Like most other states, Indiana has published Early Learning Standards to help early childhood educators understand what children should be learning as they grow. This document can be intimidating at first for providers who want to use it for their curriculum planning. In this three-part series, we will look at:
- Finding what learning is already naturally happening in your environment
- Creating a lesson plan to address learning content that may not be present
- Sharing with families how and what children are learning in your program.
This series is designed to be brief; each video is only about five minutes long and will help providers identify meaningful learning experiences in their environments.
“If we are not working on getting better then we are kinda stagnant and not growing … it is better to get in on front end of a program than the tail end so when a new program comes through we try to jump right on that and get our staff excited about it to be leaders.”
“We already knew we were operating at this higher level, why not have the validation from something like Paths to QUALITY, so that it was more than just us saying we are a strong program but having Paths to QUALITY backing us up as well.”
“I live in a low income area and I have had so many times since I started that I have had interviews set up with parents and I get no reason why they don’t show up. I wonder if some of them just figured out where I’m at and they won’t come. I’ve had someone say that on the phone one time – I know where that’s at. They don’t like the area…I thought it would give me some credibility.”
“I think we would like to get some recognition and also about what we do and maybe in return parents will be calling us and saying “oh, you are this level, we appreciate what you are doing so that is why I want my child to come to you.”
“For me, I joined PTQ because parents are looking at all types of daycares and if you want to stand out, you have to do something to stand out. Participating in whatever you can,
accreditation, whatever. It gives the parents a little something more to look at than just someone watching their kids. That this is what they do, this is their profession, they want to stand out with everything and with PTQ that helps us better our programs and our children so that it is beneficial to us and our programs.”
“…I like that you do get the benefits of moving up, leveling up and you do get that bonus where you get to go through the catalog because we run on peanuts trying to dish out for nutritional foods and things. We don’t have a lot of money to spend on the kids and that little incentive is good too. So it’s nice.”
INAEYC and Indiana Early Childhood Higher Education Forum invites you to participate in the Indiana Early Childhood Induction Project!
This project bridges what you have learned in school and on the job. You will be linked to an early childhood mentor and higher education expert where you will participate in a community of practice and mentoring activities. This project is linked to the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® INDIANA Scholarship Program. A T.E.A.C.H. scholarship will be provided to both the Mentor and to the Mentee to advance their professional development!
For more information, how to apply and how to be linked to a higher education expert, contact Mike Wiegmann, TEACH Advisor of Special Projects at mweigmann@inaeyc.org
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning offers an area map of the state with each corresponding local community-based organizations that administers Resource and Referral services.
470 IAC 3-1.2 Infant and Toddler Care
- Change positions of infants
- Each child shall have their own crib, playpen, or mat (requires a variance) to sleep on. Each child younger than 24 months has a crib, portacrib, playpen, or bassinet. If a bassinet is used, determine if the parent has either provided or consented to the use of the bassinet.
- Infants must be held during bottle feedings until they can hold their own bottle.
- Bottles shall not be propped.
- Safe Sleep practices shall be followed
- Infants must be placed on their back to sleep.
- Slats of the crib can be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart.
- Mattresses must fit snugly with no more than one inch between the mattress and the side of the crib.
- Infant Safe Sleep Policy Template
470 IAC 3-1.1-39 Swimming
470 IAC 3-1.1-45 General Environment
470 IAC 3-1.1-46 Fire Prevention
470 IAC 3-1.1-47 Sanitation
470 IAC 3-1.1-48 Safety
- Pools – must be enclosed by a fence and have a lock (combination or key) on the gate.
- Shall not have loose handrails, torn screens, or open windows without screens. Fan blades shall not be accessible to children.
- Home is equipped with heat (when needed), lights, and ventilation
- Kitchen is equipped with stove, oven, or microwave, a refrigerator, and a sink with hot and cold water in the kitchen area
- Children shall not be cared for in a basement that does not have a direct exit to the outside.
- Exits shall not be blocked.
- Shall not have any gas leaks.
- Poisonous or hazardous materials shall not be in the reach of children.
- Tools shall not be within children’s reach.
- Firearms shall be kept in a locked area that is inaccessible to children.
- Drug use or paraphernalia is prohibited in the child care home when child care is being provided.
- Smoking is prohibited in the child care home or play area during the time children are in attendance. Ashtrays with cigarettes and/or ashes shall not be accessible to children.
- Alcohol use is prohibited in the child care home when child care is being provided.
Shall not be structural damage to the home.