EARLY EDUCATION NEWSLETTER
October 2020
Grant Opportunity
Indiana CARES About Child Care Grants
As an early child care and education provider in Indiana, you may be eligible to apply for a grant through the Indiana CARES About Child Care fund to help with pandemic-related safety expenses or emergency needs.
Indiana CARES About Child Care grants are designed to reimburse Indiana providers for COVID-19 related needs, such as purchasing health- and safety-related materials and supplies, staffing, cleaning services, additional furniture to support social distancing and more. Grants are also available for providers dealing with temporary closures due to a positive COVID-19 case. An emergency grant will help cover expenses deemed necessary by licensing consultants or by the local health department to reopen.
Grant amounts up to $12,500 based on a provider’s enrollment.
An informational webinar will be held on September 30, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. EST.
Learn more about the grant fund, including the webinar opportunity, eligibility guidelines and allowable expenses, and find the link to start your application at brighterfuturesindiana.org/indianacares/.
Applications will open on Thursday, October 1.
NEED ILEAD HELP? HAVING TROUBLE ACCEPTING YOUR INVITATION? NEED ASSISTANCE LEARNING TO NAVIGATE ILEAD?
Paths to QUALITY
T.E.A.C.H. EARLY CHILDHOOD® INDIANA
Indiana AEYC has been awarding T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships since 1996.
WHAT IS T.E.A.C.H.?
In 1990, Child Care Services Association created the Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) Early Childhood® Scholarship Program to address the issues of under-education, poor compensation and high turnover within the early childhood workforce. The first T.E.A.C.H. Program was launched in North Carolina and has since spread to more than twenty states. In 1996, Indiana awarded our first program scholarship.
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® INDIANA, is a unique scholarship program that links education, compensation, and commitment to improve the quality of early care and educational experiences for young children and their families.
Learn more or find out if you qualify by visiting their website here.
FREE SPIRIT WEBINARS
Food Service Sanitation and Safe Food Handling
October 12, 2020
1 pm-2:30 pm EST
Food Service and Sanitation training will prepare the participant to purchase, store, prepare, and serve food in the cleanest and safest way possible to prevent foodborne illness from occurring. It fulfills the requirement for the Voluntary Certification Program for Unlicensed Registered Child Care Ministries but does not substitute for "Serve Safe" training for Licensed Child Care Centers. This webinar is 1.5 hours long. Visit your ILEAD account to register.
Boosting Enrollment When Your Program Needs it Most, by Kathe Petchel and Molly Petchel
October 14, 2020
2:00 PM Eastern Time
Beyond Bert & Ernie: Puppet Pals for Children by Jacky Howell
November 5, 2020
2:00 PM Eastern Time
Whether you are teaching in person or online, this information-packed webinar will provide strategies for using puppets to create engaging experiences for young children. Early childhood education author and classroom interactions expert, Jacky Howell will inspire you to use puppets as “pals” who help children with problem solving, empathy, community-building, and all aspects of development. Join this webinar to learn how to make puppets partners in your classroom community, whether it is virtual or in-person. Click here to register.
Immunizations: Requirements, Myths and Schedules
November 10, 2020
1:30 pm-2:30pm
Within the Immunization webinar the attendees will learn which immunizations are required by the State of Indiana for attendance at child care. It will also dispel some myths regarding immunizations. We will also discuss the proper schedule for immunizations and how to read them. Visit your ILEAD account to register.Resources:
The Healing Powers of Play
If we adults have struggled to deal with the trauma of the last months, it’s no surprise that children have been deeply affected as well. While they may not be able to articulate it, they may show their insecurity in a troubling change of behavior.
“Fortunately,” writes national consultant Marcy Guddemi, “children have a hardwired mechanism to deal with trauma. It is play, and in particular, pretend/dramatic play!”
So what can we do to help children who are not coping? “Make time for unstructured play! Whether at home or in the classroom, indoors or outdoors—nothing is more important.” Continue reading.
8 Reader-Submitted Tips for Connecting with Families Virtually This Fall from Brookes Publishing
An important part of our mission at Brookes is to bring you proven tips, strategies, and resources from the experts. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, early childhood professionals like you have quickly become the experts on a new way of learning that’s being invented in real time. In the words of the famous saying credited to the Silicon Valley tech scene, you’re “flying the plane while building it,” and you’re gradually discovering what works and what doesn’t as you support healthy outcomes for young children in a world where most aspects of life must be conducted at a distance.
In that spirit, we thought we’d call on some of your fellow early childhood professionals to advise you on family engagement tips for the fall. We’ve put together a list of reader-submitted strategies that will help you stay connected and forge strong partnerships with your families even if your program must operate virtually. Click here to read more.
10 Leadership Skills to Teach Girls
New Infant-Toddler Resources Now Available
CASY CACFP: Finding Alternatives to CN Label and Standardized Recipe Requirements
Food Program providers, do you struggle with the CACFP documentation requirements of CN Labels and Standardized Recipes? See below for examples of ways that you can serve alternative dishes that do not require having a CN label or standardized recipe on file.
1. Spaghetti with “meat sauce”
- Portion each component separately onto the child’s plate: Pasta, marinara sauce, ground beef crumbles. Weigh out the appropriate portion size per age group. Put that amount into a measuring cup. (For this example, let’s say that 1oz of weighed ground beef fits into a 1/8c measuring cup. So the serving size for 1-2year olds would be 1/8c.) Document on your menu, the actual serving sizes that you gave to each age group.
2. (Un-breaded) Chicken Tenders
- Cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts and slice them into strips. Weigh out appropriate serving sizes. Serve with a dipping sauce.
- You could also use the same method for Chicken Fajitas by seasoning on them and weighing to determine the serving size. Then serve them with sautéed peppers & onions and a soft tortilla.
3. Chicken drumsticks
- Purchase “similar weight” drumsticks. Bake them, take the meat off of one and weigh it. Then determine how many drumsticks you need to serve each age group to meet the required serving size
4. Make your own Tuna Salad
- Drain the tuna from the can. Weigh out the appropriate portion size per age group (see example above in number one). Then serve the mayo, diced onions and celery, on the side.
5. Salisbury steak
- Use an all-beef hamburger patty, and cover it with gravy
More tips and ideas to come next month!
Article Source: Indiana Department of Education Child and Adult Care Food Program
CASY Food Program Providers: Need More Help with CACFP Food Program Label Requirements?
CASY Food Program providers, for questions regarding CN Label and Standardized Recipe retention as well as other Food Program questions contact the CASY Director of CACFP at themminghouse@casyonline.org or 812-231-8913.
Need More Recipe and Menu Ideas for Your CACFP Program?
Resources for Families:
HELPING YOUNG CHILDREN CHANNEL THEIR AGGRESSION
Ask any parent whether she wants her child to be an aggressive person and you are likely to get more than one answer. After all, aggression is associated with both approved and disapproved behavior in our minds and in our society—both with the energy and purpose that help us to actively master the challenges of life and with hurtful actions and destructive forces. Read more here.
10X: "GOOD JOB" ALTERNATIVES
Parents and teachers often say “good job” as an automatic response to a child’s action.
“You ate all of your peas. Good job!”
“You did a good job putting away the toys.”
A “good job” now and then is fine, but it doesn’t help children understand why what they did was good. Preschoolers need to know what they did, why it worked, or why it shows they are capable. Try these suggestions to give preschoolers specific, detailed information that recognizes their achievements and encourages their learning.
Stay Connected:
Email: help@casyonline.org
Website: www.casyonline.org
Location: 1101 South 13th Street, Terre Haute, IN, USA
Phone: 800-886-3952
Facebook: facebook.com/CASY.Inc
Twitter: @CASYTerreHaute