Daycare Costs Exceed Rent Payments In Every State In America

The report, which analyzed 2012 survey data, found that daycare fees for two children (an infant and a 4-year-old) exceeded annual median rent payments in every state in the U.S. last year. What's more, it found that average daycare costs for an infant were higher than the average family spent on food and, in 31 states and D.C., higher than a year's tuition and fees at a four-year public college. 

Daycare costs vary greatly by state. Last year, the average annual cost for a 4-year-old was $4,312 in Mississippi and $12,355 in New York, according to the Child Care Aware report.

Meanwhile, the least affordable states for two-parent families with a child in daycare full-time are: Oregon, New York, Minnesota, Vermont, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Washington, Rhode Island, and Illinois.Child-care costs can exceed rent payments for the average American family, according to a new study by Child Care Aware of America, an advocacy group working to increase affordable child care in the U.S.

Escalating child-care costs are part of a long-term trend as the use of organized daycare centers has risen, Child-care payments for families with employed mothers have risen 50% from 2002 to 2011 and 250% over the last three decades, according to the U.S.Census Bureau.child-care costs have grown at eight times the rate of household income in the past year.

For more information on this, check http://www.businessinsider.in/Daycare-Costs-Exceed-Rent-Payments-In-Every-State-In-America/articleshow/25721006.cms

How to Become a Childcare Director

A daycare center director oversees the operation of a child daycare facility. Common duties include supervising daycare staff, managing budgets and ensuring that the center is in compliance with state licensing requirements. 

Daycare center directors often promote a fun learning environment for children. Dealing with challenging employees, children and parents may be somewhat stressful. Directors may find rewards in observing the great strides taken by the children in their charge, however.

To do the best job as a center director,

• You need to Manage: Know what needs to be done. 
• Lead: Get things done through your staff. 
• Use resources wisely: Make the best use of what you have. 

Prepare a vision statement and share it with the staff. To be successful at inspiring the staff to follow your vision, clearly outline both the childcare center's responsibilities and philosophy towards child development. 

Child care management software will help the Director in managing the center, and help staff in documentation for enrollment and registration in new customers. The software also helps in communicating the latest news about the center to the parents and also allows parents to pay bills for the various camps and selected courses.

Responsibilities include meeting the basic needs of the child, such as providing adequate supervision. Popular philosophies include Montessori, which focuses education on the individual child's nature after an observation of his needs; and Waldorf, which focuses on interdisciplinary learning. 

Provide a copy of your vision statement to the parents so they have an understanding of your attitude towards child development.

Most important key point that all child care director should have

Gain Work Experience

Many child care directors have previous work experience as preschool teachers. This experience prepares directors to determine curriculum standards, which often address a child's social, language and motor skill development. Preschool teaching experience also helps directors understand the emotional and physical needs of young children and the potential concerns of their parents. Credentialing organizations also typically require work experience before candidates can apply for credentials.

Earn Professional Credentials

Most states require child care directors to earn professional credentials, such as the Child Development Associate credential (CDA) and the National Administration Credential (NAC), in order to earn a professional license. The Council for Professional Recognition offers the CDA credential for early child care professionals. Requirements include at least 480 hours of child care work experience and 120 hours of education in child care, both within the past five years. Credentials can be earned in preschool-aged or infant/toddler-aged care. The CDA designation is valid for three years and then can be renewed every five years with continuing education.

The NAC designation is offered by the National Child Care Association and is open to child care directors with all levels of experience. Directors can earn the NAC credential by completing a 5-day, 40-hour course. Topics in this program include community relations, facility and staff management and educational curriculum. NAC designations are valid for two years, during which time 20 hours of continuing education is required to maintain designation.

Obtain a License

Most states require child care directors to be licensed. Requirements vary from state to state, but most include a certain amount of years working in child care and a specified amount of hours in child care-related coursework. Licensing is usually maintained by completing a specified number of continuing education hours, which is determined by the state.

Awaiting Child Care Finder App in Mid Valley

It is no more difficult to find out a childcare center nearby you . Parents in Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties might soon have an app to make finding childcare easier. Childcare Resource & Referral, a local nonprofit, will contract with a sister agency in Kentucky to bring the app to the Mid-Valley by as soon as November. It's so difficult to find childcare, Parents can punch in their location, child's age and other details to find local providers with openings, along with their ratings — all from their smartphone for free.

They are trying to focus on access for families who are always on the go.They may not have computers, but they have phones. Shannon Vandehey, CCR's program director.has had her eye on the Childcare Finder app for a few years, but the nonprofit could not pick up the $1,500 price tag. She submitted her idea to the 2014 Maps Community Foundation Community Challenge Award, and earned $1,000 seed money this month. CRR will kick in the remaining $500. Maps also gave $1,000 to the nonprofit of Vandehey's choice, which was Catholic Community Services.

CRR will be the first organization in Oregon to use the tool, which was developed in part by the Childcare Council of Kentucky., that society might as well use all of the tools available, and smartphones are great technology to improve access.

Childcare Resource & Referral is part of the Community Action Agency, a private nonprofit. This is the second Maps Community Foundation Community Challenge Award for the agency in the last two years. Two years ago, HOME Youth & Resource Center earned a grant to expand its internship program for homeless and at-risk youth.

Benefits of Web Based Child Care Software

Web-based child care software is quickly replacing traditional desktop software due to it’s many advantage, however we still get lots of questions about what web-based (or cloud) software is and what it’s advantages are for the child care industry. Web-based software is software that runs in a web browser over the Internet, and it doesn’t require installation on your computer.

Advantages of Web based Software

1. Web-based software allows you to securely login with your own user name and password from any computer, laptop, or mobile device (with internet access). 
2. Security is always a top concern when you’re transferring and storing sensitive information on the Internet. Since you’re storing information for children at your childcare center, keeping it secure is extremely important. 
3. Most web-based software programs provide the service of automatically backing up all of your information. With Sandbox Software, all of your information is automatically backed up daily. 
4. It won’t be lost if your computer crashes, your hard-drive is stolen, or you lose your zip drive. 
5. Your information will always be safe. This provides peace of mind and is much more reliable than more traditional backup methods where information is backed up locally, and you have to remember to manually back up your information on a regular basis. 
6. Since web-based child care software runs in a web browser, it’s compatible with any device that has one of the major four web browsers installed: Google Chrome (recommended), Windows IE, Safari, or Firefox. No need to worry about compatibility issues 
7. You’re always able to easily access the software, as well as share information with other educators and staff at your center since it’s stored in one central location. Access is based on login permissions, so that each user can only access the information that they need to see. 
8. The monthly cost of web-based software provides you with the flexibility to cancel at any time. 

Grandparents Raising Kids is Increasing in US

United States Census data from 2010 indicates 4.9 million American children are being raised solely by their grandparents. CanGrads, a National Kinship Support organization, says approximately 62,500 children are being raised by grandparents and other family in Canada. Many grandparents provide part-time care when their older children have to move back home with their families, as roughly 13 million children are now living in homes with their grandparents.

Get the right equipment. Children certainly require a lot of gear, more than grandparents likely used when raising their own children. Child care management software in centers and various other places provides helping hand in managing the center.

Certain safety requirements are in place to safeguard young children, and that often means investing in new cribs, car seats, high chairs, and other items. Grandparents should resist the temptation to use old items they may have kept in storage, as such items may no longer be safe and could put grandchildren at risk for injury.

Gather important documents. Grandparents should keep pertinent documents in one easily accessible place in their homes should an emergency arise. These include birth certificates, health immunization records, death certificates (if the child’s parents are deceased), dental records, school papers, citizenship papers, and proof of income and assets.

Speak with an attorney. Lawyers can help grandparents wade through legal arrangements, such as filing for custody, guardianship or adoption. Options vary depending on where petitioners live, but lawyers can provide peace of mind to grandparents concerned about their grand kids’ futures.

Investigate financial assistance. Seniors may not earn the income they once did and may be on assistance programs or living off of retirement savings. Grandparents who find themselves caring for a child may be eligible for financial assistance. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is a joint federal and state program that can provide need-based financial assistance. The AARP or the organization GrandFamilies may be able to put grandparents in touch with financial advisors in their areas.

Contact schools and daycare centers. School-aged children will need to be enrolled in school. Grandparents should contact the department of education where they live to learn about local school systems, especially when grand kids are moving in with their grandparents. Some grandparents can qualify for free or low-cost daycare, and such programs can be discussed with local Social Services offices. Enrollment in school or daycare can provide grandparents with much-needed free time during the day.

Find emotional support. Taking care of grandchildren is a full-time job. At times, grandparents may feel stressed or out of sorts. Having a strong support system available can help grandparents work through the peaks and valleys of this new and unexpected stage in life. Church- or community center-based counseling services may be available. Grandparents also can check with their healthcare providers to determine if counseling or therapy sessions are covered under their plans.

Parent Portal Application in Daycare Management Software

This is an easy way of communication for the parents as well as the day care centers. This mainly improves parent satisfaction so there are much software that is coming in to the market with this facility where the parents can register and communication through online service portal. School systems should recognize the potential of portals to motivate parents to sustain their involvement in their child’s learning. Most importantly, schools need to help parents understand that portals are more than just sources of student data to be monitored—that they are, instead, a tool that parents can use in meaningful ways to understand and support their child’s learning.

Why do parents use a parent portal? Parents were motivated to use the portal out of their concern for their child’s academic performance. More specifically, parents used the portal as the preferred means of checking or monitoring their child’s current grades but did not access the portal to view their child’s attendance or their teachers’ open-ended comments about class work, behavior, and other issues. Parents also reported feeling it was their “responsibility” to access data through the portal once they had been granted access.

The main benefits of Parent portal application are as follows

1. Registration and Enrollment
2. Updating family data
3. Bills, Statements, Receipts
4. Tax Statement
5. Payments via Credit Cards, EFT
6. Center Calendar & Bulletins Email Delivery
7. Center Closing Bulletins
8. Making up online payments using debit cards and bank accounts.
9. Register online for various programs (e.g. after-school, summer camp etc)
10. Manage their schedule by enrolling into activities online
11. Manage information on children
12. Manage information on family members, emergency contacts etc
13. Enroll in auto-pay (automatic payment by credit card or bank account)
14. Track account transactions
15. Print invoices and payment reports
16. Print Tax Statements
17. View bulletins and calendar
18. registration forms and other Download documents
19. view programs and classes
20. tracking attendance

Parents are notified of critical messages with push notifications, bridging the communication gap between teachers and parents. They can also initiate conversations with the school principal and teachers. Parents can track the children’s attendance on the go; at their convenience Creation of multiple profiles is also possible through this application.

Time Clock in Child Care Management Software

The time clock software can be used for tracking staff and employees hours worked, overtime and vacations but did you know that you can also use the system to keep track of the children being cared for in the center. You can track the time the children are in the center and you now also have a list of the children inside the center at any point in time. 

This would be very useful to make sure that everybody is safe in the event of a fire or other emergency. If parents clock their children in and out themselves, it will save time for other employees, keeping them free for the more important tasks thus helping the center to run more efficiently.

Benefits

• Ensure accurate attendance 
• Enhance parent communication 
• Improve staffing efficiency 
• Reduce administrative time 
• Eliminate separate time-clocks and door release systems 

The Time Clock comes with child care management software that makes this communication between the keypad and computer possible . The software sends the in/out times to a database within the software itself for storage. If there are any messages, balances due, immunizations, etc. the software grabs that from the database and sends it back to be displayed on the clock.

Healthy Food Habits for Kinds in Daycare

Health and Happiness are two important treasures that one must have , but difficult to attain

In long day childcare centers, menus should aim to meet a significant amount of a child’s daily nutrition requirements. Children with a food allergy or allergies need special care. 

It is recommended that each childcare centers use childcare software for managing their operations of the center. Working together, you and your caregivers can help your child establish healthful food habits that will last a lifetime. 

By practicing good health habits, including healthy eating, you can give your child a head start on a healthy lifestyle.

Important point to be noted by parents as well as childcare providers

A variety of foods should be given to the children should be provided to children in care, including a range of textures and tastes, appropriate to the developmental stages of different age groups and they are as follows :

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Cereals
• Lean meat,                                    
• Fish,
• Chicken,
• Milks
• Yoghurts
• Cheeses

Recipe for a Healthy Weekend

• Eat meals as a family
• Limit TV time
• Eat fruits and vegetables
• Take a walk outside together
• Read a book inside together
• Get a good night’s sleep
  
  

Guidelines for Child Care Professionals

1. Provide healthy meals and snacks, including plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains,for the kids on day to day basis that meet the requirements of USDA's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
2. Do not use food as punishment or reward.
3. Limit consumption of sugar , and also limit fat consumption.
4. Teach healthy eating habits through modeling sound diet and eating behavior.
5. Taste new foods, and do not eat or drink items in front of the children that they are not permitted, such as soda, candy, or coffee.
6. Promote a healthy body image by supporting, accepting, and encouraging everyone equally.

Other important points:

1. Food should be an appropriate size and texture for the age and ability of the child so they can easily chew and swallow their food.
2. Nuts and other hard foods that are difficult for young children to chew should be avoided.
3. Children should not be force-fed.
4. Children should be seated quietly at mealtimes.

To know more click on the below links for more information on healthy food habits 

http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/what_we_do.aspx?id=165

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Childcare_and_healthy_eating

http://www.sesamestreet.org/cms_services/services?action=download&uid=77960fa1-69ad-47c9-a54d-e98b95863ffa

Back to School with Q-School Readiness Starts with Quality Program

As children head back to school, a new campaign aims to shine a light on quality child care and preschool programs.“Back to School with Q – School Readiness Starts with Quality” will highlight area programs participating in the Virginia Star Quality Initiative and Smart Beginnings initiatives that are affecting school readiness.

In Virginia, the child care centers both big and small are advised to use child care software for their child care centers. Using a child care software vastly improve the productivity of the center and give high customer service to the parents. So the centers using child care software found to be more successful in finding more customers in the state.

The Virginia Star Quality Initiative gives early learning programs a rating of one to five stars based on the quality of features linked to school readiness.The program is voluntary. It was created to identify levels of quality and create ways to improve. Those who participate receive mentoring and training.

“Virginia’s quality improvement system is recognized nationally for its focus on the most important determinants of school readiness for young children, Virginia Early Childhood Foundation officials, said in a statement. 

“We are fortunate to have strong leadership and commitment to quality early learning among Virginia’s legislature, business executives, higher education, state agencies, Smart Beginnings communities, and families. We hope that Back to School with Q will galvanize investment in quality early learning as the foundation for school, life and workforce success.”

A Roanoke County student was a winner in the 2014 International Science and Engineering Fair.

The competition was held in California in May included competitors from across the country and the world. Devens, who has been successful in state and local science competitions, submitted a project titled: “Comparing Shroud Design on the Electrical Power Output of a Small-Scale Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine.” 

She was recently recognized by the Roanoke County School Board.Melissa Carr, a chemistry teacher at William Byrd, has earned the society’s outstanding high school teacher award. Carr was recently honored by the Roanoke County School Board for the achievement. Carr has been working at William Byrd High since 2006 and was also the system’s 2013 Golden Apple award winner.

3-year-old Left in Park by Day Care Staff

Jeremiah Griffin was in his first week of day care in Wilmington when the 3-year-old was left in nearby Brandywine Park for nearly an hour after visiting with his class.It wasn't until a crossing guard found him wandering alone and brought him into Warner Elementary School, at 801 N. 18th St., that police were called, Master Sgt. Tuesday, the school's principal shared more details about what the Warner officials had done to help find the toddler's day care before he was returned there blocks away Jeremiah's parents were not informed by the day care for several hours. 

The boy's father, Jomar Brown, picked his son up at Sharon Temple Child Care Center, at 2001 N. Washington St., and that's when workers told him his son had gone missing for 10 minutes. According to Wilmington police, they received a call at 12:42 p.m. Aug. 28 from officials at Warner Elementary that they had a lost boy at the school.The initial report was that about 12:20 p.m. a crossing guard brought the boy into the school.After investigating, officers returned the toddler to Sharon Temple, where day care workers advised them that the other children returned from Brandywine Park, about a half mile away at 11:45 a.m.

Griffin, who drives a school bus for Warner, said she's been able to piece together some of the day's events. "There was a lady in the park with her kids and when she was getting ready to leave, she gave my son to the crossing guard," she said."The kids actually ate their lunch and were laid down for a nap before they noticed that he was missing," Griffin said. 

Warner Elementary Principal Chrishaun Fitzgerald said the boy had been playing with Warner school children until they returned from recess.The crossing guard stayed with him a few minutes to see if anyone would return for the toddler before bringing the boy inside the school and inquiring if he was a pre-schooler. She assigned a school coordinator to start making calls to the surrounding day cares who typically use the park to see if any of them might had left the boy behind. Upon calling the centers, no one reported having any missing children, Fitzgerald said. By the time police arrived, a day care worker from Sharon Temple had called back, saying they were missing a little boy. Fitzgerald said they were told that officers were investigating.

"You had this toddler who couldn't talk," He could say his name, but he could not articulate his teacher's name and when we asked him his mommy's name, he said, 'Mommy.' He seemed hungry so we offered him crackers."The state Division of Family Services has conducted an investigation into the lack of supervision allegation and has given the day care a "warning of probation" for six months, spokeswoman Andrea Wojcik said. She said day care officials notified the state as required on Aug. 29 about the situation and the division has placed the day care on increased monitoring.Wojcik said the day care informed the state that the boy was left unsupervised by their staff for about 45 minutes, but that he was never actually "alone," since other area day care groups had visited the same park that day.Sharon Temple Day Care Center, which was licensed in 2000, has had two unsubstantiated complaints lodged against it in April 2010 and in July 2014, Wojcik said.According to state regulations, a child care center must notify a child's parents or guardians in cases of accidents or injuries. There is no specific regulation, however, covering missing children.

Fresh Air and Ventilation for Proper Child Development and Growth

Rooms that children use should be heated, cooled, and ventilated both to keep the temperature comfortable and to prevent germs, odors, and fumes from collecting. Exchanging indoor air with outdoor air is key to reducing the density of contagious germs. Wherever people gather in groups, they exhale their germs into their surroundings. 

Software and Ventilation :

The child care centers are advised to use child care software for managing the administrative functions of the center and it will greatly increase the efficiency and productivity of the center. Indoors, good ventilation is essential to good health. Fans and vents draw stale air out of your home or bring fresh air into your home. Making sure that air is circulating will prevent mold and mildew, ease allergies and asthma, keep you safe from pollutants, and protect your home from damage. Ventilation is necessary to prevent airborne transmission of microorganisms such as measles, chicken pox and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Why do my kid need better ventilation?

1. Cooking scents and odors tend to linger.
2. You smell mold or mildew in closets or walls.
3. Your eyes get irritated indoors.
4. You notice condensation on the inside of your windows or on cold surfaces.

What does different air circulation lead to

1. Airborne Transmission
2. Allergens and Asthma

Ways of getting Fresh Air in the child care center :

1. Open the windows at least once a day
2. Try to keep indoor humidity between 30% and 50%
3. Try to keep indoor temperatures between 18º C and 28º C (64.4º F and 75.2ºF)
4. Odor control is essential to maintaining a clean and hygienic image and a pleasant child care center.
5. Removing trash from the container is easy and completely sanitary.

Reasons Kids Need Fresh Air :

1. Stronger bones and lower cancer risk
2. Healthy children
3. Improved eyesight
4. More creative
5. Longer lifespan and healthier adult life

http://www.globalhealthychildcare.dreamhosters.com/healthy-living-and-play-spaces/fresh-air-heating-and-cooling/

http://www.freshheatingandcooling.com.au/pages/benefits/child-care.html

Searching for a Home Day Care?

There are large centers, licensed and governed by rules covering everything from square footage per child to credentials for employees. There are also licensed family homes, with smaller numbers of children. And then there are unregulated homes, which can operate legally as long as the caregivers watch no more than five children not related to them. The unregulated face no inspections, background checks or regulations.

For parents, here are several questions to ask at home day cares.

1. Do you have a license to care for children?

Caregivers should readily provide their state-issued “family day home” license number. Department of Social Services Web site allows you to verify the license and to search for a provider’s inspection reports.

2. If you don’t have a license, why not? 

There are a few exemptions from licensing in Virginia, which adds to the confusion. Facilities with religious affiliations are exempt but must comply with some standards, such as background checks. Unregulated homes that have five or fewer children can voluntarily register with the state, which requires a background check, site visit and pledge to follow the licensing rules.

3. How many children do you care for, and what are their ages? 

There’s a big difference between caring for four infants and caring for four 5-year-olds. Infants require more attention. Children who are up to 15 months old count as four points, 16 to 23 months counts as three points, and so forth. An individual caregiver cannot exceed 16 points.

4. When is the last time you were trained in CPR? 

Licensed providers are required to have CPR credentials issued within the past two years. Ask for a certificate that proves completion.

5. How do you put infants down for a nap? 

All infants should be placed on their backs to sleep, unless a doctor instructs otherwise. In the 1990s, federal officials launched a public health campaign, called “Back to Sleep,” to promote safe sleeping.

6. What kind of sleeping environment do you provide for infants? Regulations for licensed providers prohibit placing loose bedding or pillows around infants. If a caregiver uses a blanket, it must be thin, be tucked around the end of the crib mattress and not come past the infant’s chest.

7. Do you have a land-line phone? 

In emergencies, having a land line can make a big difference. It allows 911 dispatchers to immediately locate the address.

8. Have you had a background check?

The parent  can ask unregulated providers to pay for their own background checks through the State Police and authorize a name search through the Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry. The parent can go into any day care, whether it is licensed or not, and ask for a background investigation.

9. Who else is in the home? Request the names of all adults who live or work in the home. Ask about their background checks and credentials. Licensed day cares prohibit felons from living or working in the home. Unlicensed providers face no such rules.  

Bipartisan, Bicameral Agreement Reached to Reform Child Care & Development Block Grant Program

A bipartisan group of Senate and House leaders announced a legislative agreement to improve and reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act. Negotiated by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Richard Burr (R-NC), and Representatives John Kline (R-MN), George Miller (D-CA), Todd Rokita (R-IN), and David Loebsack (D-IA), the agreement will enhance transparency, strengthen health and safety protections, and improve the quality of care.

The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act provides funds to states to help low-income families pay for child care while a parent works or is in an educational or job training program. The law has not been reauthorized since 1996. Today’s bipartisan, bicameral agreement is based upon legislation introduced in 2013 by Senators Mikulski and Burr that passed the Senate earlier this year.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant program is a vital lifeline for countless Americans. Working moms and dads have pursued a career, earned a degree, or acquired new skills and training because of the support available through this program. The commonsense ideas included in this bipartisan, bicameral agreement will only strengthen our support of these working families.
For working families in Iowa and around the country, access to safe and affordable child care is essential. This bipartisan bill will help to ensure working parents have access to quality, affordable child care and provide rich early-learning opportunities for children, including infants and toddlers and children with disabilities. This bill is a strong example of what Congress can achieve by working together.

Every parent, regardless of their income level, deserves to know that their child is well cared-for. said This bipartisan, bicameral bill improves child care access, makes critical new investments, and helps to ensure children are safe and are receiving quality care. Reliable care sets children on the path toward success in school and in the rest of their lives. While helping to prepare the next generation, good child care also supports working parents to promote greater workforce stability. These updates to CCDBG are vital for our children, our families, and our nation’s future. This bill helps a working Tennessee mother be able to pay for child care while she earns a degree so she can pay for it herself. Every month, an average of 39,000 Tennessee children get childcare through this program while their parents earn an education or

Illinois Child Care Providers Stop Paying Union Fees

Thousands of Illinois child care providers have stopped paying fees for union representation as part of the continuing statewide and nationwide impact of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision focused primarily on personal care workers. Most of the childcare centers uses child care software for managing the activities in the center.

The decision by the administration of Gov. Pat Quinn and the Service Employees International Union to stop collecting “fair-share” or “agency” fees from home-based child care providers effective July 1 will save the providers up to $10 million a year that had been going to SEIU. The decision was tied to the Supreme Court’s June 30 ruling in the Harris v. Quinn case. In that 5-4 ruling, split along ideological lines, the court said “fair-share” or “agency” fees that all 26,000 Illinois home care workers had been paying violated the First Amendment rights of those workers who hadn’t decided to join SEIU.

The ruling immediately spared about 7,800 home care workers who hadn’t decided to join the union the future cost of fair-share fees. The fees, amounting to 2.5 percent of gross pay, can’t be used for political activity and represent most of the cost of full union dues.

SEIU remains legally required to represent everyone in its bargaining unit — including those who no longer pay fair-share fees — by negotiating the same pay raises for them that union members get and by defending them in disciplinary matters. The ruling’s financial impact on the union has been estimated at $3.6 million to $10 million per year.

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation hailed the decision as a victory for workers’ freedom of choice. Unions saw the ruling as an attack on their ability to represent and advocate for workers — especially lower-wage, female and minority workers.

The court’s majority decision grouped child care workers with personal care workers among those viewed as not “full-fledged” state employees. The ruling didn’t directly affect Illinois child care providers whom the state pays daily rates with mostly federal funds to reduce child care costs for low-income parents while those parents work or attend school or job training.

Child Care Centers & Outdoor Activity

Physical activity can have an enormous impact on improving a child’s physical and emotional well-being. A study led by Kristen Copeland, MD, division of General and Community Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Faculty Scholar reveals that, many of the three quarters of preschool-age children in the U.S. who attend child care get insufficient outdoor physical activity.

Three primary obstacles to children's physical activity were identified:

• Financial limitations
• Injury worries
• More focus on academics than outdoor activities
• Teachers felt pressure from both upper- and lower-income parents
• Playgrounds are less physically challenging and interesting to children due to recent stricter licensing codes.

Some interesting examples of outdoor activities incorporated in some of the child care centers in USA include:

Girls on Track: is a year-long program in Vermont that uses games, interactive learning, and

training workouts to expose middle school girls to healthy lifestyle choices. The program

begins with an intensive eight-week summer session, where the girls train for a 5K race

and explore a number of relevant issues including goal-setting, addressing challenges and

overcoming barriers, building self-esteem and positive body image, and understanding the

importance of good nutrition.

VERB™: It’s what you do is a national campaign coordinated by the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention to encourage young people ages 9 to13 to be physically active

every day.

Planet Health: is an interdisciplinary curriculum developed by the Harvard School of Public

Health to teach middle school students about nutrition and physical activity. Four simple

health themes can be integrated into physical education, language arts, math, science, and

social studies classes

The benefits of being active for young children include:

1. Growth and development
2.  Maintain a healthy weight
3. Building strong bones and muscles
4. Improving cardiovascular fitness, balance, coordination and strength,posture and sleep,concentration and thinking skills,confidence and self-esteem
5. Maintaining and developing flexibility
6. Assisting with the development of gross motor and fine motor skills
7. Providing the opportunity to develop fundamental movement skills
8. Helping to establish connections between different parts of the brain
9. Relieving stress and promoting relaxation
10. Providing opportunities to develop social skills and make friends

For more information, check below links:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240274.php

http://www.researchconnections.org/childcare/resources/13558/pdf