DAYCARES HELP PREVENT
CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA... A new study found: Children who attended
daycare or playgroups have a 30 percent lower risk of developing the most
common form of childhood leukemia SEE
THE CLIP
Adam
Walsh law under attack...
Day Care In New York....The average cost of day care for a
four-year-old in New York State is $9,000 a year, which, as the Children's
Defense Fund points out, is more than college tuition at a public
university
Study:
Day Care May Help Your Child Avoid Cancer
CityNews
How
to stop worrying about child care
My first sitter, Maggie, spoiled me
forever. We met, I adored her, she adored the baby, I hired her, and a love
affair began. I left for work on her first day without a second thought --
really! I had no urge to run back and ask her 12 more questions about her
experience, her references, her opinion on daytime TV or high-fructose corn
syrup.
Moms
rise up, fight for workplace rights
Thousands of mothers and families, feeling squeezed by the growing demands
of work while trying to care for children, are joining together in a new
organization called Moms Rising.
How
to Kick the High Cost of Child Care
In most states, a year of infant or
toddler care at a typical day-care center costs more than tuition at a
public university--without 18 years to prep for the payment. In fact, the
average family s...
The
new, new thing in franchising
With many franchisors capitalizing on
the convenience trend, you can find services that help you do everything
from cooking, cleaning, day care and even teaching your kids some shortcuts
to get ahead in their toughest classes.
The
National Pre-kindergarten Study: National study finds many pre-K
teachers underpaid; others lacking required credentials.
Current topic: Prepared
for Kindergarten: What Does "Readiness" Mean?
Day Care Centers Breeding Ground for Allergens
(2005)
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research shows day care
centers in the South are a significant source of indoor allergens.
Researchers from the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences studied 89 day care centers in two counties in
North Carolina and found significant allergen levels in all of them.
That’s a cause for concern given the number of hours children spend in
child care. According to the United States Census Bureau, 63 percent of
children under 5 years old spend nearly 40 hours a week in day care.
Researchers uncovered detectable levels of seven
common allergens from fungus, cats, cockroaches, dogs, dust mites, and mice
in each facility tested. Concentrations were the highest for allergens from
cats, dogs, and the fungus known as Alternaria.
David A. Schwartz, M.D., director of the NIEHS,
says, “Because children spend a significant portion of time in day care
settings, it is important that parents understand the risks of allergen
exposure and know where these allergens can be found.” Previous studies
have shown being exposed to these indoor allergens increases the risk of
asthma and other allergic diseases in kids.
One interesting finding, say researchers, is that
dog and cat allergens were found in every one of the facilities, but no dog
or cat was living in most of them. They say it’s likely that pet allergens
are brought in on kids’ clothes.
Researchers also point out that carpet harbors more
allergens. They found significant differences between areas that were
carpeted as compared to those that were not. Concentrations for five of the
allergens were lower on non-carpeted surfaces.
The levels of allergens in the day care centers
were similar to levels of allergens found in Southern homes. Samuel Arbes,
Ph.D., from the NIEHS and lead author of the study, says, “The
similarities in allergen levels between the day care centers and Southern
home living rooms means children and the day care workers may be getting
prolonged exposure to allergens. More research needs to be conducted to
determine the effects of allergen exposures outside of the home.”
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who
offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
Talk
with children. Find out what scares them; try to reassure them.
Most of all, keep your ears and eyes
open. That's what America's teachers have been asked to do since the
terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. They're supposed to make our kids feel
secure, even as they look for "warning signs" of students or
others who might breach our security. Priest, therapist, news anchor, cop:
Teachers must now play all of these roles, all of the time.
Missouri
requires chickenpox vaccines before daycare, preschool Date: 07 16
01 11:14 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Starting soon, Missouri children will have
to be vaccinated against chickenpox before they can attend many licensed
daycare, preschool or Head Start ...
A
popular perk for parents: backup child care For many working
parents, when a day care center suddenly closes or the nanny phones at 6
a.m. to say she can't make it in, the delicate balance between work and
family can topple like a stack of blocks.
SIDS
and child care "Many
child care providers still may be unaware of the importance of supine (back)
sleeping and may place infants prone (face-down), when they usually sleep in
the supine or side position at home, for reasons of infant comfort,"
the researchers wrote.
Television
and Child Development.
By Judith Van Evra. Television has often been
criticized for portraying the world unrealistically, in either overly
positive ways or in excessively negative and stereotyped ways. Whether or
not television reflects our social system accurately, however, it is an
important contributor to that system, and it is a major socializing force in
children's lives. Article Online Source: Children Youth and Family
Consortium Electronic Clearinghouse.
More
parents are leaving their children in day care than ever before.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 65 percent of women with
children under the age of 6 were part of the labor force in 1998, compared
with only 44 percent in 1975. And more women working means more kids in day
care. At least 5.8 million children under age five are in out-of-home
child-care facilities, according to the Urban Institute's 1990 National
Child Care Survey.
It's no surprise, then, that as the number of
kids in day care rises, so does the number of illnesses among those
children. However, even though many studies have shown a link between day
care and a tendency toward illness in early life, doctors say the bigger
picture is not yet clear.
Dispelling the myths about Home Daycare
By: Cyndi Beauchemin
Each day millions of women search for a home based business that not only
meets their needs, but that of their family. Many of these women overlook
Home Daycare as an option because of the myths regarding this challenging,
yet rewarding home based business.
Myth #1
Home Daycare is Babysitting
For those who deem offering childcare as merely babysitting, think again.
Childcare is a business, that requires the owner/operator to: set rules and
polices; organize their day; create a business plan; use written contracts,
authorizations and agreements; offer activities, a nurturing environment,
meals and meet the basic needs of the children in their care.
Myth #2
Operating a Home Daycare takes time away from the Providers children
Parents across the United States seek out Part-Time Care, Mother’s Day out
availability, Drop-in Care, etc. The provider needs to choose a schedule and
the services he/she wishes to offer and maintain those hours.
Running a home daycare offers the owner, not only the ability to focus on
his/her own children full-time, but also offers an invaluable service to
other working parents.
Myth #3
There are no skills required for operating a Home Daycare
At a minimum, a Home Daycare Owner/Operator must posses: a love for
children, patience, and the ability to run a business.
In addition to these skills, each states has requirements that must be met
before licensing and/or registration is granted.
At a minimum, these invaluable skills include First Aid CPR, Safe Food
Handling Practices, and Child Abuse Prevention, which not only enhance the
providers ability to provide quality childcare, but also gives guidance and
knowledge in rearing their own children.
Myth #4
Home Daycare takes too much time
Many believe that operating a Home Daycare requires the business to be in
operation 24/7. A successful Home Daycare Provider will set specific hours
of operation, to allow time for her family.
Home Daycare can be a huge time commitment, but by using the proper tools,
for organization, time management and setting specific hours of operation,
the time involved is not much different than with any other home based
business.
Myth #5
Home Daycare income wouldn't replace existing salary
Many women feel “stuck” in their current position, when they would
prefer to be at home with their children, for financial reasons.
Use the following scale as a guide when calculating, how much you are really
contributing to your family’s income, by working outside of the home.
From your Gross monthly Income, Deduct - Daycare Expenses, Dry Cleaning,
Gas, Meals, Business Clothing, Other work related expenses and Taxes, the
amount left over equals your actual Net monthly income.
In most instances the Net Income can easily be replaced with the income
generated from a Home Daycare Business.
Only you can determine if the Net Income shown is keeping you from where you
want to be…at home.
Cyndi Beauchemin is the mother of two and a former Daycare Provider,
residing in the State of Oregon.
Posted October 14, 2001
More parents are leaving their children in
day care than ever before.
According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, about 65 percent of women with children under the age of 6 were
part of the labor force in 1998, compared with only 44 percent in 1975. And
more women working means more kids in day care. At least 5.8 million
children under age five are in out-of-home child-care facilities, according
to the Urban Institute's 1990 National Child Care Survey.
It's no surprise, then, that as the number
of kids in day care rises, so does the number of illnesses among those
children. However, even though many studies have shown a link between day
care and a tendency toward illness in early life, doctors say the bigger
picture is not yet clear.
"There is little question that day
care before the age of two predisposes children to illnesses of the upper
and lower respiratory tract," says Dr. Juan Celedon, an instructor in
the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a research fellow
at Brigham and Women's Hospital. "But we don't yet know the long-term
impact of illnesses in early childhood, and that's a very important
question. It's possible that some of the infections may be (harmful) and
some may be protective, but that is largely unknown."
Until the research can demonstrate which of
these illnesses are detrimental, there are basic health guidelines that all
day-care facilities should be following to protect young children -- whose
immune systems are still developing -- from dangerous illnesses.
Any child-care facility should ask to see
the child's immunization records, says Ralph Cordell, Ph.D., an
epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Likewise, you should make sure that all people at the day care have been
properly immunized. If your child is at a child-care home (located at the
provider's residence and usually with 12 or fewer kids), check up not only
on the provider but also on anyone else living in the house, asking to view
the records yourself.
The child-care center should also provide
parents with its policy, in writing, on keeping sick kids out of day care,
says Cordell. Children with diarrhea or respiratory infections should not be
around other kids. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping
children who have fevers out of day care. (The National Health and Safety
Performance Standards have a looser recommendation: Children with fever
should only be kept out if they also show some other sign of illness.) Find
a provider whose policy you can agree with and who takes the kids' health
seriously enough to write it down, says Cordell.
It may also be worthwhile to talk to your
child's caretaker about their enforcement of these policies. A March 1999
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine study reported that children
in child-care homes were more likely to be sick than those in child-care
centers. Researchers attributed this in large part to the fact that while
both types of day care had similar exclusion policies, providers in
child-care homes were more lenient in accepting mildly ill children at the
beginning of the day.
Good old-fashioned cleanliness can go a
long way in keeping a child healthy. First, make sure the day care has
proper hand-washing arrangements. "The more sinks the better,"
says Cordell. "Ideally, there would be one sink within arm's reach of
the diaper table and a second one that's used for kid hand washing in the
room." The sink used to wash dirty dishes should also be completely
separate. Also, the day care should require parents to wash their children's
hands right after dropping them off, which will significantly decrease the
number of germs spread.
In addition to keeping your child as
healthy as possible, you want to ensure your child's basic safety at day
care. Make sure that background checks have been done on all providers and
on anyone in a day-care home. You should also ensure that the day care has a
secure system in case someone else needs to pick up your child, says
Cordell. For example, look for a system that authorizes only certain family
members or close friends to retrieve your child when you are not able to. If
you have an infant, make sure that the providers put the babies to sleep on
their backs, which can decrease their risk of sudden infant death syndrome
(SIDS).
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Child help
U.S.A.
Child
Abuse Hotline 1-800-4-A-CHILD® (Canada and the U.S.)
Staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by degreed professional
counselors who have access to a database of over 55,000 emergency,
social service, and support resources.
State
contact numbers for reporting child abuse and for more
local information.
*Child
Abuse - Resources For Teachers *(This is a A pdf. file)
should be opened in Adobe after downloading
A valuable resource from the Association of Childhood Education
International on dealing with child abuse and all its facets, from
suspecting abuse to when a child talks about abuse, and so on. This is a
.pdf file well worth downloading.
In this space we
will be running Articles submitted by Authors prominent in the child care
field.
Formulating a Contract for Your Day Care
Having a foolproof, comprehensive contract in place
is a vital aspect of your
day care business. Spending some time on this crucial
document should be one of your high priorities. Speaking from painful
experience, much potential grief and gnashing of teeth can be avoided
by having a well crafted contract. Quite simply, your
day care contract should indicate to parents what you
do, how you do it, who you are, your expectations in
terms of their behavior and how you deal with
transgressions and complaints- essentially you are setting out
your terms, conditions, procedures, rules and policies in a clear and
concise manner. Nothing should be left to chance or misinterpretation
and gray areas should be non existent. So, I hear you
holler - what should be in this epic tome and how do I
even get started! Well, as it happens I have more than a few years of
operational experience in this madcap world of day cares and, through
much trial, error and ongoing learning have a pretty good idea of
the stuff that you need to address. Allow me to give you a few tips and
pointers but I'll leave you to do the work of fleshing it out and personalizing
your own contract….what?? You don't get off Scot
free y'know….now get those pencils
out!! I would suggest starting, at the beginning
(strangely enough) where you can wax lyrical about
your mission statement and ethos generally. Try and
incorporate every aspect of a child starting in your
day care i.e. what enrollment forms are required, the specific hours/days
that care is required, necessary supplies, whether or not you
institute a trial period (unfortunately, not everyone adjusts for various
reasons) and detail your termination policy (if you kick my dog
on the way in you're outta here!!). You would be amazed how much incredibly
important stuff is often glossed over so be sure and include your opening
hours, late collection penalties, what dates you close,
total number of children allowed, ratios of staff to child, insurance
and license details. . Sticking to some of the nitty, gritty minutiae
you could then launch into your payment policy. How much, when
it’s due, what happens when one or other party takes a vacation,
how and who to pay (you’d be surprised), your policy on late
fees (a potentially very destructive element in the day care/parent
dynamic if not addressed from the outset), your reservations/deposits
procedure and rate increase policy. Next up I have a general section where I
ramble on about the different rooms, programs enacted,
beg that toys from home stay at home, information on
meals, diaper changing routine and detail a little
about my drop off/pick up/settling in procedures (dropping a child
off down the chimney is not really encouraged!). My behavior policy
is included where I make it very clear exactly what I do in specific
situations and…what I don't do (tying a child to a tree is not
really an option!). The toilet training policy emphasizes the importance
of parent and provider working together and it's helpful to detail
your requirements in terms of clothing etc (it's all very well to
have a child run around au natural at home but when you have vast quantities
of toilet training toddlers….well, think about it!!). Illness
is a problematic area of recurring issues and
problems. Your health and illness policy should state
clearly exactly what you will do given specific signs and symptoms.
Ultimately, a sick child needs to go home and you cannot have
a contagious child in your day care. The sign over the door does not
read ‘Hospital’. Have a specific time frame within which a child
must be collected once you have contacted the parents and insist that
it be respected. Your medication administration policy (both prescribed
and non prescribed) including all relevant forms could be covered
next. Let parents know what your preferred method of
communication regarding their children is whether a casual
chat each evening, individual daily written reports or
a small note book with daily comments. Reassure them
though that, while you may be busy they can also make
an appointment to meet with you for a more in-depth discussion
should the need arise. I have found annual parent/teacher meetings
a very effective way to keep everyone up to speed. So,
there you have it! The day care contract or parent handbook in a nutshell…grin.
Admittedly there is a lot to consider and quite frankly,
this is an organic document that will evolve with your business.
Stuff will happen and you will amend your paperwork accordingly.
However, I hope that my pointers go some way towards getting
you on the road to (even thinking) about formulating your contract.
If you need a little more help you can check out my Day Care Paperwork
Package at www.childcarepaperwork.com or if you buy my fantastic
Start a Day Care DVD Guide you get the paperwork package for
Believe me, your contract will save you much grief and
minimize the tears shed as you go about running your day
care (there will be tears though….but lots of laughs too!!)
------------------------------
Fiona Lohrenz has 10 years experience running a day care and
has launched a child care website directed at providers and
parents. She has also produced a 'Start a Childcare
Business' DVD guide: Fiona can be
reached at her website: http://www.childcareonly.com
Article Submissions can be sent for viewing to sales@daycareuniverse.com
-----------------------------------
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See Daycareuniverse's playground equipment choice from Childforms along
with their safe playground surfacing on Catalog
page 12.
Report:
Hidden dangers to children on many U.S. playgrounds WASHINGTON (CNN)
-- The majority of public playgrounds in the United States pose hidden
dangers that result in injuries to tens of thousands of children each year,
two consumer watchdog groups said Thursday.
CHAPEL
HILL, NC -- The prevention of respiratory infections in child care centers
remains a public health challenge, according to an article in the fall,
1998, issue of "Early Developments" published by the Frank Porter
Graham Center at UNC-CH.
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You
know you are having a bad day when: The bird
singing outside your window is a vulture