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Discoveries for those caring for children…
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Traumatic Times: Helping Children Cope - In light of the recent Haiti Earthquake, the following link shares help in responding appropriately to children and families who have faced devastating and challenging circumstances. Visit Better Kid Care at http://www.betterkidcare.psu.edu/DisasterResources.html.
2010 earthquake in Haiti - Learn where to make donations, the coordinated federal response and how to get information about friends or family from: http://www.fema.gov/rebuild/recover/howtohelp.shtm
“When accessible and affordable mental health services are available, they put a preventive system in place that catches children before they fall.” — ~ The Science of Early Childhood Development; Closing the Gap Between What We Know and What We Do, National Scientific Council on The Developing Child, Harvard University
A Broader Look at Safe Practices: Understanding Stress Simply stated, safe practices protect children from danger. When safe practices and environments are provided along with nurturing relationships, we improve the outcomes for all children, particularly those who are most vulnerable. Children who are exposed to vulnerable situations face varying levels of stress. Severe stress, research shows, can be harmful to a child’s well being. For that reason, understanding stress becomes a part of safe practice.
Are you aware that Better Kid Care provides comprehensive curricula in early childhood development?
The Better Kid Care curriculum follows the PA Core Body of Knowledge and offers multiple course titles to choose from. Each course offers numerous Distance Education lessons, providing a well-rounded approach to obtaining your professional development. View the entire Better Kid Care Distance Education curriculum on line at www.betterkidcare.psu.edu and choose your course of study today!
Safe Practices Course: Supervising Children in Family Day Care
Children are quick. It only takes a minute or two for a child to get hurt, fall into a swimming pool, get bitten by a dog, or take off running down the street. Who’s responsible if these things happen when children are in your care? YOU are! The best thing you can do to avoid these types of problems is to supervise children carefully. This unit will look closely at supervision of young children, based on Pennsylvania’s regulations for family childcare providers and offer ideas from family childcare providers who have been in this business for a long time. View lesson here.
To order this lesson call 800-452-9108
Positive Indicators of Child Well-Being: A Conceptual Framework, Measures, and Methodological Issues
A paper prepared by Child Trends researchers for the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, offers an updated framework for examining positive child well-being. The paper highlights a number of frameworks for positive indicator development which examine the positive well-being of children. Download the PDF here: http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/iwp_2009_21.pdf
Excessive Stress Disrupts the Architecture of the Developing Brain
This report from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child explains how significant adversity early in life can alter—in a lasting way—a child's capacity to learn and to adapt to stressful situations, how sensitive and responsive caregiving can buffer the effects of such stress, and how policies could be shaped to minimize the disruptive impacts of toxic stress on young children. Find the report here.
Better Kid Care Live!
Connect to Better Kid Care Live - It's Free! Hear inspirational and helpful podcasts on practical tips in helping children grow and develop - for parents, early childhood educators, or anyone caring for children.
Better Kid Care Live Podcasts are available as a free download on iTunes. Listen now!
Clicking on the link will automatically redirect your computer to open iTunes (if you already have iTunes installed). Otherwise, you will need to install iTunes on your computer to access the podcast. iTunes is also a free download. Once in iTunes, click the "Get" button next to the title you want to download. You can also subscribe to our podcasts!
Love, Always
For Children
Harriet, You Drive me Wild, by Mem Fox, published by Sandpiper, ISBN 0152045988. Sometimes accidents just happen, and sometimes yelling just happens. But even when family members make mistakes, they still love each other, as these two prove when they start laughing and cleaning up the big feathery mess after the apologies and hugs.
I’ll Always Love You, by Paoney Lewis, published by Tiger Tales, ISBN 1589253604. Alex wants to be sure his parents will love him, even if he’s broken the honey bowl!
I’ll Love you Through and Through, by Bernadette Rosetti Shustak, published by Cartwheel, ISBN 0439673631. A toddler and his teddy bear illustrate a young child's happy side, sad side, silly side, mad side, and more!
For Adults
Keeping your Smile: Caring for Children with Love, Joy and Intention, by Jeff Johnson, published by Redleaf Press, ISBN 193365385
Are you looking for articles to share with your families? Do you need information for your parent/family bulletin board? Family Time / Work Time shares easy-to-read articles for busy parents and caretakers with a focus on Building Strong Families.
You are welcome to print and share these publications with your friends, family, and other childcare providers.
Help Your Child When Bad Things Happen
By Nancy Wilson,
Early Childhood Program Specialist
Happy times and sad times are a part of life. Parents naturally want to protect their children from bad things that happen, but that is not always possible. Children do need to learn how to deal with times when sad or bad things occur. Some examples of things that can happen are the death of a beloved relative or a pet. It might be moving to a different home or a friend moving away. Parents separating or going through a divorce is very difficult for a child. There may be a natural disaster such as a blizzard, flood, or tornado. A child might witness a crime or some kind of violence. Many families have a parent or other relative in the military, possibly in a war area. This will cause a child to have fears for her safety.
What can you do to help your child through sad or frustrating times?
Read Suggestions here.
Click on the icon to read or download the entire article.
4-H Cloverbud Curriculum
The 4-H Cloverbud Curriculum is designed as a non-formal approach to developing the confidence, social skills, decision making abilities, subject matter knowledge, and physical skills of kindergarten through second grade youth. The Cloverbud Curriculum is a series of short activities that an adult helper can do with a small group of children. The Cloverbud Curriculum was adapted for Penn State by Claudia Mincemoyer, Ph.D., associate professor and 4-H curriculum specialist, from materials originally developed at The Ohio State University.
Cloverbud Learning Resources and Activities:
Learn more by visiting Pennsylvania 4-H on the Web.
CDA: Quick Breakdown – You can do it!
Get CDA Help from Better Kid Care:
The following information highlights upcoming professional development opportunities available for early childhood practitioners:
February 3 – NAEYC Public Policy Forum, Washington, D.C., www.naeyc.org
February 3 - The National Association for Bilingual Education's annual conference, Denver, Co, http://nieer.org/news/event.php?EventID=266
February 5 - Integrating the Early Childhood Learning Standards Into Curriculum and Assessment, Capital Area Early Childhood Training Institute, Harrisburg, PA, contact 717-236-1381
February 6-9 – National Reading Recovery Conference, Columbus, OH, http://www.readingrecovery.org/conferences/national/index.asp
February 12 – Where’s ART? (Part 1 of 3), Penn State Extension, contact 814-355-4897
February 18 – National Smart Start on-line Conference, http://nieer.org/news/event.php?EventID=270
February 19 - Language-based Approaches to Teaching Children with Autism, Fogelsville, PA, http://www.cscinc.org/events/events_detail.php?id=12
February 20 – Read Your Way Through the Pyramid – 10:30-12:30 – Altoona Area Public Library, PA, call (814) 686-0384
February 20 and 27 – Celebrating Diversity in the Classroom through the Arts, Pittsburgh Children’s Museum, Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3, 412-394-5761.
February 27 - Focus on Strong Families Conference, State College, PA, contact 814-231-1070, or visit http://www.scasd.org/2497_10012214422/cwp/view.asp?A=3&Q=291357&C=51224
March 5 – Play Safe, Be Safe, Penn State Extension, State College, PA, contact 814-355-4897
March 9-13 – NACCRRA (National Association of childcare Resource and Referral Agencies) 2010 National Policy Symposium “Making Connections: All Children, All Families, All Settings”, http://nieer.org/news/event.php?EventID=268
March 12-13 – A Sense of Place, PA Association of Environmental Educators, Blue Bell, PA, http://www.paee.net/2010%20Conference/index.html
March 13 – Capital Area for the Education of Young Children conference, Harrisburg, PA, http://www.caaeyc.org/events.php#event6
March 19-21 – 3 Day Institute with Margie Carter and Deb Curtis, Chester, Ohio, http://daytonayc.org/ThreeDayInstitiute.aspx
March 20 – Exploring American History through Folk Music, Pittsburgh Children’s Museum, Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3, 412-394-5761
March 23 – Exploring Learning Styles – 5:45-7:45 pm – Bellwood-Antis Public Library, PA, call (814) 686-0384
April 8-10 - Delaware Valley AEYC, Delight in Discovery, Philadelphia, PA, www.dvaeyc.org
April 8-11 – National Association of Elementary School Principals convention and expo is "Mission Possible: Enrich Your World and Beyond", Houston, TX, http://nieer.org/news/event.php?EventID=269
April 9 – Move Over Emeril, Penn State Extension, State College, PA, contact 814-355-4897
April 9-10 – Building Blocks Conference IX, Westmoreland County Community College, Youngwood, PA (Westmoreland LICC, Westmoreland IU#7, United Way, PAEYC), http://paprom.convio.net/site/DocServer/save_the_date.pdf?docID=6721
April 10 - Central Susquehanna AEYC Conference, Williamsport, shmondanipour@stepcorp.org
April 11-17 – Week of the Young Child, http://www.naeyc.org/woyc
April 20 – 26th Annual NACCP (National Association of childcare Professionals) National Conference, “Winds of Change”, Chicago, Ill., http://nieer.org/news/event.php?EventID=271
April 21-22 – “My How Our Garden Has Grown: Celebrating 45 Years of Head Start in Pennsylvania", Harrisburg, PA, www.paheadstart.org
May 4-7 – Children, Youth and Families At Risk (CYFAR) Conference 2010, San Francisco, sponsored by 4-H National Headquarters, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), visit http://www.certain.com/system/profile/form/index.cfm?PKformID=0x8671618c74
May 14-15 - Pittsburgh AEYC, Creativity: Where the Future Begins, Pittsburgh, PA www.pghaeyc.org , http://www.earlyarts.net/conference.html
May 21 – Toddler Communication (Part 2 of 3), Penn State Extension, State College, PA, contact 814-355-4897
May 24-25 Higher Education Diversity Institute, State College, PA, http://www.pakeys.org/pages/get.aspx?page=EarlyLearning_Diversity
June 4 – Shake Rattle, and Roll (Part 3 of 3), Penn State Extension, State College, PA, contact 814-355-4897
June 6 – NAEYC National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development, Phoenix, AZ, http://www.naeyc.org/institute/
July 11-14 – Second Annual National Principals Conference for Elementary School Principals, Columbus, OH, 617-354-3820
October 13-15 – Early Childhood Education Summit, State College, PA, http://www.earlychildhoodsummit.org/
October 17-20 – Connecting Children with Nature Action Forum, Nebraska City, Nebraska, visit http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wf2010_nature/index.php
The 2010 NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) Week of the Young Child will be held April 11 through April 17, 2010. The theme for the 2010 Week of the Young Child will be "Early Years Are Learning Years®." NAEYC is also offering a variety of sub-themes for the Week of the Young Child. These sub-themes can be used for each day or as a means of tailoring the Week of the Young Child to your specific program, school, or community. Visit NAEYC’s web site for useful resources, planning ideas, and to share your celebrations. Go to http://www.naeyc.org/woyc
Early Education
REGGIO-L is a discussion list owned by the Early Childhood and Parenting (ECAP) Collaborative in the College of Education at the University of Illinois. For information about subscribing, log onto the REGGIO-L page: http://ecap.crc.uiuc.edu/listserv/reggio-l.html
New Year’s is a great time to renew your commitment to inclusive teaching. Get going by connecting – or reconnecting – with your class’s parents after you look over Family Engagement from Teaching Tolerance. It includes a video that will help you involve parents and other caregivers in the learning process.
Families
NAEYC (The National Association for the Education of Young Children) is pleased to announce our Right Choice for Kids Web site is in the process of a redesign and content update. It will include the following NEW features: Updated Early Years and Learning Years articles, NAEYC promotional Accreditation videos, easier and more user-friendly Accreditation search, and newly designed and user-centric format. Right Choice for Kids is here to help parents find the best possible early childhood experience!
Through the Be Out There movement, National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is working to ensure all American children reap the mental and physical benefits of outdoor time. Make the Be Out There Resolution to Know, Go, and Grow in 2010. It will take less than a minute—and you’ll receive fun tips and interactive tools to inspire you and your family to Be Out There all year long! Visit http://surveys.polldaddy.com/s/1CD6F88CE8C69395/
Kids Off the Couch Newsletter - sign up for your FREE Kids Off the Couch newsletter. Every week a new Popcorn Adventure will arrive in your inbox, brimming with freshly popped ideas for getting your family off the couch and into your city. Think of KOTC as your personal lens on your hometown: we preview movies and scour cultural offerings each week to filter out the best for your family. Visit http://www.kidsoffthecouch.com/signup/index.php?nLocationID=8
Nature
Getting Kids Involved – Resources for kids, families, & anyone who wants to learn more about birds and science. Visit the Cornell Lab or Ornithology Kids and Family link at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/education/kids
Earth's Birthday Project – www.earthsbirthday.org. Earth's Birthday Project is a website filled with stories and activities about environmental education designed for children 4 through 12.
Health and Well Being
2010 Immunization – The 2010 recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedules have been approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. “Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedules – United States, 2010” is published in the January issue of Pediatrics (appearing online Jan. 4).
The schedules reflect current recommendations for use of vaccines licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Changes in the 2010 schedule include the new recommendation for influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine. Revaccination with meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) is recommended for children who remain at increased risk for meningococcal disease. Information can also be found at and of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules.
The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) recently updated the childcare Emergency Planning Toolkit. Representatives from OCDEL’s (Office of Child Development and Early Learning) Bureau of Certification Services, PEMA, County Emergency Management Agencies and PACCA worked together to update the toolkit. The toolkit is available on the PEMA website.
Grants and Funding
GE Healthcare – Grants for Youth Education, Healthy Lives, and Diversity and Service (National)
Description: Grants fund programs focused on youth education, healthy lives, and diversity and service. In the area of youth education, GE Healthcare is interested in proposals that address underserved communities with low graduation rates; support core competencies (such as math, science, reading, and writing); focus on arts in education; and support early childhood development programs. Healthy lives proposals should address childhood obesity, cardiac care, oncology (such as general and specific cancers), neurology (such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease), women's health care, diabetes, or other health-related issues that address a need for increased awareness and/or community outreach. In the area of diversity and service, GE supports programs that impact minority populations or address local community issues, such as poverty, homelessness, the disadvantaged, food programs, and training.
Who May Apply: Registered, nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations that focus on youth education and/or promote healthy lives
Funding Amount: $1,000 to $50,000
Application Deadlines: Applications are reviewed quarterly. Deadlines are February 1 for review in March, May 1 for review in June, August 1 for review in September, and November 1 for review in December. Download a PDF here.
Youth Service America, partnering with Miley Cyrus, has small grants to support projects celebrating Global Youth Service Day in April. Deadline: February 22. Information can be found here.
New subscribers can join by clicking this link: http://eepurl.com/dRhWg..
View archived Better Kid Care E-Newsletters here.
Reflections…
Let's hear from you! Email your ideas to crb16@psu.edu or call 814-865-7894.
Disclaimer: Where trade names appear, no discrimination is intended, and no endorsement by Penn State Cooperative Extension is implied.
Feature article references: A Broader Look at Safe Practice: Understanding Stress
This article was developed by Christine Belinda for the Penn State Better Kid Care Program.
References:
Week of the Young Child