encounter natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and tsunamis. Read science books that include information about how disasters can happen. Talk about where these events are likely to happen and how people prepare and react to them. Pull these familiar books out when a disaster happens and read and talk about them with your child.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;In child care programs where emergency plans are in place, staffs are able to respond quickly and appropriately to children who needed attention and reassurance. Make sure your child care program has a disaster preparation plan in place, practices drills monthly and shares the plan with you and the other parents.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How should I act? How will other people act?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Mr. Rogers advised parents help children cope with media coverage of disasters by helping children look for the helpers. Helpers are everywhere:&lt;br /&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;People are donating food and clothing&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Doctors and nurses are providing emergency medical care&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;The military is transporting food and medical supplies&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Children are sorting canned goods&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;People are sending money&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Encourage your child and your child care program to participate in constructive activities relative to the tragedy. Children can make sandwiches for local aid workers or draw pictures about acts of courage or bravery. Give your child the opportunity to come up with ideas about how she can help those in need.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Talk about the emotions different people involved in the disaster must feel: &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Scared about the future&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Sad because someone has died&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Hungry, thirsty, hurting&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Confused &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Relieved help is on the way&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Glad they can help&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What you and your child care provider can do together to help your child feel safe and make sense of the world&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Listen to your child. His words and behavior will tell you what he needs. Your child may become clingy and not want you to leave, become afraid of things that did not bother him before, cry more, have temper tantrums and have problems sleeping. Some children may daydream or have trouble concentrating on activities. Some children need to run around, others need to be held. Some may act out. Others may be just fine. Different children need different things.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Remember that the images on television are frightening, even to adults. Reduce or eliminate the presence of television in your child's life at home and at your child care program.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Your child is comforted by normal routine. Maintain structure and stability at home and work with your child care provider to keep the daily schedule and engage in classroom activities that do not focus on the disaster.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Watch your child's play activities and help interpret the world. When your child engages in pretend play, she is in charge. Then she does not feel so small, helpless and scared. Your child may play about the same thing over and over. Each time she plays about something, she understands it a little bit better.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Your child will feel stronger when he has some power over the fear. One activity that is often helpful is giving your child the opportunity to draw pictures and dictate stories about the disaster that he could share with you and the children in his child care group. It gives him the opportunity to express and work through some of his fear, anxiety and feelings of helplessness.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;When your child plays about disasters, her play can get wild. That is because she is scared. She needs an adult to stop her, help her calm down and redirect her play.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Give information to increase knowledge and add more details to the play activities.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Read books that talk about how people handle disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and tsunamis.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;If your child seems preoccupied, consider getting professional assistance. If you need help, your child care provider may know about resources.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For More Information&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Family Connections&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.fci.org/index.asp" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.fci.org/index.asp&lt;/a&gt;, continues the work of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. It creates projects for children, families, and those who support them.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FEMA's Resources for Parents and Teachers&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.fema.gov/kids/teacher.htm#resources" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.fema.gov/kids/teacher.htm#resources&lt;/a&gt;, has information about disaster resources.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NACCRRA&lt;/strong&gt;, Is Child Care Ready? A Disaster Planning Guide for Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, &lt;a href="http://www.naccrra.org/publications/naccrra-publications" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.naccrra.org/publications/naccrra-publications&lt;/a&gt;/, is a guide to help CCR&Rs help child care providers respond to disasters and continue to serve children.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NACCRRA&lt;/strong&gt;, Preparing for Disaster: The Parent View,&lt;a href="http://www.naccrra.org/for_parents/coping/disaster" target="_blank"&gt; http://www.naccrra.org/for_parents/coping/disaster&lt;/a&gt;, offers resources parents can use to work with child care provider to plan for and recover from any catastrophe that strikes.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NACCRRA&lt;/strong&gt;, Helping Families and Children Cope with Traumatic Events, &lt;a href="http://www.naccrra.org/for_parents/traumatic-events/" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.naccrra.org/for_parents/traumatic-events/&lt;/a&gt;, offers resources of parents and child care providers about how to help children cope after a disaster.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; PBS Parents&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.pbs.org/parents/talkingwithkids/news/agebyage.html" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.pbs.org/parents/talkingwithkids/news/agebyage.html&lt;/a&gt;, has a variety of parenting and practical information that parents can download.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services&lt;/strong&gt;, Disasters, For Families and Individuals, &lt;a href="http://www.hhs.gov/disasters/discussion/family/index.html" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.hhs.gov/disasters/discussion/family/index.html&lt;/a&gt;, has information about preparing for the unexpected.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Your Local Library&lt;/strong&gt; offers a wealth of material on storybooks and science book about nature disasters and other child development issues.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~3/OoSUUozTadU/volume.php http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=74 <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=OoSUUozTadU:GwPu_ZkXi2k:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=OoSUUozTadU:GwPu_ZkXi2k:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=OoSUUozTadU:GwPu_ZkXi2k:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=OoSUUozTadU:GwPu_ZkXi2k:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?i=OoSUUozTadU:GwPu_ZkXi2k:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~4/OoSUUozTadU" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=74 &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Suspected Bomb Plot Under Investigation&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Fire Grows to 9,700 Acres Amid Hot Winds&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;H1N1 Flu is a Global Pandemic&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Flooding Closes Major Transportation Routes &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Burst Pipes Cause $150,000 Damage to Building&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Local Chemical Spill forces Evacuation of Neighborhood&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;Stories like these are in the news everyday. And behind every disaster and emergency there are personal stories about businesses and families having to cope with adversity.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;We all need to be prepared and have plans in place for any kind of disaster or emergency. This is especially true for programs that care for young children.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt; If your child is in child care, is it essential that you know what kind of disaster preparedness plan your child care program has in place. Ask your child care provider these 10 questions to make sure you know the what, when, where and how of your child care provider's emergency action plan&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Do you have an emergency preparedness plan for disasters that are likely to occur in our area?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li type=square&gt;Make sure they have an emergency preparedness plan. Ask for a copy of the plan.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Ask if they practice the plan on a monthly basis.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Ask that reminders about important parts of the plan that affect parents be shared with parents regularly in newsletters, emails, on the program's website and on bulletin boards.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;If they do not have a plan, find out when they will. Let then know that you feel this is important. Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&amp;R) agencies can help your provider develop an emergency preparedness plan. Your provider can find a CCR&amp;R by contacting Child Care Aware at 800-424-2242 or visiting www.childcareaware.org&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;How will you safely evacuate my child to a safe, predetermined location? What will you do if you have to shelter-in-place?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Find out where the children will be moved and how they will be moved. Check to make sure the place is safe and acceptable.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Ask about plans for an alternative site in case the first location is not available.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Ask how infants and other children who are not able to walk or to follow instructions will be transported.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Ask where parents should gather if the program is required evacuate the children or to shelter-in-place.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;How and when will I be notified if a disaster occurs when my child is in child care?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li type=square&gt;Make sure you list at least two ways that you can be contacted. The program should have the numbers for your home phone, your work phone and your cell phone. They should have at least one e-mail address. Check regularly to make sure that your contact information is up-to-date.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Include information about other people who can take messages for you. If you are difficult to reach during the workday, consider giving the program the contact information for your supervisor. Include the phone number of someone out of your geographic area.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Ask if the program has a password-protected page on the program website, a telephone calling tree, an e-mail alert, or call-in voice recording. Is there an out-of-town phone number where staff and parents can call to leave a status message in a catastrophic disaster? Is there a designated radio or television station that the program will use to provide information about its status?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;If I cannot get to my child during or after a disaster, how will you continue to care for my child?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li type=square&gt;Make sure your provider has any important information about your child's health needs that they will need to care for your child for a longer than normal period of time.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Ask how will the program let you know if someone else has picked up your child? How will they make sure that this person has your permission to pick up your child in an emergency?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Check periodically to make sure your child has a change of clothes that is appropriate for the season.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Have you and your staff received training on how to respond to my child's physical and emotional needs during and after a disaster?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li type=square&gt;Training in responding to emergencies is critical. Children at different stages of development and with different temperaments will react to disasters in different ways. Find out how the provider will help calm and reassure children during and after a disaster.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Find out how contact information, medical records, medications and other important information is kept with the children during an emergency.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Make sure your provider has a plan to always have someone onsite who has training in first aid and in CPR.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Will you teach my preschool-age or school-age child what to do during an emergency?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li type=square&gt;Ask what kind of drills the provider has to help preschool-age children and school-age children practice what to do in different kinds of emergencies.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Ask if the drills are monthly or more often.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Ask if parents can participate in the drills. This can help you learn what steps are being taken and help you be more comfortable with the plan.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Do you have a disaster or supply kit with enough items to meet my child's needs for at least 72 hours or three days&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;If a kit is not available, ask how you can help get one. If necessary, involve other parents.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;If your child is on regular medication, make sure the provider knows about it. If possible provide an extra supply to have on hand in an emergency.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Do the state and local emergency management agencies and responders know about your child care program and where it is located?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li type=square&gt;Make sure local emergency management agencies know about your child care provider. Call and verify this yourself.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;How can I help you during and after a disaster&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li type=square&gt;Becoming familiar with the way disasters will be handled in your program will help you see what can be done before and after a disaster&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Volunteer to help your provider prepare by organizing supplies and setting up procedures to contact parents during or after disasters.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Give suggestions if you see a need that your program has not addressed.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;After a disaster occurs, how will I be notified about your plan to reopen?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li type=square&gt;Ask if there will be a phone number, website or other way the child care program will contact parents.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Ask if you will be informed when the program reopens or will if it be up to you to contact them.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Ask if there are backup plans to help you with your child care needs while your program recovers from a disaster.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Take care of your own family.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li type=square&gt;When in doubt whether an emergency situation may be developing, stay home with your child.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li type=square&gt;Make sure your family has a family emergency preparedness plan and that you practice it monthly. Make it part of your plan to pick up your child from child care under various situations.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h4&gt; For More Information &lt;/h4&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NACCRRA&lt;/strong&gt;, Is Child Care Ready? A Disaster Planning Guide for Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, http://www.naccrra.org/publications/naccrra-publications/, is a guide to help CCR&Rs help child care providers respond to disasters and continue to serve children.&lt;br/&gt; &lt;strong&gt;NACCRRA,&lt;/strong&gt; Preparing for Disaster: The Parent View, http://www.naccrra.org/for_parents/coping/disaster, offers resources parents can use to work with child care provider to plan for and recover from any catastrophe that strikes.&lt;br/&gt; &lt;strong&gt;NACCRRA,&lt;/strong&gt; Helping Families and Children Cope with Traumatic Events, http://www.naccrra.org/for_parents/traumatic-events/, offers resources of parents and child care providers about how to help children cope after a disaster.&lt;/p&gt; http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~3/zyfhelwEa6o/volume.php http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=73 <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=zyfhelwEa6o:-S9kyxBW29Y:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=zyfhelwEa6o:-S9kyxBW29Y:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=zyfhelwEa6o:-S9kyxBW29Y:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=zyfhelwEa6o:-S9kyxBW29Y:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?i=zyfhelwEa6o:-S9kyxBW29Y:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~4/zyfhelwEa6o" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=73 &lt;em&gt;You want your child to learn to share. It means she is growing up. But children in child care do more than share toys, teachers and experiences. They also share colds, diseases and the flu. This year they are sharing H1N1 flu. &lt;/em&gt; &lt;h4&gt;How can you tell if someone has the H1N1 flu (formerly known as swine flu)?&lt;/h4&gt; The 2009 H1N1 flu virus infection has a wide range of symptoms. These can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people may also have vomiting and diarrhea. 2009 H1N1 flu can vary in severity from mild to severe. People infected with seasonal and 2009 H1N1 flu shed virus and may be able to infect others from one day before getting sick to five to seven days after. &lt;h4&gt; In This Issue&lt;/h4&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt; What you should expect your child care program to be doing to prepare for the flu? .2&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; When can your sick child go back to child care? 3 &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;What will you do if your child care program temporarily closes? 3&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;How should you treat your child with H1N1 flu? 3&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;For More Information 4&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .4 &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h4&gt;Why are people so concerned about H1N1 flu? &lt;/h4&gt; H1N1 is affecting more young children than the normal strain of the flu. Children younger than age 5, and especially children younger than age 2, seem to be more vulnerable to complications from H1N1 flu. This is a new strain of flu, and epidemiologists are still trying to understand it.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;h4&gt; What should you do before the flu hits your child care program?&lt;/h4&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt; Consult with your doctor about getting your child vaccinated for seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends children from 6 months-5 years be vaccinated for seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Update your contact information so you can be contacted easily if you need to pick up your child.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Tell you child care program if your child has an underlying health condition such as asthma, that would put your child at high risk of flu complications.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Ask to see your program's crisis response plan. If they do not have one, encourage them to develop one.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Plan for alternate child care in case your child care program temporarily closes. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;b&gt;Note:&lt;/b&gt;This issue of The Daily Parent is based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Information about H1N1 flu is updated as new data become available. For the most current information, consult the references at the end of this newsletter. &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h4&gt;What you should expect your child care program to be doing to prepare for the flu?&lt;/h4&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Encourages staff to get vaccinated for seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu. The CDC recommends that all people who care for children younger than 6 months old be vaccinated. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Does a daily health check with your child before you leave the program every day. Children and staff should not come to the child care program while they are ill. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Isolates sick children and employees from others as much as possible. There should be a limited number of staff who care for a sick child. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Makes sure your child is fever-free (without fever-reducing drugs) for 24 hours before your child is allowed return to the program. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Teaches your child to cover coughs and sneezes. Your child should cough or sneeze into a tissue, discard the tissue and wash her hands. There should be easy access to tissues and trash cans. If tissue is not available, your child should be taught to cough into her elbow or shoulder. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Teaches your child good handwashing technique. Children and staff should wash their hands often with soap and water. The program should provide adequate supplies of liquid soap, paper towels and hand lotion.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Washes your child's hands as needed if he cannot wash them himself. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Encourages your child to keep her hands away from her face &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Keeps surfaces (especially tables, surfaces in the bathroom and toys for children) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label. It is not necessary to disinfect these surfaces beyond routine cleaning. &lt;li&gt;Separates linens, eating utensils and dishes belonging to those who are sick before they are washed. They do not need to be cleaned separately, but these items should not be shared without washing thoroughly first.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Washes eating utensils either in a dishwasher or by hand with hot water and soap.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Washes linens (such as sheets and towels) by using household laundry soap and tumbling them dry on a hot setting.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;According to the CDC, employees who are well but who have an ill family member at home with 2009 H1N1 flu can go to work as usual. These employees should monitor their health every day, and take everyday precautions including covering their coughs and sneezes and washing their hands often with soap and water, especially after they cough or sneeze. This advice may change if the flu pandemic becomes more severe, so check the CDC Web site, &lt;a href="http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/"&gt;Click here &lt;/a&gt; , for current information.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Warning! Your child care program should not give aspirin to children who may have the flu; this can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye's syndrome. For more information about Reye's syndrome, visit the National Institute of Health Web site &lt;a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/reyes_syndrome/reyes_syndrome.htm" &gt; Click here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h4&gt; When can your sick child go back to child care?&lt;/h4&gt; &lt;p&gt;Your child should stay home for at least 24 hours after fever is gone. (Fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;h4&gt;What will you do if your child care program temporarily closes?&lt;/h4&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt; Have activities for your child to do while at home. Ask your program for suggestions for books or games that might help keep your child entertained. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Consider staying home with your child. Find out what policies your employer has for parents who have children at home because of the H1N1 flu. If possible, make preparations to work at home. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Prepare a back-up plan with friends or relatives. (Remember to talk with your friends and relatives about ways to keep your child healthy.) &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Plan to keep your child away from public places where large numbers of people gather like shopping centers and public playgrounds. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Find out how you will be notified when your child care program reopens. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h4&gt; How should you treat your child with H1N1 flu?&lt;/h4&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt; Be prepared in case you need to stay home for a week or so. In addition to normal groceries, a supply of over-the-counter medicines, tissues and other related items could help you to avoid the need to make trips out in public while you or your child are sick and contagious. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Talk with your doctor to decide if there should be any medical treatment. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Make sure your child gets plenty of rest. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Make sure your child drinks clear fluids (such as water, broth, sports drinks, electrolyte beverages for infants) to keep from being dehydrated &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;If you or other household members are at high risk for complications from influenza, consider wearing a facemask - if available and tolerable - when sharing common spaces with other household members to help prevent spreading the virus to others. For more information, see the Interim Recommendations for Facemask and Respirator &lt;a href="http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/masks.htm" &gt;click here &lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h4&gt; For More Information &lt;/h4&gt; Flu.gov, &lt;a href="http://www.flu.gov/" &gt;http://www.flu.gov/ &lt;/a&gt;, is a federal government Web site managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. &lt;h4&gt;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention &lt;/h4&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;2009 H1N1 (Swine Flu) Web site:&lt;a href="http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/" &gt; http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/&lt;/a&gt;, provides information for the general public and professionals about H1N1 flu. It is updated frequently.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;2009 H1N1 Flu ('Swine Flu') and You, http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm, answers common questions about H1N1 flu.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Interim Guidance for 2009 H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu): Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home, http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm#b, has information about how to prevent and how to respond to a case of H1N1 flu.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Social Media at CDC, http://www.cdc.gov/SocialMedia/Campaigns/H1N1/, has links to Twitter, Facebook, and other social media vehicles.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;The CDC Hotline (1-800-CDC-INFO) is available in English and Spanish, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~3/cI6uKLSWYig/volume.php http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=72 <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=cI6uKLSWYig:In4OxGniKHY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=cI6uKLSWYig:In4OxGniKHY:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=cI6uKLSWYig:In4OxGniKHY:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=cI6uKLSWYig:In4OxGniKHY:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?i=cI6uKLSWYig:In4OxGniKHY:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~4/cI6uKLSWYig" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=72 &lt;em&gt;Fire is fast&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;em&gt; Fire is hot&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;em&gt; Fire is dark&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;em&gt; Fire and fumes are deadly&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Fire is fast.&lt;/b&gt; It only takes a few seconds to a few minutes before flames can engulf a building. Never assume you have time to do anything but gather the children and leave immediately.&lt;/div&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Fire is hot.&lt;/b&gt; The heat of a fire is more deadly than the flames. The heat of a fire can rise to 600 degrees. The heat alone is deadly and can melt clothes to the skin.&lt;/div&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Fire is dark.&lt;/b&gt; Once a fire starts, it quickly turns dark from thick, black smoke. It is the dark smoke that prevents you from seeing - and breathing.&lt;/div&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Fire and fumes are deadly.&lt;/b&gt; Smoke and the toxic gases and fumes from fires are more deadly than the flames. Breathing these fumes is why people become incapacitated during a fire. If people are sleeping during a fire, the smoke and fumes are most likely what is deadly.&lt;/div&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ARE YOU AND YOUR CHILD CARE PROVIDER PREPARED?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;Your family and your child care provider must be prepared to act instantaneously in a fire. Here are some questions to ask yourself and your child care program:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are children adequately supervised at all times? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are 911 and other important emergency numbers posted by the phone and included in a mobile phone?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Is there an emergency evacuation plan?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are fire drills conducted at least monthly?.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Is there a fully-stocked first-aid kit?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are all exits free of clutter and accessible for escape?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are electrical outlets covered?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are all electrical appliances and items with electrical cords out of reach of children? Are appliances like toasters unplugged when not in use? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are electrical cords well maintained and not covered by rugs or other objects?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are there at least two ways to exit every room or floor where children are in care?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are windows of appropriate size and height from floor to serve as a second exit?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are fireplaces, woodstoves or space heaters inaccessible to children?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are cigarettes, matches, lighters and candles out of the reach of children?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are there railings for stairs with three steps or more than a 24-inch rise?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are hazardous materials like cleaning supplies, paints, kerosene, pesticides and alcohol properly stored in areas out of reach of children?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are lint filters in clothes dryers cleaned after every use?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are stoves and ovens turned off when not supervised by an adult, and knobs inaccessible to children?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers easy to reach and in working order?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Your child care provider should have a Fire Preparedness Plan that includes policies and procedures for preventing and responding to fires. Check your child care program: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are there ramps for children with mobility issues, when appropriate?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are doors fireproof in center-based care? Are doors free of flammable materials in family child care homes?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are wall displays limited to no more than 20 percent flammable materials? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ask your child care provider:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Do parents sign in and sign out their children so an accurate head count can be kept?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Can locks on doors be opened from both the inside and outside?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;How will they evacuate children who are unable to understand directions or who cannot evacuate under their own power&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Is there a written emergency evacuation plan?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;How will you be contacted in an emergency? How can you contact the program if they evacuate the building?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;What are the plans for alternative sites to pick up your child if the building is evacuated?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make sure the contact information you gave your child care provider is current and includes back-up adult contacts if you cannot be reached in an emergency.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt; DO YOU HAVE THE NECESSARY FIRE SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Your home and your child's provider should have the following equipment maintained and kept in working order -and you should know how to use them properly:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Smoke detectors:&lt;/b&gt; Smoke detectors are early warning detection devices that help alert occupants in case of a fire and have been proven to save lives. There should be a smoke detector on every level of a house. Child care programs require a working smoke detector in each sleeping room. Smoke detectors should be installed high on ceilings or walls since smoke rises. They should not have anything covering or hanging from them, including paint, stickers, dust or mobiles. Test the smoke detector once a month by pushing the test button. If the smoke detector is battery-operated, replace the batteries twice each year.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Carbon monoxide detectors:&lt;/strong&gt; Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that can build up to dangerous levels inside the home when fuel-burning devices are not properly ventilated, operated or maintained. Because it has no odor, color or taste, CO cannot be detected by our senses. Any home or child care program using natural gas should equip their program with a CO detector.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Fire extinguishers:&lt;/strong&gt; Fire extinguishers are not designed to fight a large or spreading fire. If a fire has already spread or engulfed a room, do NOT attempt to use the fire extinguisher. Get out of the building! Only use a fully loaded, operating fire extinguisher designated for the type of fire that exists. There should be an operable, non-expired, ABC-type fire extinguisher located in the kitchen and on each floor used by children that can handle different types of fires. Operating instructions should be posted near each extinguisher. Fire extinguishers need to be recharged after each use. Contact your local fire department about recharging a fire extinguisher.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Electrical outlet covers: &lt;/strong&gt;All electrical outlets should be covered with safety covers. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates about 3,900 injuries associated with electrical receptacle outlets are treated in emergency rooms each year. Approximately one-third of these injuries occur from children inserting metal objects, such as hair pins and keys, into the outlet. This can result in electric shock or burn injuries to hands or fingers.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Emergency evacuation kit:&lt;/strong&gt; Given that emergencies may occur and last longer than a brief time, the child care program should compile and have an easily accessible emergency evacuation or disaster kit.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DO THE CHILDREN KNOW WHAT TO DO?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Scared children are more likely to hide under a bed than to run outside. You and your child care provider need to teach safety rules to children and then practice with them.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;div align="justify"&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fire drills:&lt;/strong&gt; Monthly practice with the children can be fun, but more importantly, it makes evacuation so routine that should it be needed in an emergency, everyone is prepared to get out quickly, orderly and safely.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stop/drop/roll:&lt;/strong&gt; If their clothes catch on fire, tell young children not to run. Running fans the flames and makes the fire worse. Instead, teach children: Do not run! Stop, drop to the floor or ground, and roll around. This will put the fire out.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stay low &lt;/strong&gt;- During a fire, smoke rises and makes it difficult to breathe. You must stay low to the floor while exiting the building, crawling if necessary.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fire safety should be part of everyday experiences for children, whether they are in your home or a child care program. Have books about fire fighters and fire safety. Provide toys like fire trucks and fire hats and blocks and phones so children can practice responding to fires. Use songs to make rules automatic. Conduct regular fire drills. Visit your local fire department. Make fire safety a habit for your, your children and your child care provider.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~3/Z214-tnSNMA/volume.php http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=71 <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=Z214-tnSNMA:VsvEwZ15bcc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=Z214-tnSNMA:VsvEwZ15bcc:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=Z214-tnSNMA:VsvEwZ15bcc:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=Z214-tnSNMA:VsvEwZ15bcc:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?i=Z214-tnSNMA:VsvEwZ15bcc:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~4/Z214-tnSNMA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=71 &lt;p&gt;From your child's point of view, going to kindergarten is a very big deal. It's like starting a new job. Your child has gotten that long-awaited promotion, but that means going to a new building, with a new boss, with new co-workers, with a new transportation plan, with harder work, and with higher expectations. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;This job comes with new job descriptions for both you and your child - and they are very different than the ones you and your parents had when you went into kindergarten.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Information you need&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Check with your school district to find out the specific cut-off date for eligibility for kindergarten. Generally a child must be 5-years-old to start kindergarten. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Locate your child's elementary school - call your school district if you need help.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Ask if your school will host an orientation or open house for new kindergarten students and their parents in the spring and again before school starts.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Ask at your local school if there is a resource booklet that describes what skills kindergarteners are expected to have.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find out about enrollment requirements. At a minimum, you will need a registration form, birth certificate, proof of residency and a record of a recent physical exam with proof of immunizations.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Register your child at the school in the spring or early summer. This helps the school hire the right number of teachers &lt;strong&gt;before&lt;/strong&gt; school starts.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;If the language you speak at home is not English, the school may require your child to take a test to show how well he or she speaks English.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find out what hours your child will be in school.  Some kindergarten classes meet for the full school day. Others meet for only part of the school day. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Ask about transportation arrangements, especially if your child will attend a part-day kindergarten. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Ask for the school calendar so you will know when school holidays are planned.  Most schools are open about 180 days a year. Your child care program is probably open at least 250 days a year.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Begin NOW to make your plans for before and after-school care and care during school holidays. Child care for school-age children can be hard to find. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;planning a Successful transition &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;There are times before starting kindergarten when your child will feel alone and uncertain. Your child needs you and the other caring adults in his or her life to help make the transition as smooth and successful as possible. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Continue to attend parent-teacher conferences. Talk regularly with your child care provider so you understand your child's strengths and weaknesses in a group early learning setting.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find out how your child care provider handles transition to kindergarten.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Will your child care provider take the children on a field trip to see a kindergarten classroom in the elementary school your child will attend?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;What books is your child care provider reading to the children?  What other activities are planned for children moving to kindergarten?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Does your child care provider meet with kindergarten teachers? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are there 'alumni parents' from your child care program who can talk with you?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Does your child care provider follow-up with children after they have entered kindergarten?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find out what information your provider shares with the elementary school.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;With your child care provider, write an 'Introduction to My Child' for the kindergarten teacher that describes how your child can be successful in kindergarten.  Discuss your child's strengths and where your child will need help. Describe what makes your child special/unique. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Plan What Will Work for &lt;u&gt;Your &lt;/u&gt;Child&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt; As you plan this big move for your child, think about how your child has handled other transitions. Use this information to make this next move an easier one.  Does your child welcome change or does your child need time to observe? Will your child talk with you about worries or will you need to create a special time? Does your child work best with a partner or does your child prefer to work alone? Will your child need to get into the new routine weeks before school starts or will your child 'jump in'? Will you child need more sleep?  Planning ahead will make this a successful promotion!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;br clear="all" /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is Your Child Ready?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;When schools talk about children being &lt;em&gt;ready,&lt;/em&gt; they're talking about whether children have specific skills and information that will help them succeed in school. The following are skills that kindergarten teachers look for in new students. If your child does not yet have a skill or is behind in any one certain area, it doesn't mean that he or she is not ready to go to kindergarten. Discuss your child's development and progress with your child care provider and pediatrician to get a complete assessment of your child's abilities.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"&gt; &lt;tr&gt; &lt;td width="590" colspan="2" valign="top"&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Skills Expected of Average 5-year-olds &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt; &lt;td width="295" valign="top"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Social and Emotional&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul type="disc"&gt; &lt;li&gt;Expresses thoughts and feelings&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Makes choices&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Takes turns and shares with others&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Uses self-help skills (dressing, toileting, eating)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Uses self-control&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Tries new things and finishes new tasks&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Stays with an activity for 15 minutes or more &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Follows simple directions &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td width="295" valign="top"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Physical&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul type="disc"&gt; &lt;li&gt;Hops, jumps, gallops, runs, leaps, climbs, balances, pedals&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Throws and catches a ball&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Alternates feet when walking up steps&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Buttons and zips&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Assembles puzzles&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Uses crayons, markers, pencils, scissors&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt; &lt;td width="295" valign="top"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Oral Language, Reading, Writing&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul type="disc"&gt; &lt;li&gt;Knows full name, address, phone number, parents' names&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Shares thoughts and opinions and answers simple questions&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Listens to stories read each day &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Retells and discusses a familiar event or story&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Recites some nursery rhymes&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Participates in word play&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Identifies colors&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Pretends to 'read' a book&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Identifies some letters in the alphabet&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Writes his or her first name&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Attempts writing by using scribbling, print-like marks, or strings of letters&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td width="295" valign="top"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mathematics&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul type="disc"&gt; &lt;li&gt;Identifies some shapes&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Notices similarities and differences&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Matches, sorts and classifies objects (e.g., socks, shoes, mittens, gloves)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Uses math language (e.g., bigger, smaller, tallest, shortest, heavier, lighter)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Plays counting games&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Counts to 10 and beyond&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/table&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;br clear="all" /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Child Care Aware&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.childcareaware.org/en/"&gt;http://www.childcareaware.org/en/&lt;/a&gt;, includes practical resources for parents. The brochure, &lt;em&gt;Making the Transition from Child Care to Kindergarten: Working Together for Kindergarten Success,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;offers guidance for a smooth transition.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PBS Parents, Child Development Tracker,&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="http://www.pbs.org/parents/childdevelopment"&gt;www.pbs.org/parents/childdevelopment&lt;/a&gt;, is a tool for parents with age-by-age snapshots considered by child development experts to be 'widely-held expectations' for what an average child might achieve within a given year. Use it to consider them in the context of your child's unique development and what kinds of activities you may want to try with your child in exploring their various intelligence types. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Center for Parent Involvement&lt;/strong&gt;, University of South Florida&lt;br /&gt; &lt;a href="http://www.fmhi.usf.edu/institute/pubs/pdf/cfs/fcpi/transition.htm"&gt;http://www.fmhi.usf.edu/institute/pubs/pdf/cfs/fcpi/transition.htm&lt;/a&gt;, provides information for both parents and providers about school readiness and the transition to kindergarten.&lt;/p&gt; http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~3/PHz7x0FEEWc/volume.php http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=70 <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=PHz7x0FEEWc:7lT8I91GnZc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=PHz7x0FEEWc:7lT8I91GnZc:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=PHz7x0FEEWc:7lT8I91GnZc:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=PHz7x0FEEWc:7lT8I91GnZc:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?i=PHz7x0FEEWc:7lT8I91GnZc:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~4/PHz7x0FEEWc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=70 &lt;p&gt;There's nothing like predicting the inevitable.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;If your child is in child care, eventually one toddler is going to bite another toddler. And if it's your child that is being bit, you are going to get upset. Even if your child is the biter, you are also going to be distressed. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You can work with your child care provider to help keep biting to a minimum. You can also make sure procedures are in place to handle biting once it occurs.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PREDICT THE INEVITABLE &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Biting will happen - it is a stage that many toddlers go through. It is helpful to know that biting is not a predictor of later aggressive behavior, and it should not be grounds for expulsion from a child care program. Studies show that one out of 10 toddlers and 2-year-olds are biters. The occurrence of biting in child care is highest in September, lowest in the summer and usually peaks around 10:00 a.m.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Biting is most common when toddlers are under stress or going through a developmental change. Once your child can use words and has a little more control over his or her behavior, biting will be less of an issue.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;It helps to understand why toddlers bite.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Their back teeth are coming in. Their gums hurt.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;They still use their mouth to explore the world. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;They don't have the words to tell you what they want.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;They don't understand having to wait for something. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;They do understand there are things they want to do, but are unable or not allowed to do.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;They may not be getting enough oral stimulation in their diet.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;The setting may be overwhelming.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PREVENT OR MINIMIZE BITING&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Biting is less common in a calm environment. Your child care provider should be doing as much as possible to avoid unnecessary commotion and competition for toys and adult attention. You should expect to see the following: &lt;br /&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Watchful adult supervision&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Teething toys (that are sanitized frequently)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Children being taught to share, wait and use their words&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Daily activities that engage toddlers in sensory activities such as using straws, crunching on ice or blowing on a whistle &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Foods that have a variety of tastes, temperatures and textures that require sucking, gumming, munching, crunching and chewing &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Supervised use of toothbrushes and oral stimulation brushes that allow children to massage their gums &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Planning for individual children's needs, interests and developmental levels &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Written policies that describe how the program handles biting&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Information for parents about how to prevent and respond to biting&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;RESPOND TO BITING&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Biting is scary for the whole group - for the child being hurt, the child doing the biting, and the group that witnesses the results. A good program will have procedures in place to deal with biting. You should expect your caregiver to respond calmly and take steps to minimize future incidents. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;If your child is bitten, you should expect your child to be comforted and given appropriate first-aid. You should receive a written injury report. When you hear your child has been bitten, stay calm. Let the caregiver explain what happened. Find out what steps are being put in place to reduce chances that this will happen again. &lt;strong&gt;Please note that your child care provider is legally not allowed to tell you who did the biting&lt;/strong&gt;. If your child is repeatedly being bitten, and you think that your provider is not taking care of the problem, you should notify your local licensing office. For contact information, call Child Care Aware® at 1-800-424-2246 or visit &lt;a href="http://www.childcareaware.org/en/"&gt;www.childcareaware.org/en/&lt;/a&gt;.    &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;If your child is the biter, you should expect your child to be comforted as well. It's scary to lose control and bite. Once your child is calm, he or she should be helped to see that the child who was bitten has been hurt. Then your child should be redirected to another activity. The providers should consider the best strategies to use with your child to prevent future biting. Your child may need a teething toy, a different toy, or a reminder about learning to share or wait.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br clear="all" /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PROBLEM SOLVE &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You and your child care provider should spend time watching and understanding your toddler. Share positive techniques you have used at home to reduce the incidents of biting, hitting or other specific aggressive behaviors. Help your child care provider look for patterns in the biter's environment and emotional state during each biting episode. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Does the time of day make a difference?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Was the child uncomfortable, sick, hungry, sleepy, bored or excited? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;How long has it been since the child last ate? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Does the child feel crowded? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Is the child over stimulated or under stimulated? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Does the child always bite the same individual?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Has there been a change at home or at the child care program that affects the child's stress level?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Consider which of the prevention strategies will be most successful in reducing your toddler's urge to bite in the future. Make a plan to support the biter's needs and help the child be successful.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You and your provider can guide your child toward self-control and away from biting. The key is understanding - for adults and children alike.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FOR MORE INFORMATION&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;American Academy of Pediatrics, &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/childcare.cfm"&gt;www.aap.org/healthtopics/childcare.cfm&lt;/a&gt;, has a parenting section on its website that covers a variety of issues on raising children.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Talaris Research Institute, &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.talaris.org/"&gt;www.talaris.org&lt;/a&gt;, provides research summaries for parents and the general public about a variety of child development and parenting topics.&lt;/p&gt; http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~3/Y3R3zbidkBc/volume.php http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=69 <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=Y3R3zbidkBc:hLjmt9yb9Xk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=Y3R3zbidkBc:hLjmt9yb9Xk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=Y3R3zbidkBc:hLjmt9yb9Xk:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=Y3R3zbidkBc:hLjmt9yb9Xk:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?i=Y3R3zbidkBc:hLjmt9yb9Xk:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~4/Y3R3zbidkBc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=69 &lt;p&gt;The picture in your mind has you enjoying breakfast with your child before heading calmly out to work and to child care.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The reality you face has you running late (again) as your child refuses to put on his shoes and you search for your keys.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;There are strategies to make the transition to and from child care easier. Start by looking at what's happening. Then look at your behavior and look at the environment. Finally, look at your child's behavior.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h4&gt;Take a couple of days and don't do anything except look at how transitions are working out.&lt;/h4&gt; &lt;p&gt;Starting with the time you get up in the morning, write down what is happening every 15 minutes. Then note what is working and what needs to change. Think about what the chart shows you. What can you do to prevent problems and prepare yourself and your child for transitions?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h4&gt;Parents have found the following strategies helpful in preventing problems:&lt;/h4&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Give yourself five minutes of quiet before you wake up your child or start your day.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Think about what you know about your child. What will help make the morning more pleasant? The following ideas may work for you: &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Cover your child with an extra blanket five minutes before you wake him up.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Play calming music.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Put a glass of orange juice on your child's night stand so she can get sugar into her system right away.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Turn the light on in the room five minutes before waking your child.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;If your child enjoys tickling, use that as a strategy to wake him or her in the morning. It makes waking up fun!&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Plan to give the slow-to-wake up child three wake up calls.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Put happy, sad, relaxed, and tense faces on the refrigerator. Have your child point to how he feels in the morning. Point to how you feel. Use this information to give hugs or to be quiet.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Get things ready the night before: &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Put out clothes, shoes, coats, and gloves.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Set up breakfast.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Pack backpacks.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find your keys.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Create clear and consistent rituals: &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Make a chart with pictures showing what should happen. Instead of nagging your child, point to the chart.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Follow "Grandma's Rule" about TV and video games. "When you get done with . . . , then you can . . . "&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Keep it simple. Use shoes without laces and pants without belts until your child is really good at tying shoes and buckling belts.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Have a distraction bag to use in the car or while your child has to wait. Include small books, action figures, squeeze balls, washable markers and notepads, small dolls, masking tape, stickers, small cars and trucks.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h3&gt;Prepare your child for successful transitions&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Children don't have the same sense of time that adults do. Five minutes can seem like nothing or an eternity. Give your child something concrete to measure the time: "After this song is over..." "When the timer goes off..." "After you sing 'Happy Birthday' twice..."&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Your child may not have the skills to do what you want. Preschoolers can throw a quilt over a bed, but it's hard for them to tuck in the blankets.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Make sure your child knows how to do what you want. Instead of just saying, "Make sure the bathroom is clean," show your child how you want the bathroom to look. Then have your child show you how to hang up the towel, put the toothbrush away, and wipe the counter. &lt;li&gt;Show respect. Your child may be involved in what he or she is doing, or may have other plans about how to spend the time. Your child has to do what you need done, and you want it done pleasantly. That doesn't mean your child has to like doing it.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Give your child responsibilities. Teach your child to get dressed, fix breakfast, and tidy up. Compliment your child when things go well.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;If you still have a problem, practice doing the tasks together with your assistance, and then leave your child to do them.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Work with your child to plan how to solve on-going problems.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h3&gt;Plan for successful transitions to your child care program&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Leave your child with the same caregiver every day.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Tell your caregiver about significant things happening at home that are important to your child.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Plan to arrive at the child care program about the same time every day. That way your child can plan ahead and think about what will be happening when you get there.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Have a good-bye ritual so your child knows you are leaving. Tell your child when you will be back (for example, after nap time and group play.)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Keep your time at the child care program short. A child who knows you are going to leave can't begin to relax until you really do leave.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Trust your child care provider to help your child settle down once you leave.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Leave a picture, a scarf with your scent, or some other "lovey" in your child's cubby so that your child will have it when he or she needs reassurance.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h3&gt;Plan for successful transitions from child care to home&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Take a couple of days and don't do anything except chart how the afternoon transition is working out. Think about what the chart shows you. What can you do to prevent problems and prepare yourself and your child for the transition from child care to home?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Take time to relax before you pick up your child.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Try to arrive about the same time every day. Children seem to have an internal alarm clock and know when to expect you.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find out from your caregiver what happened during your child's day.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Have a simple snack ready for the ride home. &lt;li&gt;Plan to have time with your child as soon as you get home. &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Some children will need 100 percent of your attention when you get home. They are charged up from being around people all day. They need to talk to unwind. Plan to give them your attention for 10 minutes and listen.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Other children will need to have time away from everyone after a day of being in a crowd. Give them time to be by themselves when they get home. Plan to give them 10 minutes to talk with you at the end of the day. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Give your child a nutritious snack to hold him or her over until you get dinner ready. (Think of it as part of dinner - one parent calls 5:00 p.m. "the vegetable hour.")&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Plan calming activities for your child while you prepare dinner. Let your child help you with dinner, read, play with play-doh, play in water, color, play with a basin of rice, watch fish in a fish tank, snuggle into a beanbag chair, or listen to relaxing music. &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;TV and computer games can help distract children during transitions, but children may have trouble transitioning from these activities back into your world. &lt;p&gt; Encourage everyone to get enough sleep, eat well, and exercise.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h3&gt;For More Information &lt;/h3&gt; &lt;p&gt;Your Local Library offers a wealth of material on how to choose books that will interest your child while you are busy.&lt;/p&gt; http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~3/JeIXKgox1kE/volume.php http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=68 <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=JeIXKgox1kE:3icElheQFpc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=JeIXKgox1kE:3icElheQFpc:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=JeIXKgox1kE:3icElheQFpc:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?a=JeIXKgox1kE:3icElheQFpc:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/childcareaware/dailyparent/english?i=JeIXKgox1kE:3icElheQFpc:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/childcareaware/dailyparent/english/~4/JeIXKgox1kE" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.childcareaware.org/en/subscriptions/dailyparent/volume.php?id=68