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Welcome to this month's issue of the Better Kid Care E-Newsletter - A newsletter for those caring for children.
Notable Quote: “When your heart is in your dreams, no request is too extreme.” ~ Jiminy Cricket
Enjoy the following tip by Tom Copeland of Red Leaf National Institute www.redleafinstitute.org.
JulyAugust
- Conduct a clean-up project for the outside of your home.
- Run a classified ad in a neighborhood newspaper.
- Call your Child Care Resource and Referral agency to update your listing and talk to a referral counselor about parent demand.
- Register your business name with your state's secretary of state office.
- Start a photo album showing off the benefits of your program. Caption the photos to explain your benefits more clearly ("Children learning responsibility by picking up after themselves").
Where do you find the best ideas on caring for children? From child care providers, of course! Do you have a great tip or good thing? Send us your best tips in writing and your tip may end up in our newsletter! If your tip is chosen for the newsletter, you will receive a little something from the Better Kid Care Program. Mail tips with your return address, place of work, and the number and ages of those you care for to:
Better Kid Care Program
c/o Christine Belinda
Tips from Child Care Providers
253 Easterly Parkway
State College, PA 16801
E-mail to: crb16@psu.edu
by Christine Belinda
The term mission statement can conjure up many ideas. Mission sounds like a word in a movie title or military handbook, and statement may make one think of witnessing a fender bender. But in early education and care, mission statements, or vision statements, carry great meaning and are an important part of the program, no matter how small or large.
Mission statements typically describe the goals of a program, what unique qualities it offers, and its overall vision. Not all mission statements look alike or even contain the same information. Mission or vision statements are vital because they are unique to each program and they offer a voice to guide and share the definition and purpose of the program.
You may come across many different mission statements. A sample may look like the following:
"Shady Lane is a Diverse Learning Community committed to programs of excellence for children, their families, and educators that embody best practices of early childhood education and promote collaborations that help all children realize their full potential."
- Mission Statement; Adopted 2003
"To provide an inclusive child care program which promotes optimal development for each child, supports families, upholds best practices in the field of Early Care and Education, and provides a community model for quality."
- Missions Statement; Hearts and Minds 2006
All programs are developed because of an idea; an idea that one person or groups of people had in creating something. Often these ideas carry forth valuable dreams and insightful concepts. Developing mission statements forces us to reconnect to that original idea; to think and reflect about what we truly offer and how we do so.
Mission statements can be the glue to hold the program together and act as a purpose for all to work toward. This can be quite valuable when we get lost in the proponents that may blur our visions (regulations, paperwork, licensing, accreditation, planning, behavior issues, communication issues, etc.). Vision or mission statements can guide us in reconnecting and working as team.
Mission statements also give us something in writing–clearly stating our program's views–to offer those interested in our program, such as families, staff, community, investors, funding programs, and volunteers.
When a program grows and changes, so may the mission statement. Modifying the mission statement as needed allows the program to stay fresh, focused, and represent its true principles.
Each program is unique in developing a mission statement. Involving the program's community (staff, families, children, board of directors, volunteers, etc.) in developing the mission statement gives meaning to collaboration and a sense of unity. Also, the mission becomes personal and clear to each person involved, which helps keep the mission in focus. Each program should design what works best for its individual needs.
Collect information from (and collaborate with) all vital components affected by the program; children, families, staff, community services, programs, schools, etc. In this instance, it helps to remember the slogan, "It takes a village"; think of all the "villages" connected to your program. Information and ideas from others can be gathered by interviews, questionnaires, meetings, pot-luck dinners, and informal gatherings. Understanding what others invested in the program need, want, and hope for gives us information for developing our mission statements.
It is also a good idea to review other mission and vision statements. Contact other programs or local child care services for suggestions. Some programs combine their mission statements directly with their philosophy statements, program goals, and visions. The length of mission statements varies depending on what the program wishes to include. Discover and develop what works best for your child care and early education program.
Mission statements are for sharing. It is essential that all those involved with the program know the mission statement and how it is implemented. It can be shared in many forms:
What does your mission statement say? Carefully developing mission statements encourages us to look closely at our programs. How do we introduce ourselves? Are we staying true to our focus? Where are we going? How do we continue our path? Are all voices represented? It is this further thinking that continues to add quality, meaning, and reward to our programs and our work.
Learn Lots on Your Time
Enjoy the following highlights from one of the many Better Kid Care Distance Education Lessons. Participate in Distance Education training in the convenience of your home.
Better Kid Care Distance Education Program awards:
Whether you live in the country, the suburbs, or the city, great field trips are all around you. Take advantage of what is nearby. A simple walk to a natural area for bird watching or rock hunting can be an exciting field trip for young children.
School-age children enjoy many of the same types of trips that preschoolers do. They are often interested in how things are made. Or consider a visit to a school that the children will be attending when they are older.
Sometimes a field trip can come to you. Many police, fire, and health professionals would welcome a chance to come to your program and teach the children about health and safety. Find out about the professions and hobbies of the children's families.
Plan your field trip far enough in advance that you give yourself plenty of time to notify parents. Ask for parent volunteers to join you. Extra hands and eyes will go a long way towards making the trip safe and successful.
Planning is the secret to a successful field trip. To learn how to select, plan, and run a safe and fun field trip for the children in your care, view the complete distance education lesson Field Trip Fun: Let's Go For a Walk!
To view a complete listing of all distance education lessons and additional information and resources, visit the Better Kid Care Distance Education page.
Questions or concerns about Distance Education? Contact Patty Wells at plw8@psu.edu or phone (814) 865-9837.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families announces Fit Source: A Web Directory for Providers to help providers promote nutrition and physical activity in child care and after school settings. This site links child care and after school providers to a wide variety of physical activity and nutrition resources. You will find links to activities, lesson plans, healthy recipes, information for parents, and many other downloadable tools that can be used to incorporate physical activity and nutrition into child care and after school programs.
Reading aloud with children is a wonderful activity. Children of all ages love to be read to. Support the love of reading for children in your care by trying the following books:
Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey, published by Viking, ISBN 0670175919. Kerplunk! Kerplunk! You can hear the blueberries dropping in Sal's bucket! Read about a lovely story of a mother and her young son out on a blueberry picking adventure. Even the illustrations are in blue(berry) ink!
The Little Mouse, The Red Strawberry, and The Hungry Bear, by Don Wood, published by Child' Play International, ISBN 0869631821. Enjoy a lively, rhyming adventure about a red ripe strawberry, a little mouse, and (possibly) a big hungry bear!
The Blueberry Bears, by Eleanor Lapp, published by Albert Whitman and Co., ISBN 080750962. Bessie Allen loves blueberries (so do bears!). She lives in a cabin in the woods surrounded by blueberries and sometimes...bears! Discover Bessie's adventure with blueberries and bears.
Jamberry, by Bruce Dergen, published by Harper-Trophy, ISBN 0064430685
The First Strawberries, by Joseph Bruchac, published by Puffin, ISBN 0140564098
Sweet Strawberries, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, published by Atheneum, ISBN 068913384
The Strawberry Girl, by Lois Lenski, published by HarperCollins, ISBN 0397301103
The Giant Jam Sandwich, by John Vernon Lord, published by Houghton Mifflin, ISBN 0395160332
Bread and Jam for Frances, by Russell and Lillian Hoban, published by Harper Trophy, ISBN 006443096
Contact your local children's library or your local Penn State Cooperative Extension office to find out about more books on making friends and child care. Reading with children creates lifelong readers. Enjoy your time reading with children!
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 child care providers.
Enjoy the following from Family Time / Work Time:
Take Them Out
By Nancy Wilson
Childhood obesity and physical fitness have become a national concern. Many children spend too much time sitting, either at the computer, watching television, or playing video games. It's time for parents to take charge and do something about it. There's an old- fashioned way to help your child stay fit. Go outside! Make sure your child gets lots of outdoor play every day. Getting out of the house is good for children's health. Children need to be out in the yard and playing. If you don't have a yard, find a nearby park and take your children there frequently, go for walks, or ride bikes together.
Click on graphic to read entire publication
Providers in the CDA (Child Development Associate) Program Better Kid Care Distance Education Lessons are now coded in a format to help in planning CDA training (based on the 120 hours of formal education /training needed and the eight content areas). View codes and lesson titles in the Penn State Better Kid Care Distance Education Brochure.
For information regarding Child Development Associate, contact Christine at 814-865-7894 or email: crb16@psu.edu.
Do you have questions about caring for other people's children, such as:
Call the Better Kid Care Mentoring Line at 800-859-8340 or e-mail your questions to betterkidcare@psu.edu for information about child care and children's issues.
Better Kid Care Kit - Need ideas in your work caring for children? When you enroll in the Better Kid Care Program and sign up for the Better Kid Care Kit, family child care providers you will receive several free publications in the mail. Family home child care providers will also receive The Basics of Caring for Children in your Home notebook to organize and store your Better Kid Care publications. Have you signed up to receive a Better Kid Care Kit yet? Complete our online registration form or call 800-452-9108 to order.
Notebook Contents:
Tip Sheets
Activities Pages
Lunch and Snack Ideas
All publications are available online to print and share with your friends, family, and other childcare providers. Select issues are also available in Spanish.
The New Staff Orientation curriculum is now available to child care centers in Pennsylvania. This curriculum is specifically designed for new staff members in child care centers. Included are a thirty-page workbook and thirty units on seven videotapes. The easy-to-understand information is reinforced with activities and assignments. Units are designed to be used during naptime or other small blocks of time as staff/child ratios permit. Meets the Keystone STARS Performance Standards.Click on the New Staff Orientation link for more information and to view the materials online (also available in Spanish).
Meets the Keystone STARS Core Series Training Requirements - This three part series shows how to establish, run and maintain a successful child care business and presents important information about understanding and supporting the developmental needs of each child.
- Part 1 - Family Child Care...It's a Business
- Part 2 - Understanding and Supporting
Children's Physical and Cognitive Development- Part 3 - Understanding and Supporting
Children's Language and Social/Emotional Development
Visit: Home-Based Caregiver Orientation to view materials online.
Receive the videos and workbooks in the mail. Complete the entire series and return assignments to the Better Kid Care office for review to earn six Department of Public Welfare training hours.
To order: 1-800-452-9108 or betterkidcare@psu.edu
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View archived Better Kid Care E-Newsletters
Upcoming August E-Newsletter:
Look for information on
Relationships: Building New and Rekindling Old
We would love to hear from you! We want the Better Kid Care E-Newsletter to be informative, useful, and inspiring to you! Please contact the Better Kid Care Program with your ideas. Is there something you want to see more or less of? What information is most important to you? What topics are you interested in? How is the newsletter helpful to you? E-mail your ideas to crb16@psu.edu or call 814-865-7894.